Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia
 

I don't get to see many college games.

What is everyone's thoughts on Georgia LB Alec Ogletree?

I like him but I'm not quite there with him as a 1st rounder. He needs more experience. I think he should return for another year.

Name me a prospect an inside linebacker prospect like him in the past decade, that should say how rare of a talent he is. So rangy, athletic, quick yet powerful, outstanding prospect with through the roof potential.

I still don't like how he works though traffic inside. Still feels like he's a bulked up safety vs. guards and such which is why I'm not really a fan of his as an MLB. However, as an OLB he can use his range, cover skills and ability to play in space which are all things ares he thrives in.

I can name a bunch of MLB prospects who were better.

Heck I think Teo and Mosley are better this draft.

This kid has Bears all over him!

I never said name one better, of course there are overall better prospects over the years. I said name one like him. I cannot think of a linebacker as good in coverage, with so much athletic ability, length and still toughness as a tackler. And if one thinks he cannot tackle in the box against the run, watch him as a sophomore in the bowl game against Michigan State.

Once more, of course there are better overall prospects, but I cannot think of one quite like him. Brian Urlacher maybe with his history at safety, but I never did get a chance to watch him play in college so I cannot include him.

But in terms of guys like Patrick Willis, James Laurinaitis, EJ Henderson, Jonathan Vilma, Posluszny, Phillip Wheeler, David Hawthorne etc...none of them have skill sets quite like Ogletree, not saying one is better than the other just saying few have the athletic skills, range and length he has.

Kuechly? I haven't seen that much of Ogletree, but that's pretty much exactly how Kuechly was described coming out.

Possibly, Kuechly is more of that athletic, fast but really tough in the box inside linebacker but I always had him pin pointed as a strong side linebacker, but he is playing inside now in the NFL and doing great. That could be a comparison but I think Kuechly has much better instincts and overall tackling ability than Ogletree has. But Ogletree has more length and has arguably more physical potential coming out. But Kuechly is the better tackler and does his work with quickness and toughness, I would not really describe Ogletree as tough, more that I would as a freak of the position. Some plays he makes in pass coverage he really does look like a safety with those long arms. Would love to know his wing span as an athlete.

But yeah I could see that but I just think Kuechly is such a better tackler and reacts to the game way better than Ogletree does at this point. That alone makes it hard to compare the players, physical skill sets still hard to pin point a player like him at inside linebacker. However this could all be semantics, I view the comparisons to other inside linebackers, but he could very well end up being a strong side linebacker or an inside linebacker in a 3/4 or an outside linebacker in a 3/4, so it really does depend on where he goes and in what system as well. If one opens up that then there are some players that match his skill set as outside linebackers but even with that, it is hard to think of some.

Yeah I'm not sure Ogletree's best fit is inside, but I do agree that he's a rare specimen for the position.

He almost reminds me of a more souped-up version of Thomas Howard.

He's also not strong, quite frankly. He tries to finesse his way around blockers instead of taking them on, shedding them, and making the tackle.

He looks like a SS/LB hybrid. Maybe an OLB.

I think the whole take on blockers and shed them to make a tackle is very funny to me. How many LB's in the NFL take on OG's at the POA shed and make the tackle? And on how many times a game does it happen? Don't get me wrong the kid needs to get stronger and he will, but I think his skill set fits the NFL game very well right now. This isn't the 80's NFL, teams are lining up in 3/4 WR sets 60% of the time. You have running QB's all over the place. Slip screens. WR bubble screens. TE's that are just jacked up WR's.

This guys speed and cover skills will help a D from the first day he steps on the field.

Bacarri Rambo in uniform as well. Suspensions, as expected, appear to have ended for he and Alec Ogletree.

As I said in the other Ogletree thread I think he is gonna be a better pro then Jarvis Jones. I know he will not get drafted as high bc he plays ILB. But I'm confident he would get more sacks if he was asked to rush the passer more.

You said name one like him. Why like him when I can name better?

You're referencing players from all over the place. Patrick Willis to EJ Henderson to Phillip Wheeler.

Willis and Urlacher were much better prospects. I also think Vilma was better too. Laurinitas and Poz are on his level right now. I think he's a good player just not there yet.

Ogletree's size, speed, length, strength combination at LB is almost on a LaVar Arrington level. Like has been said, he might not be as good a player as the guys like Urlacher, Willis, Vilma or even Kuechly; but from a physical standpoint he can hold his own with any of them.

you are correct, playing with your eyes and using athleticism/quickness so you can beat offensive linemen to the point of attack is more important than taking on guards and defeating them (which VERY few - if any - linebackers do anymore).

You could say the same for Taylor Mays.

Exactly. That's the point of the rest of the paragraph.

Very true coming out Taylor Mays was a very rare player, only problem is it was all hypothetical, he was never really ever productive on USC outside of a few big hits, not a ball hawk and not a great tackler. When discussed about his lack of production people said he played deep safety and was taken out of a lot of plays because of that, but still reality is he was not productive for a reason.

The same cannot be said about Ogletree, he is very productive as a player and it is not just hypothetical talent, even though he has a ton of upside because of his athletic ability in coverage and ball skills for a linebacker, much less that wing span.

But one speaks Taylor Mays, big safety with speed, speak of the late Sean Taylor a Hall of Fame player if his life did not end so early. That kid was flat out sick, big, tall, lengthy, hit as good as anyone yet still had ball skills. Not comparing him to Ogletree, but both players were and are freak athletes with wonderful length, power and speed, just play different positions.

A lot of linebackers are tough at the line of scrimmage, some can rush the passer, some are good in coverage, some can defend the run, it is hard to find the ones that can do it all and Ogletree has that potential I feel to do all those things. Just as Sean Taylor could do everything ones asks for out of a safety.


With all this being said, Christian Jones of Florida State has crazy speed for a man his size and is ok in coverage as well in terms of being able to run. Only difference is his length, Ogletree's arm length separates him because he can get at, deflect or intercept balls Jones and other backers cannot even though they are similar in height. just seems overall Ogletree can get to balls in pass coverage few other backers can. However if one does not value that in a potential inside linebacker then yeah he is back with the bunch near the top, but in the pass happy league that is the NFL I would value that if I was any NFL team.

Playing MLB will lead you to stats more so then FS. Yes Ogletree has the potential to do it all but he doesn't do it all.

Could Ogletree play OLB in a 4-3?

By far his best spot imo.

Haven't heard officially but during the game they said he had 15 tackles

I totally agree with this.