Reuben Foster is an intimidating presence, star in the making
Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster is one bad dude, and he’s taking his game to the next level. He could be the NFL’s next great linebacker…
Watching the National Championship game between Alabama and Clemson, it was apparent that Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster was a man on a mission.
Maybe it was more like a heat-seeking missile…
Foster’s performance in the last game of the season was more than admirable. It was more than just an audition tape for the NFL. It was honestly one of the most physically dominant performances I have seen from a college player since I’ve been covering the NFL Draft.
Reuben Foster won't have a DL this effective in the NFL but he's a wrecking ball. He can stack and scrape better than any Bama LB I've seen
— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) January 10, 2017
Reuben Foster is just crushing people. As he's done all year. Vicious tackler.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) January 10, 2017
It’s fair to wonder how long Foster can sustain this type of violent play. Some were comparing him to Patrick Willis, the former San Francisco 49ers All-Pro, during this game. He reminded me of Luke Kuechly, constantly in on the end of a play, constantly flying to the football.
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And not just flying to the football, but doing so with perfect timing. Foster has phenomenal instincts, ideal size, excellent speed, and the ability to really do it all from the inside linebacker position. He can play close to the line of scrimmage, he can drop in coverage, he can blitz, and when he hits you he’s going to leave a mark on the ground.
It doesn’t get much more exciting than this as far as defensive players go entering the 2017 NFL Draft. Foster has an old-school intimidating presence on the field and gives maximum effort on ever play. He finished this season with 115 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks. The unanimous first-team All-American was also the signal caller for Alabama’s vaunted defense, considered one of the best in recent college football history.
If I’m an NFL team picking in the top 10, this is the type of guy I want leading my defense. Of course, there are players in this draft that will have a huge impact in the league, but Foster offers a special package of skills and will be a player that NFL offensive coordinators loathe to have to face on a weekly basis.