Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska: Scouting Report, Highlights

Justin Shoemaker Lavonte David is just an old school football player.  You can be deceived by his size, as he's small even at the college level, but this guy can play football.  Let’s take a look at at his overall positives and negatives.

Pros

• Very agile and great range for a linebacker
• Quick decision-maker
• Excellent LB in coverage
• Tackling machine at the college level, recording 133 total tackles, 12 TFL, and 5.5 sacks in the Big Ten in 2011
• Technique tackler; by this I mean he does whatever it takes to bring down ball-carrier as opposed to going for knock-outs
• Knows the Tampa 2 scheme, which was primary defense used at Nebraska
• Stays home and understands responsibilities; great football intelligence

Cons

• Most likely only a 4-3 outside LB
• Weight in 225-230 range
• Trouble blitzing because of size and can get eaten up in traffic
• Occasionally overruns the play
• Gets overpowered by large backs
• Did he peak already? Room for improvement?

Lavonte David will be a solid addition to a team that runs a 4-3 defense.  He could benefit from putting on some weight, even if it means losing a bit of speed and quickness.  In my mind, he's a third-round project because of his size and lack of versatility.  If he puts on some weight, he has a shot at becoming a productive NFL linebacker.

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