DraftTracker
Round | Team | Pos. | School | Name
Jim Leonhard
DS (5-8, 191, 4.5)
Wisconsin
Grade: 37
Comments
Is a lifetime overachiever with great instincts, toughness and playmaking skills. Sees things develop faster than most and constantly finds ways to get in position. Has adequate straight-line speed. He takes exceptional angles to the ball. Is a solid wrap-up tackler in space. Has potential to cover and kicks in the NFL. Shows adequate range in the deep half. Reads QB's eyes, gets a quick jump, has a great feel for the angles in the passing game, and has exceptional hands/ball skills when the ball is in the air. Does not have the size of an NFL safety. Will be overmatched near the line of scrimmage in the running game. Does not have the bulk or strength to take on blockers and lacks power at the POA as a tackler. Has adequate but not great speed. His range will be limited by his lack of closing burst and he will be a liability in most man-to-man matchup situations. A former walk-on, Leonhard has been one of the nation's top playmakers at the safety position since his sophomore season in 2002. He led the nation with a Big 10 record-tying 11 interceptions in 2002. As a junior in 2003, he finished with 98 total tackles (tied for team best), four TFL, one sack, a team-high seven INT's, and five PBU. As a senior in 2004, Leonhard finished second on the team with 72 tackles and had three INT's and 10 PBU. Leonhard is clearly a much better football player than athlete and he lacks the ideal size of an NFL safety. While Leonhard has almost no chance of developing into a starting free safety in the NFL, he still is worth taking a chance on late in the 2005 draft. He should develop into a solid contributor on special teams covering kicks and possibly returning kicks and it's worth the risk to see if he can translate his playmaking skills and instincts from the college game to the NFL as a sub-package defensive back on obvious passing downs.
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