Chicago Bears Draft Watch: Could The Bears Draft A Champion?
By Grizz.
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DeForest Buckner
Dec 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end DeForest Buckner (44) celebrates after a sack in the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 Championship at Levi
Position: Defensive End
College: Oregon
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 287
Game: Oregon (6-3) at Stanford (8-1) – Saturday, November 14th – 6:30 P.M. CT – FOX
To put it politely, DeForest Buckner is a freak athlete. With a combination of good size and above average athleticism, Buckner fits what Bears Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio looks for in a defensive end in his hybrid front.
When watching tape on Buckner you can tell that he is rather raw. Relying on pure athleticism and the ability to outwork his opponent, Buckner must start to fine tune his technique.
Fangio would be able to take a few of this players bad tendencies, and flip them into positives. For starters, Buckner comes out of his stance too high – allowing for offensive lineman to drive him back.
The reasoning behind the admiration for Buckner is simple: He is an athletic specimen that at times shows flashes of brilliance
The Oregon standout’s lengthy frame is a double edged sword.
On one end of the spectrum, Buckner can consistently be seen using his long arms to bat down passes leaving the pocket. On the other hand, he forgets to always use his length as a way to gain separation from blockers.
The reasoning behind the admiration for Buckner is simple: He is an athletic specimen that at times shows flashes of brilliance. Coaches look at him and think that they can be the person who turns him into a game changing talent.
Buckner has garnered some high praise from the evaluators at Pro Football Focus. PFF has Buckner rated as their top interior defender among 446 defensive lineman in the country.
Pro Football Focus stated, “Buckner is also No. 1 in pass rushing and sixth in run defense. And among 113 defensive ends who play in a 3-4 scheme, he ranks second-best in pass-rushing productivity and first in stopping the run.”
With Buckner grading out as well as he has, one has to wonder how lethal he would be with the correct coaching and time to develop.
The Ducks take on the Cardinal’s of Stanford this Saturday. Make sure to catch Forest as he battles in this PAC 12 duel.
Next: Billings