Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina, 6-0/250

Coverage/Zone defense skills:  This is the weak part of Norwood’s game.  He struggles in man coverage when faced with quicker backs in open space.  Norwood can cover in a straight line, but struggles against Tight Ends who stretch the seam, as Norwood is only average at flipping his hips and running with the receiver.  He does not have great awareness in zones but isn’t awful, and probably need more practice and film time, as his awareness as an edge rusher and run defender are good.

Instincts/Recognition:  Norwood possesses average qualities going backwards as a LB, but he demonstrates good diagnostic skills reading action in front of him.  He reacts faster than his foot speed would indicate and can track plays to the sideline when they happen in front of his coverage drop.  When playing LB off the line of scrimmage, he’s in on most tackles for the Gamecocks, though some of his tackles come after a few yards are gained by the ball carrier.

Pass Rush:  Norwood wins with power and excellent use of hands.  He uses a tremendous rip move and bends off the edge well.  Norwood also shows great hand use while moving, synching his hands and feet well.  Norwood has good speed and immediately closes into the blocker’s body, and then overpowers the blocker who can’t extend his arms.  This makes him almost impossible to single block at the college level.  He will run around slow-footed blockers when he can.  This is clearly Norwood’s strong suit, but he will need to prove that he can muscle better NFL tackles, and he will need to improve his finesse moves, as NFL tackles eat up power rushers that can’t counter.

Pursuit/Lateral movement and agility:  Norwood has good playing range; again, his range is better than his speed due to good instincts.  He has good closing speed and senses the kill both with the sack and tackles.  Norwood is best when he can play downhill and run forward rushing the passer and against the run.  As an off the line LB, his physical ability to scrape and fight off blockers while moving are average at best.  Most of his lateral pursuit plays are instinctive rather than dominating with physical skills. 

Quickness/Explosion:  He shows a good burst off the ball, but it’s not elite.  Norwood makes up for this by being relentless and in great condition.  He goes the same speed all game, and simply wears down opponents.  It’s really noticeable later in game when he seems to be moving a step fast than everyone else on the field.  He’s also faster going forward but loses significant amount of his explosiveness when asked to drop into coverage or react.

Strength/Ability to shed blocks:  Squatty build gives him leverage similar to Dwight Freeney, but Norwood is mostly power as opposed to Freeney, who wins with finesse. Norwood will stack and shed at the point of attack.  He’s thickly built and plays very strong, easily knocking Tight Ends off of their routes in space and off the line of scrimmage.  He can get engulfed by larger blockers, particularly when he’s lined up off the ball (see Alabama game).

Tackling:  Norwood is a solid tackler in space when he squares up on the runner and uses proper tackling technique.  He does this most of the time.  Sometimes gets over aggressive going for low tackles or the big statement hit, and misses.  When he does connect, though, the power generated from his compact frame and strong lower body can rock runners.

Versatility:  Norwood is best used as a 3-4 Outside Linebacker but could do well as a 4-3 Strongside Outside Linebacker in a scheme like New Orleans’ or Philadelphia’s. He could play end in a 4-3 for teams that don’t mind undersized ends.  Norwood’s talent is as an edge rusher; playing off the line of scrimmage or in space is something he can do but it’s not his strength.

Overall:  Norwood has no outstanding physical traits that jump out at you, but he has still been dominant at the FBS level.  He reminds me of David Pollack, who also had no outstanding traits but was still dominant.  Norwood has been beating up on NFL-caliber talent for a couple seasons now, and while he’s not an elite talent, his work ethic and playing history indicate that he could be a very effective NFL edge rusher.  Norwood is an intense, on-field leader both vocally and with deeds.  He plays with a never-say-die attitude.  He’s a guy you want on your team and the kind of player that helps build a championship defense.