Some info on Marcus Smith
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Smith is among the more versatile defensive linemen to come out this year. He played each position along the defensive line, and even stood up as a pass-rushing outside linebacker at times. He should make the transition to the NFL nicely, regardless of what position he ends up playing.
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Introduction to Marcus Smith
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly spoke to the media following the selection of outside linebacker Marcus Smith with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Read on for Chip quotes courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com
"Think he's an outstanding athlete. He actually got recruited to Louisville as a quarterback. [Louisville head coach Charlie] Strong had seen him in a football camp, and he went to Louisville. I talked to Charlie the other week about him and he just gave us rave reviews. He's a big kid. He transitioned to the outside linebacker position. I think he has a huge upside. He's a very, very good athlete. He's over 6'3", in the 250, 255 pound range, ran 4.68, He's got speed coming off the edge. We thought adding a pass rusher was a big thing for us.
I think a young kid to bring in behind Trent [Cole] and Connor [Barwin] and those guys can teach him the ropes and bring him along and show him what we can do. But I think his ceiling is very, very high. We're excited. He's a tough, hard‑nosed football player. A little bit new to the position. Maybe a similar situation to Lane [Johnson] in terms of you're getting a guy that is a huge upside because he hasn't played the position that long. They played multiple defenses there. He's played with his hand on the ground, he's played standing up. He can drop into coverage, he can rush the quarterback. We're excited about adding him. The fact that we could move back a little bit and pick up another pick because we were short in what we think is a good draft, we felt is a great situation for us."
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Nice bend, balance and body control. Good pass-rush ability and potential. Quick first step. Coordinated hands and feet. Athletic and agile -- can stunt and loop. Flashes a spin move. Shows burst to close and get home. Moves well laterally. Gives effort in pursuit and ranges all over the field. Operated from 2- and 3-point stance. Solid character. Is coachable and has improved steadily.
This post was edited by MCW on May 9 2014 02:15am