I know what you are talking about, but I still would not mind spending a 6th or 7th round pick on him, most of those players rarely make the roster anyway. His talent and our needs at LB makes him a little better than UDFA for Bucs.
What talent does he have?
Is he an elite athlete? No. His measurables are pathetic.
Is he greatly instinctual? No. He runs to where the ball ain't. So he's going the wrong place and lacks the tool to make up ground
Does he have a high "football IQ"? No. He doesn't understand the game to overcome lack of talent and instincts.
Does he cover well? No. He's not a guy who operates in space so he's a 2 down downhill linebacker who will miss his gap.
Does he show signs of being coachable? Ummm, no.
So other than a handful of BIIIIIIG hits what is he does that that we need?
Judging his measurables based on the combine at which he was out of shape is a pathetic assessment of an athlete on your part.
When he is in shape, he has the elite physical skill set you find in top LBs who get drafted in 1st round. His instincts aren't lacking, not sure how you have formed that opinion. He is much better in that aspect than the probable 2nd round prospect Mychal Kendricks. Not sure where you got your info regarding gap integrity, Vontaze's problem isn't biting on misdirections or overpursuing plays, if you ever watched some of his games you wouldn't say that. His problem is his temptation to deliver big hit instead of making a sure tackle, costing his team yards.
Again, its obvious you do not know much about assessing a linebacker basing on the points you chose to mention and the points you haven't mentioned. What is it he does that we need? Plenty. First and foremost, when he does attempt to tackle, he is one of the surest there is in this class. Second, he sniffs out run and crashes gaps to make plays instead of staying away from LoS and playing passive/safe like our LBs or Kuechly did at Boston College. Third, he is hands down the best ILB in this draft class at shedding blocks and getting to the runner. Show me a prospect in this class who did that better than Vontaze at college, and that is something this team could REALLY use.
The scouting report posted in OP is from NFL.com which is often a summary of Mayock's or Bucky Brooks' opinion. Even they see a guy who could be a star with correct mentality. I am not saying he needs to be drafted with a mid round pick, a late round pick would be a good investment for team like Tampa REGARDLESS of what our coach's mentality is. Worst case scenario, he does not yield and gets released, big deal, a wasted 6th/7th round pick, happens every year to many teams.
