Scouting the NFL Draft: LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard
by Wade Perry
Posted April 26, 2011 8:24 pm
Photo courtesy of Derick E. Hingle
FinestPreps.com has promised to deliver some excellent coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft and we will not disappoint you.
NFL Draft writer Brian Vornberg has stopped by to deliver his analysis on a number of different prospects before Thursday night arrives.
Who’s the latest prospect he’s enamored with?
That would be the heat seeking missile in pads that is LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard.
Over the past few seasons, Sheppard was all over the football field for the LSU Tigers, racking up 216 tackles over the last two years.
He was the quarterback for one of the most dominant defenses in college football.
What does Brian have to say about Mr. Sheppard?
Check out his quick-hitting analysis below.
Kelvin Sheppard–LSU–LB–6’2″, 250 lbs.
He’s an extremely athletic linebacker and was the defensive leader for one of the best defenses in the country at LSU. Sheppard consistently shows great speed for a man of his size and is able to pursue from sideline to sideline. He’s a strong linebacker (22 reps of 225 lbs. at the NFL Combine) who is also a sure tackler. He’s a willing hitter but may rely more on his natural athleticism than his football IQ to make plays. Sheppard could stand to be a little more phyiscal, especially for a player of his size, speed, and athleticism. He is best suited in a 4-3 scheme as a middle linebacker. Sheppard has been clocked at as fast as 4.56 seconds in the 40 and definitely has the overall athleticism and natural abilities to make it as a starter in the NFL. He is a very experienced linebacker who has all the tools to excel at the next level given some time.
Brian Vornberg is a contributing writer for FinestPreps.com. He can be reached by e-mail at brianvornberg75@gmail.com. All comments and feedback are welcome.
Check out the highlights of Kelvin Sheppard below!