We our coming to a close on the spotlighting of the 2011 NFL Draft LB Draft Prospects I have seen discussed. We got Ross Homan here, and I am going to highlight Greg Jones today or tomorrow. So chime in now if there is anyone else that has caught your eye.
Homan measured in at just over 6' and I've seen his weight listed anywhere from 227 to 240. Gil Brandt of NFL.com said he weighed 234 at his Pro Day, and I would expect that to be accurate. Obviously the weight for Holman is a big issue as his size was a serious concern.
Homan ran the 40 in 4.68 seconds at the combine. He had a vert of 35.5" and a broad jump of 9'3" at the Combine. He also put up an impressive 32 reps on the bench, which is a surprising number given his game is not categorized by a lot of strength.
Homan played inside in college, but will likely make the transition to weakside in the NFL. He is a likely fourth to fifth-round pick, with a little more likelihood in the fifth. Jump over for our scouts takes....
Homan is an undersized linebacker with good speed that could potentially develop into a starter on the weak side. He runs very well and shows the ability to chase running backs down from behind. He is a smooth athlete that makes plays in space and flashes the ability to mirror tight ends and running backs in man coverage. However, he lacks the strength and shedding ability to be a run stopper at the next level and can be a non-factor on running plays directed at him. Homan has the skills to be a quality Tampa 2 linebacker and will likely be a middle round pick.
I don't know if you noticed or not, but the Raiders do not spend a ton of time in the Tampa 2, which is a little dubious for Homan as a Raider prospect. Piling onto Holman's apparent lack of fit for the Raiders in SidelineScouting.com:
[Homan] needs to get better in man-to-man coverage, is sometimes fooled by play action when assigned to cover an eligible receiver. ...May have difficulty bringing down larger NFL backs, will not drive ball carrier backward regularly.
A shorter, tightly wound linebacker who displays good body control and footwork in his drop. Exhibits the ability to sit into his back-pedal, read the quarterback's eyes, cleanly redirect and make a play on the football in zone
Plays with a good motor, works hard in pursuit and has a real nose for the football. However, isn't the most physical of defenders inside the box. Exhibits an above-average pop at the point when asked to take on linemen in the hole, but struggles to quickly shed and make a play on the ball.
Looks more like a solid reserve type who can be a spot starter when need be.
I found this quote by Wes Bunting on the NFP, and it gives us a little insight on how Homan and a couple other of our LB prospects performed at the Senior Bowl:
Oregon’s Casey Matthews and Ohio State’s Ross Homan both struggled to hold up at the point of attack throughout the week when asked to anchor vs. tight ends during run drills. However, the one guy who did do a nice job was Washington LB Mason Foster.
Homan does have a few Raiders' qualities. He is a high character/moter player, and he has struggled with hamstring injuries. Let's go to some video...
Not the most impressive vid for Homan. I don't know that much more needs to be said.