Player Profile: Chris Borland

Height:  5'11
Weight:  248
School:  Wisconsin
Position:  Inside Linebacker
Ranking: #2 Inside Linebacker
Projection: Second Round

Strengths
-Experienced.  36 career starts.
-Elite instincts. Rarely takes a false step. Doesn't bite on play fakes
-Good strength (27 reps) at the point of attack. Can stand the ball carrier up in the hole
-Is a good tackler. Wraps up and takes ball carrier to the ground
-Displays good quickness (1.62 10).  Fills the hole fast and flys to the ball
-Above average blitzer. Can turn speed into power well. Uses quickness to get past lineman
-Very good at playing downhill. Able to fill the hole and take on the ball carrier
-Shows the ability to drop into zone coverage
-Elite Motor. Never quits on a play.  Always going 100 MPH
-Very tough, physical player. Loves contact, not afraid to lay the wood
-Team leader.  Tone setter on defense

Weaknesses
-Small size (5'11, 29 1/4" arms) will affect his draft position
-Only average speed (4.84) for the position.
-Is not a good athlete. Won't go sideline to sideline
-Will struggle matching up man to man in coverage.
-Struggles to shed blocks.  Will get hung up on guys. Arm length could be a factor.
-Has trouble when moving lateral. Will miss tackles and take bad angles

-Miss all but two games in 2010 with a shoulder injury

Summary
If you saw Chris Borland on the street you may not know he's a football player.  Let alone of the the top middle linebackers in this draft class.  That's mainly because of his size.  Standing at 5'11 Borland lacks the ideal size for an NFL middle linebacker.  But it's not his height that bothers me, it's his length.  Borland only has 29 1/4" arms that already make it hard to disengage from blocks, but could be an even bigger issue in the NFL. Borland has been able to get around his size by using his elite quickness and instincts.  He's at his best when moving forward to fill a hole or to blitz.  Where as when he has to move lateral to get outside he will struggle and take bad angles and miss tackles.  He's much better in the phone booth than in space. Borland's best fit will be in a 4 man front, but can succeed in a 3-4 as long as he's in a system where he has guys eating blocks ahead of him. Look for him to go somewhere in the second round.  Oakland could be an landing spot at the top of round two, but don't look for him to fall past the Broncos at the end of the round who desperately need a run stuffing middle linebacker.