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Scouting Report: Tweener alert! I know we all hate the term but really that's what the North Carolina Tar Heels Robert Quinn is. He's probably too light to be an every down end, and a little too tall to be a traditional 3-4 Rush OLB at almost 6'5". So what do you do with him? You line him up and let him play football. Quinn is one of those guys who is good enough to find a spot for. Whether it's a situational rusher in a 4-3 or a regular player in the 3-4, he's big enough, athletic enough and far and away a hard enough worker to be successful. As a pass rusher he's raw but has a very high ceiling. Nice explosion at the snap, and shows exceptional flexibility in being able to get around offensive linemen. Quinn also moves well laterally, getting down the line and making plays. I should note that while he wasn’t asked to drop into coverage it stands to reason that his athleticism and flexibility would allow him to play coverage in a 3-4 scheme.
Draft Status: Granted you have to go back to get film on Quinn after everything that's happened this past season. And what I saw is a guy who showed flashes on what could be. Some plays he looked like a top half first round pick and I think that mixed with some really nice measureables will ultimately make him a first round pick. Where in the first round he'll go will depend largely on whether or not a team thinks he can play OLB in a 3-4 or he's strictly a pass rush specialist in a 4-3.
Final Analysis: I'm not as enamored with Quinn as most. I think he struggles in tight spaces and he doesn't have any counter moves but that's something he can learn. He's a solid open field tackler, does a nice job running down a play from the backside, and he plays with a nice consistent intensity but he's still learning the position and sometimes that shows. His ceiling is high but he has a lot to learn.
Reminds me of: Matt Shaughnessy DE Oakland Raiders - I am not sure if Quinn has the frame to pack the extra 15 pounds on to play as heavy as Shaughnessy but they are very similar in their style of play and like Shaughnessy was, Quinn is full of potential. Both guys are solid pass rushers and play hard.
Red Flags: Pro Position
Scouting Report written by Curt Popejoy |
