The Future 40, Prospect 4: Sean Weatherspoon Scouting Report

An article was released about a week ago previewing what would be a new series here called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. In the first look at a prospect, we evaluated Nebraska’s DT Ndamukong Suh, who many consider to be the best player in the entire rookie class. In the second, we examined powerful RB Jonathan Dwyer and in the third, FS Darrell Stuckey. This time around, we will stick with the defensive side of the ball and look at Sean Weatherspoon:

• Prospect Name: Sean Weatherspoon
• Position: Outside Linebacker
• College: Missouri
• Height/Weight: 6′2″, 245 pounds
• Age: 22 years
• Class Status: Senior

Summary: After what many consider to be a phenomenal high school career in Texas (where he was recorded as making nearly 100 tackles in his senior season and racking up a great amount of sacks), Weatherspoon was recruited by Missouri with intentions for him to become an eventual leader. He sure did as his experience and statistics piled up over the years. However, he began his road to success primarily as a special teams contributor. As one of only 4 true freshman to play for the team in 2006, Weatherspoon notched 12 tackles and earned Missouri’s award for special teams player of the year. The following year, he earned more repetitions as a rotational Middle Linebacker, and ultimately worked his way into a starting role as an outside player in the LB corps. Making just under 130 tackles on the season, Weatherspoon earned praise from various newspapers and secured a starting opportunity for his junior season with the Tigers. 2008 turned out to be even better for the versatile defender, as he began to develop into a leader and boosted his statistics in nearly every category. His tackle total for the season (149) was the second-best in franchise history. In his team’s end-of-the-year bowl game, he was rewarded the contest’s defensive MVP, and then decided to test his progress by declaring for the 2009 NFL Draft and seeing where he ranked. After wanting to improve and return for a final year in the collegiate ranks, Weatherspoon withdrew from the ‘09 Draft and had a respectable senior campaign with Missouri. It was certainly not his best, but showed his consistency and placed him among the best 2010 prospects at the OLB position. Many get lost in Missouri’s offensive success and attention and fail to look at the defensive side of the ball, and Weatherspoon is undoubtedly one of the stars from that unit.

Career Statistics:

Notable Achievements/Awards:

• All-Big-12 Honors (2007, 2008, 2009)
• Finalist for the Butkus Award (2009)
• All-American Honors (2008)
• Semifinalist for the Lombardi Award (2009)
• Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP (2008)

Strengths:

• Is a very instinctive player
• Tackles “by the book” (has solid form/execution when bringing the ball-carrier down)
• Always finds a way to make plays
• Produces on a consistent basis
• A credible 3-year starter
• Has great durability and is not often injured
• Explosive in pass-rushing attempts
• Can be a strong, motivating vocal leader
• Has above-average speed for a Linebacker
• Has quality pass coverage skills and can alter direction quickly

Weaknesses:

• May wear himself out with unnecessary attempts to pursue the ball-carrier
• Can get out of control in terms of his desire to stand out even on simple plays
• Tends to lose discipline when rushing the offensive line
• Can get caught up in blocking

Projected Round of Selection: 1-2

NFL Player Comparison: Derrick Brooks, free agent (most recently of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

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We hope that everyone enjoyed the fourth report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series! If you or another Eagle fanatic is interested in seeing a certain player be evaluated in The Future 40, be sure to contact us as soon as possible, and we will attempt to include your selected prospect!

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