2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Eric Striker

Career Recap: Striker was an unknown heading into the 2013 season, but the sophomore broke out as one of the top defenders in the Big XII. The conference’s coaches selected Striker as a Second-Team All-Big XII pick while the media named him a first-teamer. Striker totaled 50 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble for the year.

In 2013’s conference play, Striker had a number of good games, including performances against Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma State. To end the season, Striker was phenomenal against Alabama. He dominated Crimson Tide left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio – a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2014 NFL Draft – for three sacks and seven tackles. Striker made clutch plays to help lead Oklahoma to the big upset.



2014 Season Outlook: The Big XII, college football’s version of the Arena Football League, Striker will get tons of pass-rushing opportunities. Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising if he puts up a big sack total. In Week 3 of 2014, Striker will test Tennessee’s new starting offensive tackles.

Baylor Bears left tackle Spencer Drango is the best tackle who Striker is slated to go against during the regular season. Drango has early-round potential, so it will be interesting to see how Striker performs against him.

Another good tackle who Striker will battle is Texas Tech’s Le’Raven Clark. Clark (6-5, 320) has been a good player the past two seasons and has the size to give Striker problems.

Skill-Set Summary: Striker is a speed player who presents a real mismatch for offensive linemen. He has a great burst off the edge and can run around offensive tackles with ease. Striker also has excellent body lean and athleticism to drop his hips to turn the corner. With his pass-rushing ability, he is a dangerous weapon.

When it comes to run defense, Striker is better in pursuit. He needs to get stronger to handle runs coming straight at him. However, Stiker is pretty strong for his size and does fight through traffic to get in on tackles. He isn’t a complete liability, but in the NFL, he’ll have to play linebacker.

Striker also needs to show the ability to drop into pass coverage. He has the speed and athletic ability to be a good linebacker for covering backs and tight ends, but he’ll probably used more as a blitzer.

Striker isn’t much bigger than most NFL safeties, so he must add size. If Striker could add 10-20 pounds while maintaining his speed, that would be ideal. His best fit for the NFL could come in a Von Miller-style role in a 4-3 defense. That would protect Striker from going against a lot of offensive linemen outside of edge rushing. In a 3-4 defense, he would have to be a hybrid inside-outside linebacker.



2015 NFL Draft Expectations: Entering the 2014 season, Striker could prove to be an early-round pick if he can add weight and improve his production as a junior.




RELATED LINKS:


2015 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


2015 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


2015 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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