I seem to recall that Lee only played 2 years at Ohio St. and only his last year as a linebacker. Where did he originally play? Safety. Not sure, but I believe that he might not have played 4 years in high school either. This kind of LB play must be eating up Kevin Greene. This playing people out of position and being rigid about the 3-4 is my biggest gripe about Bowles.
He was a QB in high school. When he got to Ohio St. he played a little Safety, but due to Ryan Shazier leaving OSU for the NFL, he got his chance to play linebacker. HC Urban Meyer apparently didn't have any better options to fill that spot and so Lee was coached up and given a shot.
And to Lee's credit, he talked the talk and apparently fooled everyone into thinking he walked the walk? His scouting report coming out of Ohio St. is very clear.........
[h=3]Overview[/h] Lee's never been short on confidence, proclaiming to teammates that he was the one to take over for 2014 first-round pick Ryan Shazier in the Buckeyes' defense -- even though he was only a year removed from starring as a quarterback and cornerback in high school. He wound up starting all 15 games in that redshirt freshman year for the national champion Buckeyes, earning multiple Freshman All-American accolades with 81 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Lee truly hit the national stage by terrorizing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, receiving Defensive MVP honors with seven tackles, three for loss, and two sacks. His play as a sophomore was just as good, tracking down ball carriers 66 times, 11 for a loss and 4.5 sacks on his way to second-team All-Big Ten accolades from league coaches (third team media). [h=3]Analysis[/h] [h=4]Strengths[/h] Quick to diagnose and flow to the ball. Has unusual ability to find the most efficient routes to the ball. Has athleticism and flexibility to contort his body and succeed through difficult tackle angles. Plays with loose hips, quick feet and desired agility of an NFL weak-side linebacker. Former high school quarterback with the change of direction and speed to be a rangy playmaker. Comfortable in space and excels there. Has plus man cover talent. Willing to stand in and take on blockers with a leveraged strike if his gap is being threatened. Capable gap blitzer with ability to get skinny through the holes.[h=4]Weaknesses[/h] Smallish linebacker. Play strength doesn't come close to matching puffed up listed weight. Balance issues at point of attack could plague him over his NFL career. Has the body type of a big safety. Tape shows few authoritative tackles. Involved in too many arm and shoestring tackles. Comes flying in and fails to come to balance at times. Charged with 21 missed and five broken tackles over the last two seasons. Always at size disadvantage and will have to learn to slip more blocks. Can get better at finding targets in zone coverage.[h=4]Draft Projection[/h] Round 1[h=4]Sources Tell Us[/h] "Don't get overly excited about Ragland making a lot of plays behind those tackles at Alabama. It won't be that way in the pros. Lee had talent on his defense too, but he's a natural three-down player who can cover and blitz. He's a much better playmaker than Ragland." -- AFC executive[h=4]NFL Comparison[/h] Zach Brown[h=4]Bottom Line[/h] Lee's level of NFL success might very well be tied to scheme fit and his ability to add more muscle to his frame. His athletic traits and ability to make plays should make him a starter, but he won't unlock his full potential unless he gets strong enough to handle the rigors of an NFL linebacker.
With all of the above said, he was able to fool Mac into thinking that ALL of the positives on his scouting report was the only thing that mattered. That essentially none of the caveats laid out in his scouting profile were at all true?
Well, it seems that ALL of the caveats/negatives about Lee are turning out to be true? It also appears to be evident that Lee is NOT cut out to play in a 3-4? It's like Jonathan Vilma all over again?
In Mac's defense, however, the 2016 draft is turning out to be pretty much garbage on all fronts. That was overall a very weak draft in regards to talent. It seems most media "PUFFED UP" the hype surrounding all of the big games in the draft so they could maintain interest?
