2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Illinois DT Corey Liuget

Liuget is a player that is number 46 on our own big board pre-combine, but very high on some others. I even saw an article in Sportingnews that had him as a top 10 pick, Todd McShay has mocked him to the Giants at 19th overall in the past and I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something so I went back and watched some more Liguet tape and the following is what I saw.

Defensive Tackle Specific Traits

Hand Usage/Technique-One of the areas that needs the most refinement in Liguet’s game is his hand usage and technique. While he has excellent strength and good athleticism and can physically overpower the linemen in college football, his lack of moves his something concerning. He often plays too high and can be taken out of the play by players who are not his equals in terms of pure physical talent because his pad level is too high, which causes him to lose his leverage.

Pass Rush

Has a good initial step, but isn’t extremely explosive and lacks a bevy of moves. He has a good bull rush and can be too strong and stout for many one on one battles, but his physical advantage won’t lead to automatic success in the N.F.L.with savvy offensive linemen being able to take advantage of his high pad level and push him out of plays or keep him from penetrating to get to the quarterback. He does have very good hustle though and very good instincts and is able to diagnose plays quickly.

Run Stopping

Liuget’s pure strength, hustle, and ability to find the football is a big reason why many believe his best position in the N.F.L. will be as a 3-4 DE where he can clog up the blockers and strength his way into the backfield or clog up running lanes (though he measured in short at the combine so that might be as big of a possibility). Liuget rarely gets knocked backwards and is so strong he can quickly clog up running lanes. He also has good hustle and will pursuit despite a lack of speed.

Pursuit

Liuget doesn’t quit playing and will pursue the ball carrier, but he isn’t very fast. He does a good job of finding the football and diagnosing the run. May have some conditioning issues which doesn’t help at the end of games or as the season wears on as he seems much more explosive at the beginning of the game.

Production:

Liuget was very productive this year: 63 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 10 QB Hurries, much better than avarage for an interior defensive linemen.

Final Word

At the top I didn’t want to make it seem that I don’t think Liuget is a solid prospect because I do. I think he’s a very solid, 2nd round prospect, but he’s not a top 32 prospect to me and I wouldn’t spend a first round pick on him as a player. I think he’s still pretty raw at the position and needs a lot of work in his technical part of the game, but the potential is there, and most importantly the hustle is there. I’m always cautious with defensive linemen because the best OL in the game play on the outside in college and not the inside, so often the best DT can just overwhelm the lesser OL with pure physical talent, which I think has happened with Liuget because he is very strong: almost a man amongst boys, and while he’s a player that chases around the field and has the versatility to play in both the 4-3 and the 3-4, he’s not going to be a dominant player. He can’t be moved off his spot if engaged, but he can be pushed away from the play when on the move or turned around because he plays a bit too high for my liking. He’s a player that could develop into a very underrated player. I don’t ever see him being a perennial pro-bowl player, but I can see him being one of those players where he is greatly appreciated by the team and its fan base, but that’s not worth a first round pick.

Player Comparison: Barry Cofield is a good comparison for me in terms of their N.F.L. production, even if they are not quite the same kind of player. Cofield is a solid all around player who has some pass rush production, but isn’t a dynamic pass rusher. Cofield can play in pass and rush situations and is a very stout run defender, despite his underwhelming athleticism. They are also about the same size 6-4 306 for Cofield 6-2 298 for Liuget. Giants fans know how important Cofield is to the success of their defensive line, even if it’s not recognized much elsewhere, that’s the kind of player I think Liuget can be, a very solid, successful N.F.L. player.

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