Paul Dawson, LB - 99th overall pick

Paul Dawson, TCU, #47

Height	Weight	Arm	Hand	10 Yd	40 Yd	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	Shuttle	60 Yd Shuttle
6-0	235	31 ½	9 ½	1.69	4.95	21	28	109	DNP	4.59	DNP

Game Film Evaluated:

Oklahoma (2014)

Minnesota (2014)

Ole Miss (2014)

West Virginia (2014)

Pros: He reads the play fast and attacks the action fast. He has quick feet to work his way into traffic with ease and find the ball. Really good at finding the quickest path to the ball at max speed. He side steps lot of blocks. Dawson flies to the ball. Solid in zone coverage and an absolute terror reading the QB eyes and athletic enough to make a play on the ball.  A former WR in high school. Effective tackler in all areas. High motor and chases plays downfield. Times his blitzes well on delays to create pressure. Plays with top notch awareness and high football IQ. He reads the play quickly. Ideal form tackler. Lines up at mike backer and plays in nickel defense. Gets good depth in zone coverage, likes to get jam on receivers in coverage.

Cons: Ineffective if a lineman gets his hands on him, he has real trouble getting off blocks once engaged.  Not as effective in man coverage especially if gets downfield. Not much of a blitzer as again has trouble getting off blocks. Does not show ability to turn hips and run in coverage. Slightly undersized weighing around 230 pounds. He doesn’t take on blocks in a stack and shed type manner.

Summary: Dawson is a damn good player and he will compete for a starting job within 2 years in the NFL. He projects best as a Will backer in a 4-3 scheme that plays an aggressive scheme. He could play the Mike but would need massive tackles for protection. He reminds me a great deal of Sean Lee at Penn State without durability concerns. I like Dawson as a late 2^nd round pick.