2016 Buccaneers’ Draft Profile: Ian Seau
Ian Seau is a guy who will likely be available on day three of the draft. Would the Buccaneers be a good fit?
We know that the Buccaneers will be looking for an edge pass rusher when the draft begins in 11 days. Many expect them to choose a player at the position with their first round selection, with names like Joey Bosa, Noah Spence, and DeForest Buckner among those names being discussed. These are the well-known players, but what about the not so well-known players?
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Some of the top players in the sport were selected in the later rounds, the most famous being Tom Brady, selected in the sixth round. Gems can be found later in the draft, and even after the draft is over. Joe Kania of the team’s website recently talked about five guys that may be worth a look in the later rounds. We take a look at one of those players today, Ian Seau from Nevada.
Yes, he is related, Junior Seau is his uncle.
Take a look at the numbers while he was at Nevada:
Defense & Fumbles
Kania’s article lists Seau as a linebacker, but his draft profile, as well as the above statistics, indicate he plays along the line. Either way, what he does do is play in the opponent’s backfield. No matter the level of competition, those numbers don’t like, and neither can they be taken away from him.
Here are the strengths and weaknesses from his draft profile:
"Strengths: Doesn’t look athletic as pass rusher and then he unleashes legitimate spin move. Rushes with a plan and with technique. Uses aggressive hand swipes to soften the edge. When he turns corner as rusher, actively seeks out strip sacks. Forced five fumbles this season and eight during career. Pursuit zombie who refuses to stop until the whistle blows. Plays with natural power at point of attack.Weaknesses: Doesn’t have NFL edge presence or upfield juice off the snap. Stiff-legged pass rusher whose technique must be on point due to lack of reactive athleticism. Hip stiffness limits chase speed down the line and general change of direction. Tackle production will always be average. Might be too stiff and slow to play in space as outside linebacker."
He did play in a smaller conference, but he can only play against the guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Damon Harrison came from a very tiny school, and became a dominant player. The school doesn’t necessarily matter.
He stands at 6’3″ tall, and weighs in at 250 pounds. At his pro day, he ran the forty yard dash in 4.68 seconds.
What matters is the eye test. Let’s look at some tape:
Seau is quick. He clearly can beat his man off of the edge with pure speed. He has a quick twitch off of the snap to ensure his opponent doesn’t get the jump on him. Seau also has a non-stop motor. Too often we see players that give up when they are either taken out of the play, or when the play isn’t in their direction. Seau doesn’t do that at all, he fights until the whistle blows, each and every play.
He does need to develop an array of moves in the pass rush, however. When you watch the tape, you can see that when his man meets him and neutralizes him, he doesn’t have much to counter with. He has relied on his speed so far, and that just won’t work at the next level.
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However, his motor is something that can’t be taught. He reads as a player that can be taught, and with hard work, one that will make an impact at the next level. The Bucs could do a lot worse on either day three of the draft, or as an undrafted free agent..