By now we all know that NFL general managers earn their paychecks by their success in the later rounds of the draft and uncovering those hidden gems that can push a team over the top. With the bulk of the scouting just getting underway and many names being brought to the forefront who weren’t exactly on the tip of anyone’s tongues when the collegiate season started, this new segment called Under the Radar will explore just what scouts find attractive about certain prospects who may be available beyond the glamour rounds of the draft.

The recent news for the Murray State Racers has been on the hardwood during the NCAA basketball tournament, but another Racer in a different sport has some credentials of his own. Austen Lane is a defensive end for the Ohio Valley Conference members and he has scouts extremely intrigued by his potential. At 6’6” 272lbs. Lane has the prototypical frame to work with in becoming a premier pass rusher at the next level. The Senior Bowl really put this kid on the map legitimizing his incredible stat line from his junior season in 2008 which featured 22 tackles for loss as well as 12 sacks. His burst is phenomenal coming off of the line with astounding momentum often just blowing by offensive linemen which makes him a candidate for adding another 10-15 pounds to his lanky frame.

As has been mentioned in previous Under the Radar segments, the level of competition factor has to weigh on the minds of NFL scouts evaluating Lane’s projection to the next level. He has all of the tools to succeed, but his technique is a bit suspect with his hand usage often not creating the correct angles and relying on his pure athleticism to make plays. This athleticism can often get him into trouble as well as he has a tendency to over pursue at times allowing runners to find cut back lanes on him. Even with these minor inefficiencies, Lane would be a huge value for teams in the late 3rd or especially into the 4th round of the NFL Draft.

A number of names will be called during April’s NFL Draft that seem to be from out of left field, but don’t let Austen Lane’s be one of them. Keep looking out for more Under the Radar players shooting up draft boards or quietly lurking in the depth of this class that could make a huge impact over the coming years on Sundays.

Picture Source



0 Comments

Dear Guest, please login to comment

Login with BlitzNation account

Create New Account | Forgot password?

OR login with Facebook


Please keep the comments clean by not posting advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks. Terms of Use.

Special

Popular Blog Posts

Most Commented Posts

Newsletter

Categories


Archives


Tag Cloud


About BlitzNation

BlitzNation is a community for passionate NFL fans from all across the nation, sharing their love of football with other die hard football fans. We'll cover every angle of the game, from the start of kickoff till the final whistle, all from a fan's perspective.

Follow Us


Tips

We love to hear from our users! Let us know what you'd like us to write about at tips@blitznation.com.

The Bloggers

Contests

Current: Coming Soon!

Past: Madden 2010 Video Game or Game Controllers

Blog Roll