SirVocea Dennis Could Be "Underdrafted"
Is linebacker SirVocea Dennis a decent draft pick? Well, a stats-heavy football thinktank believes the Bucs got a helluva bargain.
Like everybody and their brother since the draft ended Saturday night, Nathan Cooper of Sports Info Solutions did a draft recap. Per their predraft grading system after the draft, two players were deemed “underdrafted,” meaning they lasted way too long on the board based on SIS grades.
One was Dennis in the fifth round. Here is the SIS breakdown on Dennis:
SirVocea Dennis primarily plays the Mike in Pittsburgh’s base 4-3 defensive scheme. He played in 43 games during his career at Pitt. He missed 1 game in 2021 due to injury and also had some seasons cut short in high school due to injuries. Additionally, he played quarterback and defensive back while also competing in basketball and lacrosse in high school. He has a short, slim frame but does have the ability to put on some more muscle mass. He’s a very good athlete who competes and plays with toughness on every single play. … Dennis projects best as a starting Will linebacker in a 4-3 at the next level. However, he has the traits and ability to occasionally interchange and play Mike and fit into a 3-4 scheme. On 3rd downs, he’s best in zone coverage, though mixing in blitzes will utilize his entire skillset. His play speed, aggression, and competitiveness will allow him to be a standout special teams player on all core units, something he did while at Pitt.
So one of the best ways to use Dennis is to take advantage of his speed and have him blitz. Sounds like a certain Bucs head coach.
The Bucs drafted heavily on defense and selected some really, really athletic dogs. Given how Todd Bowles has a creative mind using different blitz packages, Bowles ought to be lying awake at night dreaming of crazy-arse blitzes.
Source: JoeBucsFan.com
