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Eric Berry NFL Draft scouting report

Agility/Hips: Berry is smooth out his breaks and transitions out his backpedal with ease. Really shows his agility on interception returns. Is a shifty runner, which helps him stick with quick receivers in pass coverage.

Ball Skills: Has natural hands and frequently makes a lot of plays on the ball. Finished his career with 14 interceptions. Nicely secures the ball after making an interception.

Body Control: Keeps good balance when he's dropping back in coverage. Gets solid position before having to get off the ground to make a play in the air. Doesn't have the best leaping ability, but gets good hand placement to break up a pass.

Instincts:The recognition skills Berry possesses are as sound as any defender in college football. In zone coverage, Berry's ability to read a quarterback's eyes is impressive and perhaps just as good as Troy Polamalu's. Rarely gets fooled on play-action passes, draws and pump fakes.

Pass Coverage: Can be used in man-to-man and zone equally well. At times, Berry was lined up cornerback throughout his career and managed to hold up fairly well. He is smooth in his backpedal and keeps a manageable cushion.

Pursuit: Berry takes excellent angles toward the ball carrier and closes really fast. He likes to mix it up in the trash, which can sometimes get him in trouble. If a lineman gets his hands on Berry, he doesn't have the functional strength to disengage.

Run Support: During his junior season, Tennessee used Berry more in the box to stop the run. Although his strength didn't always allow him to make tackles, he was almost always in on plays. Where he could improve here is in coming in sooner to make a play. Instead, Berry will sometimes wait for a play to come to him. Played sort of a hybrid safety/linebacker position in 2009.

Size: Berry's size -- said by Tennessee to be 5'11 and 203 pounds -- is adequate. It's not impressive, but it's not a hindrance. He could stand to get a little stronger, but it's hard to say how this would affect his quickness and speed.

Speed: Closes really fast in zone coverage, which helps him stop receivers from getting yards after the catch. Shows a really good burst to get back into position to make a play on the ball or make up lost ground when coming out his backpedal.

Tackling: For Berry to become a better tackler, he'll have to add more strength to his entire frame. There were times in 2009 when Berry whiffed on tackles against strong running backs. He's a sound wrap-up tackler, however, and will easily improve in this area. He doesn't shy away from contact at all and really gets after the ball.

Final word: Just about everything about Berry is impressive -- and that's not even including his pure football skills. He was a captain of the Tennessee team and regarded as having great character. Unlike most football players who take easy majors, Berry studied dentistry and interned at a Georgia dentist office.

Berry is known as an excellent teammate who even played on special teams as a junior. He was moved around a lot during his junior season, which cause his interception totals to drop, but Berry didn't complain.

Playing in defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's defense, Berry's football intelligence only improved as a junior. He now has a skillset and intelligence base that should help him start immediately in the NFL. Clearly a proven pass defender entering 2009, Berry is now a premier all-around safety.

Berry is certainly a top 10 pick, and whatever team drafts him will get a versatile defender. Berry is certainly good enough to start at strong safety and be the next Ed Reed. Or a team could move him to cornerback and he's good enough to be the next Darrelle Revis.

Star-divide

 

 

"I played every snap like it was my last. I made sure of that, so when I did leave I wouldn't have any regrets. From when I made my decision to come here under (former UT coach Phillip) Fulmer - and a lot of credit goes to him and his staff - I don't regret anything. Nothing last year. Nothing this year. I feel like I did everything that I could, and so did everybody else on this team."

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you dont see him as a FS?

For every woman masturbating right now, there is a guy masturbating while imagining that woman masturbate.

2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.

by Patssuck456 on Jan 1, 2010 4:45 PM EST reply actions  

Reed Plays FS

I think Berry could play either position, but you generally want your better (or better play making) safety closer to the line of scrimmage.

by AirNorval on Jan 1, 2010 5:09 PM EST reply actions  

Exceptions

Are ball hawks type guys like Reed or Prime at the end of his career. Many teams dont really different safeties though, because they play so much two deep.

by AirNorval on Jan 1, 2010 5:11 PM EST up reply actions  

Would actually compare him more to Nnamdi Asomugha....

…rather than Revis. Nnamdi was a safety at Cal before transitioning to CB with the Raiders.

Of course that’s if a team wants to move him to corner. I’d keep him at safety, since the Ed Reed comparison is perfectly valid in my mind.

"'Tis a bird I love, with its brooding note, And the trembling throb in its mottled throat; There's a human look in its swelling breast, And the gentle curve of its lowly crest; And I often stop with the fear I feel-- He runs so close to the rapid wheel." Nathaniel Parker Willis, "The Belfrey Pigeon"

by Raybin on Jan 2, 2010 1:47 AM EST reply actions  

Berry

Is more physical than Reed though.

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Jan 2, 2010 12:51 PM EST up reply actions  

I don't think there's a true comparison for him...

he’s just Eric Berry is all.

He’s not gonna be Ed Reed. He’s not Polamalu either.

Berry’s a football player…a very good one. I don’t think that if he doesn’t suffer a setback..like an injury or a holdout, in camp, that he’ll not at least have a successful career.

In the 2010 NBA draft the NY Knicks select.....Nate Robinson. 5"9 PG from Pringles' Doghouse U!

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 2, 2010 6:24 PM EST reply actions  

Berry

Never saw his games much but curious, did he return kicks? Even if not, would he be capable enough at the next level in the pros?

"Charles In Charge"

"Defense Wins Championships"

by KC Nate on Jan 2, 2010 7:33 PM EST reply actions  

Yes

he does return kicks. However, I would prefer that he not return kicks if we do draft him given the amount of money that we will be giving him.

by wilson123 on Jan 2, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions  

True

And agree with you 100% just like us taking JCharles out of the kick return mix since assuming the starting rb and to limit possible chances for harm. Just a curious side not and wasn’t sure if he had. The only way I’d like to see him return kicks is if he could go untouched all the to the house :) One can dream though

"Charles In Charge"

"Defense Wins Championships"

by KC Nate on Jan 3, 2010 12:09 AM EST up reply actions  

We...

absolutely have to draft this guy if he is available. The only downside I see on him is that he is a little small, but he is exactly what we need. I will be really mad if we draft Okung. The O-Line really isn’t that bad right now. Cassell is always going to take sacks. Look at last year with the Pats and a good O-Line. Target pass-rushing OLB with 1st 2nd round pick, best G/C prospect with the next 2nd, Get the best ILB and NT that we can in free agency as well as a WR with speed and maybe a big RB to pair with Charles and you are looking at a much different team.

by wilson123 on Jan 2, 2010 8:29 PM EST reply actions  

OL

I think Jamaal Charles helps prove our OL isn’t all that bad. Everybody was blaming OL for LJ’s poor performance. But once we instered JC the RB performance isn’t so bad. It sure doesn’t mean it’s great or good by any means. I think we can pick C/G with our latter 2nd round pick.

1st round has to be or should be Eric Berry
1st 2nd needs to be a pure talented pass rusher imo then the 2nd one can be a C/G

"Charles In Charge"

"Defense Wins Championships"

by KC Nate on Jan 3, 2010 12:11 AM EST up reply actions  

How would he fit into a Bucs D scheme?

If Tampa Bay reverts back to their Tampa-2 defense, does Berry fit well into that?

Lot of buzz has the Bucs looking at him if Suh goes to the Rams or Lions.

Relive the shocking NOOOOOOOO of April 25 2009 at Witty's Draft Review and laugh laugh laugh...

by witty on Jan 3, 2010 7:49 PM EST reply actions  

Plagarism!

Hey, bro…

Just wanted to let you know I thikn I saw this EXACT SAME SCOUTING REPORT word for word here.

http://www.newerascouting.com/01/eric-berry-scouting-report/

I hope you’re also writing there too becuase I see that yours is posted on the 1st…the other one is posted on the 2nd of January.

So check that out.

by giantsgab.com on Feb 7, 2010 2:38 PM EST reply actions  


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