A new series was formed nearly two months ago called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. This time around, we took to a defensive perspective and looked at Brandon Spikes:

  • Prospect Name: Brandon Spikes
  • Position: Middle/Inside Linebacker
  • College: University of Florida
  • Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 250 pounds
  • Age: 22 years
  • Class Status: Senior

Summary: A few months ago, Brandon Spikes was arguably among the most sought-after players set to enter the 2010 NFL Draft, but his stock has declined recently because of poor performances at events such as the annual Scouting Combine and his school’s Pro Day display. Nevertheless, he’s an interesting prospect and still has potential for a solid professional career. Born in Shelby, North Carolina, the defender came out of high school ranked as one of the best players at his position, as well as undoubtedly a member of the top five performers from the entire state of Carolina. He then chose to move onto the collegiate level with Florida, declining offers from other highly-regarded teams such as Alabama and Virginia Tech. In his freshman season of 2006, Spikes saw limited action on the field, as he was forced to play in a backup role to teammate Brandon Siler (currently a member of the NFL’s Chargers). Nonetheless, he performed well as a reserve, notching 15 tackles and assisting in the postseason en route to Florida’s national championship run. The following year, he was rewarded a spot in the starting lineup, and exploded with production. His mark of 131 tackles was good enough for second in his team’s conference, while Spikes’ sack and forced fumble also added to his achievements. In the ‘08 campaign, his on-field statistics dropped a bit, but his leadership skills and aggression became more clear as he was named a team captain and managed to intercept four passes. This past season–his senior year at Florida–Spikes (who is the cousin of former Eagle and current 49ers’ LB Takeo Spikes) dealt with some controversy as he was allegedly involved in an on-field scuffle against Georgia, but continued to put up respectable numbers and act as a leader to the Gators’ defensive unit. Again, though he suffered some in his mediocre Combine and workout events, Brandon Spikes has a strong amount of upside with plenty of potential to make an impact at the next level.

Career Statistics:

YEAR TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK INT YDS AVG LNG TD PD
2006 15 9 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2007 131 81 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2008 87 48 39 2 0 0 0 0 4 93 23.3 52 2 0
2009 52 26 26 3 0 0 0 0 2 46 23.0 41 2 0

Notable Achievements/Awards:

  • All-American Honors (2008, 2009)
  • All-SEC Honors (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Bronko Nagurski award finalist (2009)
  • Butkus Award finalist (2009)
  • Lombardi Award finalist (2008, 2009)
  • Chuck Bednarik Award finalist (2008, 2009)

Strengths:

  • Is very productive and will make big plays for a defense
  • Has a solid tackling technique and is reliable in the aspect of bringing the ball-carrier to the ground
  • Tends to find where the ball is and is seemingly all over the field
  • Is quite explosive in pursuit of an opponent
  • Has a very aggressive and passionate attitude
  • Possesses a strong amount of durability and rarely gets injured
  • Locates running plays quite quickly and reacts to audible calls the offense makes
  • Is likely to get better as his career progresses
  • Has a large, physical body frame and uses it well against opponents

Weaknesses:

  • Gets a little hesitant and stiff while attempting to play in pass coverage
  • Doesn’t have impressive speed
  • Lacks experience in zone pass coverage schemes
  • Seems to always go for a big hit, which sometimes results in a missed tackle or botched coverage
  • Can get somewhat out of hand in terms of aggression and attitude
  • Sometimes reacts poorly against misdirection running plays/movement on the line (judges offensive direction badly at times)

Projected Round of Selection: 2nd-3rd round

NFL Player Comparison: E.J. Henderson, Minnesota Vikings

–

We hope that everyone enjoyed the 28th report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series!

(picture source)



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