Eagles pick DE Victor Abiamiri #57

Strengths:
An excellent athlete with great quickness and a burst...Has pretty good size with long arms and the frame to get bigger...Was very productive...Packs a good initial punch...Strong and stout at the point...Versatile and is fluid enough to drop into coverage...Great pass rusher who can terrorize quarterbacks...Solid tackler with good range and will make plays in pursuit...Is smart and a hard worker with great intangibles...A ton of experience against top competition...Still has a lot of upside.

Weaknesses:
Needs to add some weight...Did a lot of his damage against weak competition...Is still somewhat raw and needs to refine his technique...Timed speed is adequate but not special...Inconsistent and a bit of an underachiever who does not always play up to his talent level...Struggles to shed blockers...Minor durability concerns.

Notes:
Was a highly-regarded recruit coming out of high school...Might be looked at as a potential outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme...Really made a name for himself in the scouting community when he dominated Winston Justice in '05...He certainly passes the eyeball test and has everything that you look for physically...An even better pro prospect than Justin Tuck was and the scary part is he's still improving.

Plays LDE. Does a good job of pursuing plays from the backside. Not the biggest or strongest, but can be stout when he extends his arms and plays with leverage. Had an outstanding play vs Michigan when he pushed back the RT and forced a run wide, then used a spin move to get off the block and make the TFL. Good motor. Good closing speed. Looks quick and athletic, but not fluid. Looks a bit gangly at times. Quick off the ball, but not explosive. Used inside move for sack vs Stanford. Used good inside move vs LSU to get pressure. Good pass rush vs Michigan when he was unblocked. Victor stayed under control as he came upfield, then used a good burst to hit Henne as he threw. Had 19 sacks over the last two years. Very cut, muscular build. Did 25 reps at the Combine. Very raw as a pass rusher. Fires upfield and also has an inside move. Needs to learn how to use his hands, how to set up blockers, and other moves.

SUMMARY

2nd Rd player with a lot of upside. Has the frame to develop into a decent sized LDE in the NFL.

2007 NFL Draft Prospect - Scouting Report
Victor Abiamiri was a high touted recruit out of high school and selected Notre Dame over numerous other schools. He played against top level competition while at Notre Dame and earned a starting position at defensive end for his final two seasons. Abiamiri is a very gifted athlete with a good combination of size and strength. He displays very solid footwork for his size, which enables him to occasionally drop into pass coverage. Abiamiri has long arms to assist in gaining separation while engaged with an offensive tackle. He is very quick off the snap and can often beat his opponent to the outside with sheer quickness. Abiamiri is an extremely productive pass rusher and can accelerate quickly in pursuit of the quarterback. He recorded 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. Abiamiri could stand to bulk up a bit if he is going to be productive at defensive end in the NFL. He is a potential candidate to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Abiamiri could also benefit from working on his technique and adding some additional moves to his pass rushing arsenal. He has enough skills and athleticism to produce at the next level and should easily be a first day selection. Abiamiri is likely to be an early-to-mid second round pick come draft day.

* Has the size to play as a 4-3 end, but would most likely be an OLB in a 3-4 system
    * Good height for either (DE/OLB) role
    * Excellent pass rusher
    * Turned up at the Senior Bowl in tremendous shape and impressive physically

Played at the Senior Bowl ... Has the size to play as a 4-3 end, but would most likely be an OLB in a 3-4 system ... Good height for either role ... Excellent pass rusher ... Turned up at the Senior Bowl in tremendous shape and impressive physically ... Two sacks versus Navy, one as he took on a double team and the other as the pocket collapsed ... Also stuffed a QB sneak up the middle ... Did not get to the QB against Sam Baker and USC, but made him work and flashed other ability, dropping way into coverage and forcing runs back inside with pressure on the edge ... Made a big hit on RB, but RB stayed on feet and broke tackle ... Mel Kiper rated him as a 2nd rounder following the Senior Bowl week ... Was banged up in 2005, hurting his production ... Had a decent battle with Levi Brown against Penn State ... 3 sacks against Stanford ... Scouts have expressed concern about his knees