Man Crush: Eric Kendricks

All good love stories have a backstory. Eric Kendricks is a 6’1” 230 lb senior linebacker coming out of UCLA. For a long time, Kendricks has been producing like one of the best linebackers in all of college football.  Of course NCAA production doesn’t always directly translate to the NFL level, but in Kendrick’s case it should. Kendricks is currently a fringe first-round pick, and number 17 on my big board, although on most big boards he is between 30-40. In this article I will break down Kendricks’ game, explain my infatuation with him as a player, give my pro-player comparison, and explain why he makes sense for the Vikings.

Oct 25, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes tailback Tony Jones (26) is tackled by UCLA Bruins linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) in the third quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports

Pros:

+ Good, but not great speed.

+ Fantastic instincts. Very rarely did I see Kendricks’ instincts take him out of a play.

+ Plays with 200% effort on every snap. His immense passion for the game is obvious on and off the field. Great guy to have in the locker room.

+ Hits harder than you would expect someone of his size to hit.

+ Good in coverage.

+ Diagnoses the play well. If the play is a run he sprints full speed at the ball carrier while doing a good job at avoiding blockers and filling his lane. If the play is a pass he is quick to pick up his man in man coverage, and is quick to drop into his zone in zone coverage. Reads the Quarterback’s eyes very well.

+ Good lateral ability.

+ Good fundamental player with good technique and a solid tackler.

+ Durable.

Oct 18, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) pursues the ball against the California Golden Bears in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. The Bruins defeated the Golden Bears 36-34. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Cons:

– Can be a little bit too hands-on/physical in coverage.

– When he decides the play is a run and breaks towards the ball carrier he doesn’t always take the best angles, although in most cases his good tackling ability and speed made this a non-issue, but with faster backs in the NFL this could become one.

– Size. It’s never a good thing when you’re the same size as Ray Lewis, the ex-Raven.

What Captivates Me: 

After watching every UCLA game this year, Kendricks completely won me over with a game built around good speed, even better instincts, and a heart that would drive Edgar Allan Poe crazier than Josh Gordon is for failing yet another drug test. For each of the last three years, Kendricks has led UCLA in tackles with 137 in 2012, 105 in 2013, and a whopping 146 in 2014. In his four years at UCLA, Kendricks played in 52 out of 54 games, showing that the word “durable” should be mentioned when discussing his strengths, although this stat tends to stay hidden underneath the floorboards.

Pro-Player Comparison:

A faster Chris Borland. Like Kendricks, Borland was repeatedly knocked for being “undersized” despite having tremendous collegiate production. However, after falling to the 49ers in the 3rd round in the 2014 NFL Draft, he produced like one of the best linebackers in the entire draft class, and that’s saying a lot for a class that included names like C.J. Mosly, Anthony Barr, and Khalil Mack. Like Borland, I firmly believe that Kendricks will provide instant returns to the team that drafts him both on the field and in the locker room. Kendricks has also shown to be much better in coverage coming out of UCLA than Borland did coming out of Wisconsin.

Where Would he Fit in With the Vikings?

Things get tricky here, but nevertheless, I have answers. First off, lets start with the assumption that Hodges will replace Greenway in the starting lineup next year, as he should. While it’s true that Zimmer’s defense played more nickel(3 Corners and 2 Linebackers, rather than 2 Corners and 3 Linebackers) than base defense last year, which kept ILB(The position that Kendricks would likely play) Jasper Brinkley off the field for over half the snaps, this doesn’t mean that Kendricks would also have his playing time limited. I see two very good solutions to this problem.

Solution 1:

With Hodges, Barr, and Kendricks as the starting linebackers, Minnesota would have 3 very capable coverage linebackers. This could lead Zimmer to play less nickel and more base defense, even on passing downs, as a large reason that Zimmer played so much nickel was likely because Brinkley has never been a very good coverage linebacker, which makes him a huge liability on passing downs. This would obviously give Kendricks a lot more playing time thus giving him more chance to make a big impact during his rookie year. The problem with this solution is that if a team comes out in a 4 or 5 Wide Receiver set, that forces 2 or 3 linebackers to guard receivers, which is never a good thing.

Solution 2:

While more complicated, this is my favorite solution. Rather than using 3 linebackers in coverage, consider this: Anthony Barr moves to right defensive end, pushing Everson Griffin inside(Where he has proven to be a very capable pass-rusher) taking Linval Joseph’s spot, while keeping Floyd on the inside and Robison at the left defensive end position. This would keep Kendricks and Hodges on the field at linebacker, and would allow Zimmer to keep all three linebackers on the field while also adding a third cornerback. On top of giving Kendricks more playing time, this would also bolster the pass-rush, as I doubt anyone would go out and say Linval Joseph was an excellent pass-rusher anyways.

Thank you all for reading. Although I have Kendricks ranked higher than most, I am not mad. I hope the readers got the many Edgar Allan Poe references throughout this post. If not, I urge you to go back to your High School English notes. Be sure to leave your opinions in the comments below and follow me on twitter @jackmack28 for the most entertaining tweets on the web!