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Justin Houston DE Georgia Thread
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:03 am
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:03 am
I had him as a first pick favorite early. I thought he was panning out more as a 3-4OLB more than DE, so then saw him less likely. After much review it seems he could still have 3-4 possibility but not sure enough to be a 1st Rd pick, or at least not before the Saints #24. As a 4-3DE he might be the 3rd best pass rusher on the board. His game is not be as complete in defending the run as Clayborn or Kerrigan. That can be taught. He's definitely more explosive than AC or RK who I see as potentially available DEs. Fits the mold of a Payton/Loomis high upside developmental pick. Smith & Brown are fine on 1st & 2nd down. Let him start off coming in on 3rds and move WS to the other side. When Brown's contract is up Smith can move over permanently as he ages and JH has his techniques honed for all 3 downs.
Some scouting reports, videos, and pics for your perusal... Comments?
Few players propelled themselves up NFL Draft boards as fast as Houston did last season at Georgia. The outside OLB/DE showed signs of things to come with seven sacks in 2009, but nothing could have predicted this. Houston was third on the team as a junior in solo tackles (38) and total tackles (67), but he was without question the dominant force on UGA's defense. He finished with a ridiculous 18.5 tackles for loss to go along with 10 sacks and an almost unheard of 44 quarterback hurries. Houston also had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Houston has good size at 6'3'' and 270 pounds. He looks like a defensive end, and that's exactly what he might play at the next level in a 4-3 scheme. In a 3-4 defense he can set up at rush linebacker. Houston has been clocked as fast as 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, but he will want to improve on that at the combine if he wants to establish himself as a sure-thing first-rounder. Prior to this season he looked like a third-rounder at best. Now that he has turned in a career-changing performance in 2010 and left early for the 2011 NFL Draft, Houston may have garnered himself a first-round selection.
Some scouting reports, videos, and pics for your perusal... Comments?
Few players propelled themselves up NFL Draft boards as fast as Houston did last season at Georgia. The outside OLB/DE showed signs of things to come with seven sacks in 2009, but nothing could have predicted this. Houston was third on the team as a junior in solo tackles (38) and total tackles (67), but he was without question the dominant force on UGA's defense. He finished with a ridiculous 18.5 tackles for loss to go along with 10 sacks and an almost unheard of 44 quarterback hurries. Houston also had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Houston has good size at 6'3'' and 270 pounds. He looks like a defensive end, and that's exactly what he might play at the next level in a 4-3 scheme. In a 3-4 defense he can set up at rush linebacker. Houston has been clocked as fast as 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, but he will want to improve on that at the combine if he wants to establish himself as a sure-thing first-rounder. Prior to this season he looked like a third-rounder at best. Now that he has turned in a career-changing performance in 2010 and left early for the 2011 NFL Draft, Houston may have garnered himself a first-round selection.
This post was edited on 3/5/11 at 10:51 am
4
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:10 am to blueslover
highlight video 1
highlight video 2
----was a team captain too, bulked up 10lbs since leaving Georgia
highlight video 2
----was a team captain too, bulked up 10lbs since leaving Georgia
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:13 am to blueslover
Instincts/Recognition: Has experience playing outside linebacker and defensive end. Fairly good instincts verses the run. Does a good job at locating ball carriers after disengaging blockers. Is discipline in his run fits. Needs to improve on his pursuit angles. Is susceptible to delays and draws, because he gets too far upfield. Against the pass, his instincts are below average. Often displays a one track mind when rushing the passer, which causes him to fail at recognizing screen plays. Also lacks awareness in underneath coverage. He tends to take false steps which cause him to be out of place when the ball is thrown.
Strength/Toughness: Very strong in the upper body. Has the strength to get underneath linemen’s pads and walk them back into the quarterback. Plays the game with violent hands. Displays good lower body strength which allows him to anchor against the run. Is one of Georgia’s toughest players.
Range vs. Run: Has the speed and athleticism to play sideline to sideline. Holds up well against linemen by using his long arms to keep them at bay. Plays with good leverage and balance. Shows above average closing speed when pursuing ball carriers from the back the side. Does a good job at keeping contain to his side. Motor runs hot and cold. Will sometimes give up on plays that are not ran to his side. Will also jog around while in pursuit of balls carriers that have reached the second level and beyond.
Tackling: Solid tackler who wraps up well. Uses his upper body strength to lay a good pop on ball carriers. Rarely misses tackles in the open field. Will struggle on occasion to break down in space against shiftier ball carriers.
3rd Down Capabilities: A dynamic edge rusher that is multifaceted. He can use his speed to bend the corner or his strength to bull rush linemen and collapse the pocket. Gets off the ball extremely well with an explosive first step. Motor runs hot when rushing the passer. Has the closing speed to chase down mobile quarterbacks. Is a menace when rushing the passer. Causes a lot of mistakes and turnovers because of the pressure that he gets. Wasn’t asked to drop into coverage much. Played the majority of third downs with his hand in the dirt. He did get an interception against Georgia Tech, but is still a liability in pass coverage at this point.
Intangibles: Was suspended by the team for two games in 2009 for violating team rules. 2010 Team Captain. Very fiery player that leads his teammates by example as well as vocals.
Overall Stock: Justin Houston finished the season second in sacks in the SEC. With his change from defensive end to outside linebacker in the 3-4, he saw he production go way up. Houston is the definition of a hybrid player. He can either play the rush outside linebacker position in the 3-4 or defensive end in the 4-3. There aren’t many dynamic pass rushers in the 2011 draft, and with half of the league needing to upgrade their pass rush, don’t expect Houston to be on the board in the second round. With his speed and explosion, he can make an immediate impact.
Strength/Toughness: Very strong in the upper body. Has the strength to get underneath linemen’s pads and walk them back into the quarterback. Plays the game with violent hands. Displays good lower body strength which allows him to anchor against the run. Is one of Georgia’s toughest players.
Range vs. Run: Has the speed and athleticism to play sideline to sideline. Holds up well against linemen by using his long arms to keep them at bay. Plays with good leverage and balance. Shows above average closing speed when pursuing ball carriers from the back the side. Does a good job at keeping contain to his side. Motor runs hot and cold. Will sometimes give up on plays that are not ran to his side. Will also jog around while in pursuit of balls carriers that have reached the second level and beyond.
Tackling: Solid tackler who wraps up well. Uses his upper body strength to lay a good pop on ball carriers. Rarely misses tackles in the open field. Will struggle on occasion to break down in space against shiftier ball carriers.
3rd Down Capabilities: A dynamic edge rusher that is multifaceted. He can use his speed to bend the corner or his strength to bull rush linemen and collapse the pocket. Gets off the ball extremely well with an explosive first step. Motor runs hot when rushing the passer. Has the closing speed to chase down mobile quarterbacks. Is a menace when rushing the passer. Causes a lot of mistakes and turnovers because of the pressure that he gets. Wasn’t asked to drop into coverage much. Played the majority of third downs with his hand in the dirt. He did get an interception against Georgia Tech, but is still a liability in pass coverage at this point.
Intangibles: Was suspended by the team for two games in 2009 for violating team rules. 2010 Team Captain. Very fiery player that leads his teammates by example as well as vocals.
Overall Stock: Justin Houston finished the season second in sacks in the SEC. With his change from defensive end to outside linebacker in the 3-4, he saw he production go way up. Houston is the definition of a hybrid player. He can either play the rush outside linebacker position in the 3-4 or defensive end in the 4-3. There aren’t many dynamic pass rushers in the 2011 draft, and with half of the league needing to upgrade their pass rush, don’t expect Houston to be on the board in the second round. With his speed and explosion, he can make an immediate impact.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:21 am to blueslover
This post was edited on 3/5/11 at 10:54 am
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:25 am to blueslover
Positives: Excellent size and build to play outside in a 3-4 scheme, has good bulk and above-average strength for the position... Sack totals have been very impressive (21 career sacks, 11 in 2010)... Pretty good speed for his size... Monster in the weight room, power cleaned 420 pounds during workouts in 2009, is a workout warrior... Was named Butkus Award finalist for 2010 as one of nation's standout linebackers... Very humble and modest, feels the need to constantly improve and works hard to get better in every facet of the game, sets a good example as a leader for his teammates... Is very quick off the snap, times the count well and has an explosive first step off the line... Is fairly disciplined and plays with good instincts as both a five-technique end and an outside linebacker... Uses hands well when engaged with blockers, maintains balance and keeps play-side hand free on most occasions... Utilizes hefty frame and strong upper body when engaged with blockers, stays relatively low and will not get pushed away from running plays directly at him... Has the intangibles to be a big-time pass rusher and solid all-around player and leader in the NFL because of good motor and strong work ethic.
Negatives: Was suspended for the first two games of 2009 for violating team rules, but has since stayed out of trouble and handled the suspension well... Tends to give up on plays when across the field, has a good motor off the snap, but stops when play is too far away... Does not take very good angles in pursuit down field... Tends to tackle too high and does not drive through every tackle, but can afford to do so in traffic because he wraps up well and doesn't miss many tackles... Plays much more like a weakside defensive end on first and second down than he does a linebacker, can get too deep into the backfield and get out of position on plays up the middle of the line... Will never be very proficient in coverage, will be suitable to defend short routes in the NFL, but will likely be predominantly a pass rusher... Has only a year of experience as a 3-4 OLB, so 3-4 teams expecting to use him in that capacity will need to factor in a learning curve at the position.
Negatives: Was suspended for the first two games of 2009 for violating team rules, but has since stayed out of trouble and handled the suspension well... Tends to give up on plays when across the field, has a good motor off the snap, but stops when play is too far away... Does not take very good angles in pursuit down field... Tends to tackle too high and does not drive through every tackle, but can afford to do so in traffic because he wraps up well and doesn't miss many tackles... Plays much more like a weakside defensive end on first and second down than he does a linebacker, can get too deep into the backfield and get out of position on plays up the middle of the line... Will never be very proficient in coverage, will be suitable to defend short routes in the NFL, but will likely be predominantly a pass rusher... Has only a year of experience as a 3-4 OLB, so 3-4 teams expecting to use him in that capacity will need to factor in a learning curve at the position.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:27 am to blueslover
Positives: Perfect size for a RE in a 4-3 at 6’2” or 6’3” and about 255-260 pounds. He is very athletic and has great explosiveness off the ball, especially when he can get a feel for the snap count. When he gets a great jump off the ball he can beat just about anyone off the edge, and he shows the ability to dip his shoulder to get the edge. He seems to have more than adequate hip flexibility to do this as well. He also flashes the ability to slap away the hands of the tackle as he makes a bee-line around him to the quarterback, which makes him very dangerous. Not only does he threaten off the edge he has also developed the awareness to set the tackle up for the speed rush and then burst back inside and get to the quarterback with an inside move. He has good closing speed to get to the QB and is a reliable tackler both when rushing the QB and when pursuing other ball carriers. He wraps up well, and flashes some good pop as a hitter which helps him forces fumbles occasionally. I have found that he is by far most effective when he has his hand in the dirt as a pass rusher like a 4-3 DE would as he just appears much more explosive off the ball and has a lot more success as a pass rusher. He also does a better job of keeping his pads low to play with good leverage when he comes out of that stance. He flashes the necessary motor to pursue, he did a solid job of this in the Auburn game. Probably because he realized that sacks weren’t going to come easy on Cam Newton. He has been extremely productive in the SEC which you have to take into consideration. He has flashed the ability to use a swim move once or twice a game also.
Negatives: The biggest complaint I have with Houston is his motor. It runs very hot and cold, and more cold than anything else. There are times when he is just jogging in pursuit of ball-carriers and more than once it has cost him a chance at a tackle that would have saved a lot of yardage for his defense or a chance at a sack for him personally. I am not sure why his motor is so inconsistent but it leaves a lot to be desired. I think it might be because he is so athletic that he realizes that if he goes hard on a number of plays that he will be able to make plays when he goes all out. Then he throttles down for other plays, especially against the run. He makes plays in the running game, but not as consistently as he does as a pass rusher. I think he needs to continue to improve his hand usage to help him shed blocks in the running game and as a pass rusher, though he has shown improvement in this area. But the more violent he can get his hands the better off he will be. I am 100% convinced that he would be a vastly better 4-3 RE than he would be a 3-4 OLB. He rarely drops into coverage for Georgia and when he does he does not look comfortable and against Arkansas he got burned on a wheel route and didn’t even realize that his guy was gone until the ball was thrown and he was 15+ yards away for a free touchdown. He is horribly mis-cast in a 3-4. His production this year is not because of his pass rushing when standing up in a 3-4 it is because Georgia faces spread offenses consistently enough that they have to go to nickel packages a lot which means four down lineman for their defense. That is when Houston makes his impact, not when he is standing up or dropping into coverage. However, Houston has almost no secondary pass rush moves. He can speed rush, beat his man to the inside after he sets his man up with the speed rush and then bull rush. Very rarely he will swim move but those moves are few and far between. The fact that he is so effective with such a limited repertoire of pass rush moves makes me wonder just how lethal he could be if someone got in his face and challenged him to go hard on every play and develop secondary pass rush moves. But as of right now his pass rushing is limited, as stupid as that sounds for a player who routinely applied pressure as a pass rusher in the SEC.
Overall: I really like Houston as a prospect and his potential is very high as a RE in a 4-3 in the NFL. His explosiveness and edge speed is pretty rare and he has been a very productive pass rusher the past two years in the SEC. I don’t usually like guys with inconsistent motors like Houston but his potential is high enough that he might be worth the risk for a team that really needs a potentially dominant RE. I think his saving grace might be that he will be worked in on a rotational basis in the NFL for his first couple seasons which will allow him the opportunity to go 100% when he comes in to look to make an impact and make a name for himself. I don’t know him personally obviously and I can’t say this for sure without an interview, but I really think that an in-your-face defensive line coach could motivate him to be a dominant player in the NFL. If he is open to coaching, which it seems like he is considering his development these past two years, then he could very well develop some secondary pass rush moves. I would love to see him improve his swim and club moves, and if he ever works in a spin move that he can use once or twice a game he could be absolutely lethal as a pass rusher. Especially if his hand usage improves as well. Really it comes down to how badly he wants to improve and if he is open to coaching. I believe that a good defensive line coach could motivate him to be a great pass rusher in the NFL though, because he has all the tools and really all he needs is coaching, technique development and someone to light a fire under him and push him to reach his potential. I really hope someone finds a way to motivate him because he could be a very fun pass rusher to watch in the NFL if someone does.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 11:01 am to blueslover
Belichick is going to look hard at him because he's almost a clone of Willie McGinest.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 11:05 am to Jcorye1
wouldn't ya count him as a much more like Pat prospect at #28 than #17 tho? The 5tech DEs and OTs (+ Ingram! 
) at the first spot look like better value fits.
) at the first spot look like better value fits.Posted on 3/5/11 at 11:19 am to blueslover
Maybe. Belichick doesn't mind reaching if its a player thats tailor made for his system (Spikes, Cunningham, some others). Its weird, because its like he's almost trying to reshape his defense from the 00s. Brandon Spikes is Ted Washington, Mayo is a more athletic Bruschi, Chung plays a lot like Rodney Harrison, McCourty is a bigger fluid corner like Ty Law. He needs his elephant OLB, and Houston fits that role. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he took him at 28. Heyward is probably going to drop to 33 so that could be the DE pick we need. With the retirement of Neal, I see them going OG in the first round, probably Pouncy. We'll probably resign Matt Light at a relatively cheap price and have him start next year and mentor a couple of 2nd and third round picks.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 12:22 pm to blueslover
Probably totally irrelevant, but the Saints' history of drafting Georgia D-linemen (as with Tennesseee WR's, for the most part), has been checkered.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 12:29 pm to blueslover
With so many good DL's in the draf this year I think a better player than Houston will be available for us at #24. I just don't see Houston as being good value at #24. I'd like to see either Kerrigan or JJ Watt fall to us in rnd 1.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 12:34 pm to L.A.
I'd be stupefied if Watt was around at #24. Kerrigan I think will be available. As said, I think he is a more well rounded player than Houston but not nearly explosive as a pass rushing threat. I can see Payton/Loomis going for the one with much higher upside with them both to be had.
----------------
The more sources I talk with the more I get the feeling that the Patriots will not only be in the market for a rush linebacker in round one, but might be willing to buck the trend and look at a smaller/quicker rush guy, staying away from their more patented bigger build.
post combine rumors
----------------
The more sources I talk with the more I get the feeling that the Patriots will not only be in the market for a rush linebacker in round one, but might be willing to buck the trend and look at a smaller/quicker rush guy, staying away from their more patented bigger build.
post combine rumors
This post was edited on 3/5/11 at 12:56 pm
Posted on 3/5/11 at 2:57 pm to blueslover
As a uga fan, j h-town is a reach at 24. Mid to early 2nd round is about right for him
Posted on 3/5/11 at 3:06 pm to Hullabaloo
I like this guy a lot. We need someone that can rush the passer, and his ceiling is high.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 3:33 pm to blueslover
If that happened, I'd be pumped. Tulley Banta-Cain is a dud at this point. If you guys do pick up a pass rushing DE, are they going to rotate him in on third downs or is someone gonna hit the pine?
Posted on 3/5/11 at 3:38 pm to Jcorye1
quote:I'm sure you could answer this. Quite simple, really.
If you guys do pick up a pass rushing DE, are they going to rotate him in on third downs or is someone gonna hit the pine?
Posted on 3/5/11 at 3:41 pm to Steiner
Mock spot survey for Houston-
27 great blue north
21 draftinsider
28 footballsfuture
20 nfp bunting
27 walter football
26 fftoolbox delima
28 fftoolbox warner
24 draftdaddy
30 draft countdown
26 draft ace
averaging at #25.7 in this 10 mock sampling
27 great blue north
21 draftinsider
28 footballsfuture
20 nfp bunting
27 walter football
26 fftoolbox delima
28 fftoolbox warner
24 draftdaddy
30 draft countdown
26 draft ace
averaging at #25.7 in this 10 mock sampling
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:06 pm to blueslover
With the Saints picking up Shaun Rogers, there isn't a need to draft a DT in the first round but Marvin Austin is still enticing to me. I wouldn't mind Houston getting drafted in that spot at all. I would like to see the front 7 shifting to a 3-4 more often and having a guy like Houston would make that happen. I've always been a fan of the Ravens defense. I'd love to see a hybrid D with a base 4-3.
Posted on 3/5/11 at 10:51 pm to blueslover
quote:
Monster in the weight room, power cleaned 420 pounds during workouts in 2009,
Dayum
quote:
stays relatively low and will not get pushed away from running plays directly at him...
He'll get the typical rookie treatment. This aspect of his game will be tested early and often.
That is if we draft him. With Ellis&Rogers in the middle this would seem to be automatic.
This post was edited on 3/5/11 at 11:25 pm
Posted on 3/6/11 at 1:02 am to Jcorye1
quote:
Jcorye1
Exactly how many Boston sportsfigures' cocks can you chug at one time? The number is impressive, no doubt.
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