When you get into the later rounds of the NFL Draft, everything is a crapshoot. Most of the time you just have to go on the best athletes, regardless of position. With the move to the 3-4, the Colts will need more Linebackers than they have had recently, so it makes sense they may be looking at a couple of those guys once it gets to the 6th or 7th round. One guy they may look at is Pittsburgh DE/OLB Brandon Lindsey.
Lindsey has experience playing in both a 4-3, as well as a 3-4, which seems to be a major plus for guys entering the draft now-a-days. His first three seasons he played in a 4-3 as a tall but slender Defensive End, and became a starter as a Junior when Greg Romeus was injured. Last season under Head Coach Todd Graham Lindsey played the hybrid DE/OLB, and was named to the All-Big East first team.
For his career Lindsey played in 40 games, but didn't become a starter until halfway through his junior season (as I said above). He recorded 123 tackles in his career, 34.5 tackles for loss, and a very impressive 22.5 sacks. He did have one intereception, in his second to last game against Syracuse, and forced five fumbles over his four years. As you can see, Lindsey was a pretty productive player, even though he started in only half his games.
After the jump we have what some draft sites have to say about Lindsey, as well as all his measurements from the Combine and my thoughts on him.
A compact defensive end prospect with a long set of arms, a strong looking base and a physical looking build. To his credit, he really improved as the season went on and with more experience should develop even further...A good athlete with a compact frame who knows how to get after the quarterback in a number of ways, but isn't dynamic in any area. Doesn't look like a playmaking type pass rusher, but his lateral quickness will give him a shot as a rush backer.
Made a mark in place of an injured Greg Romeus as a junior and adapted well to the new 3-4 front that was installed by former Pitt coach Todd Graham. Has the speed, hip flexibility and burst to factor as an edge rusher in an even or odd front if he can toughen up.
Lindsey is a big defensive end who has been durable for Pittsburgh. He won't blow you away with his play, and is just as adequate rushing the passer as he is defending the run. Lindsey has a good frame to compete in a rotation, and could stand to add a little more weight to be more of a stalwart on the edge. He is a low-ceiling prospect who could be drafted late.
Combine Measurements:
Height | Weight | 40 Time | Bench | Vertical | Broad |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
6'1 5/8" | 254 | 4.92 |
23 | 33" | 9'9" |
There's nothing flashy about Lindsey, but he's a productive guy who is a little undersized on the DL, but fits nicely as an OLB in the 3-4. The previous front office valued college production quite highly, so it'll be interesting to see how Ryan Grigson and company work. I'm not sure he's worth more than a 7th rounder, but sometimes those guys turn into pretty good players too.
For a complete list of prospects and profiles, check out our 2012 Draft Profiles Page.