John Wendling - Safety - Wyoming

[stevemc]

How much do you think Reid, Heckert & Co. are drooling.

He's 6'1", 222lb. safety. He is supposedly very intelligent (couldn't find the wonderlic on him), has a 41" vertical jump, runs a 4.4 forty and, oh yeah - he can clear a 66" hurdle as shown below

He's projected as a 3rd/4th rounder. Any takers?

Got the clip from the EMB.

[tinopuno]

If used in a blitz package, he could simply "hurdle" any pass protector!

[Buff]

Wow... can he cover?

[BowieBirdFan]

John Wendling
S | (6'1", 222, 4.4 | WYOMING

Scouts Grade: 67
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Strengths: Possesses an outstanding combination of size and straight-line speed. He is thickly built and fills hard versus the run. Shows good closing burst when coming forward. Also can make up some ground when the ball is in the air. He diagnoses plays quickly and shows above average ball skills. A natural playmaker that also seems to come up with clutch plays in crucial situations. Very good starting experience. Has shown good durability throughout his career. He has developed into a leader on and off the field.

Weaknesses: Comes from the mid-major level of competition. Is somewhat stiff in the hips and lacks ideal athletic ability. Shows great speed on a straight-line, but struggles to change directions fluidly in space. He's big but he doesn't play as big as his size would indicate. He is not an explosive striker. He will take some poor angles in run support, which leads to him lunging and missing tackles in space. He also needs to improve his technique as a tackler. He lowers his head too often and seems to be a concussion waiting to happen.

Overall: Wendling was redshirted in 2002 before playing in all 12 games (one start) in 2003 and registering 17 total tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and two blocked kicks. In 2004, he started all 12 games and finished the season with 89 total tackles, three interceptions, six pass breakups, and three fumble recoveries. Wendling started all 11 games in 2005, recording 75 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He started all 12 games in 2006, registering 78 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries returning one for a touchdown. Wendling also rushed six fake punts for 119 yards and returned 11 kicks for 202 yards, helping him earn first team All-Mountain West accolades as a senior.
Wendling's combination of size and straight-line speed are outstanding. He also impresses with his instincts and leadership. However, he is a bit of an enigma because he doesn't play as physical as his "measurables" would indicate. While Wendling is a good athlete for his size, he's only a decent athlete for the type of "finesse" game he plays by NFL standards. He does not show the explosive power or toughness to make a successful transition to outside linebacker and he has just decent fluidity for a true safety. His lack of experience in man-to-man coverage is also concerning. Overall, while his upside is intriguing, we're not convinced Wendling is worth drafting before Day 2.



* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[ThoughtProcess]

An interesting prospect. To BBF: how does Wendling stack up against Rouse or Weddle?

[BowieBirdFan]

An interesting prospect. To BBF: how does Wendling stack up against Rouse or Weddle?

Aaron Rouse
S | (6'4", 223, 4.5 | VIRGINIA TECH

Scouts Grade: 72
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Strengths: A tall, well-built strong safety prospect with exceptional straight-line speed for his size. He has the size potential to match up as an in-the-box strong safety type in the NFL. Fills hard versus the run and flashes some power upon contact as a tackler. He occasionally will make his presence known over the middle in coverage. Shows good closing burst when the ball is in the air. Also displays good ball skills. He has been a durable player throughout his career.

Weaknesses: Former outside linebacker with some athletic limitations. Does he fit as an outside linebacker or strong safety in the NFL? He is high-cut and shows some stiffness in his hips. He has excellent straight-line speed but will struggle to change directions in space. He does not show the quick-twitch athleticism to match up one-on-one versus NFL slot receivers. He must also continue to improve his angles in run support. He can play out of control at times.

Overall: Rouse appeared in all 13 games in 2003 as a true freshman and made 46 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He saw action in all 13 games in 2004, registering 37 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss at outside linebacker. Rouse started all 13 contests at strong safety in 2005, finishing the season with 77 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. In 2006 he appeared in all 13 games, with 10 starts, and recorded 57 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception.
Rouse possesses an exceptional combination of size and speed, and he showed flashes of playmaking ability at the collegiate level. However, while he has first-round tools, Rouse is an underachiever and a positional misfit from an NFL perspective. He doesn't play the game with enough aggressiveness or toughness to project as a linebacker and he makes too many mistakes in coverage to be trusted as a safety at this point. In our opinion, Rouse is too much of a boom-or-bust prospect to draft any earlier than the third round.



* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[BowieBirdFan]

Eric Weddle
S | (5'11", 203, 4.4 | UTAH

Scouts Grade: 80
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Strengths: An athletic and versatile defensive back prospect. Plays the game with excellent instincts and aggressiveness. Plays bigger than size indicates and is not afraid to throw his body around. He has a tremendous motor and gives a great effort on every play. He takes excellent angles in pursuit and is a wrap-up tackler in space. He diagnoses plays quickly and takes few false steps. He has adequate range in zone coverage and is a playmaker when the ball is in the air. Times his jumps well and shows excellent ball skills. He shows great willingness to contribute in any means possible and coaches rave about his intangibles. He has been extremely versatile and should find ways to contribute in the NFL on special teams. Very reliable hands , sound decision-making and good vision as a return specialist.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal "NFL measurables". He has decent height and below-average bulk. Speed is adequate but not good. He does not show ideal quick-twitch athleticism. Will have some many limitations in coverage at the next level. Does not show the change-of-direction skills or burst to hold up one-on-one versus slot receivers. Lacks the size and brute strength to consistently match up as an in-the-box strong safety type. Also lacks the speed and explosiveness to project as a fulltime return specialist at the next level.

Overall: Weddle earned freshman All-American recognition as a true freshman in 2003, playing in all 12 games (started the final nine games) at cornerback and recording 60 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, three interceptions, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He started 11 games (did not play vs. Arizona; knee) at strong safety in 2004 and finished the season with 75 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, five pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. In 2005, Weddle was the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year after starting all 12 games, splitting time between strong safety and cornerback, and registering 78 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles. He also returned 24 punts for 154 yards (6.4 average), punted twice for 46 yards, and held for the field goal team in 2005. Weddle started all 13 games in 2006, appearing at cornerback, safety, quarterback, running back, holder, and punt returner, and recorded 64 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and seven interceptions. In addition, he scored eight touchdowns, two on interception returns, one on a fumble return, one on a pass, and five rushing, helping him earn his second straight Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award, and a consensus All-American selection.
Weddle gets the most out of his physical tools and he is one of the most versatile prospects in the 2007 class. He has experience at every position in the defensive backfield and every offensive skill position, while also performing as the return specialist and holder on special teams in college. Weddle plays the game with great enthusiasm, instincts and toughness, which should allow him to carve a niche in the NFL as a versatile defensive back and special team's contributor. However, in order to emerge as a starter at the next level he must overcome a lack of ideal size and natural fluidity. Regardless, Weddle is the type of player that coaches love having on their team and he should find a way to contribute in several areas. He projects as a second or third round pick in the 2007 draft.



* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[ThoughtProcess]

Thanks BBF. Wendling looks comparable to Rouse. Weddle looks to be a better prospect, but it seems as if you'll give up something different with each one. Weddle-size. Rouse-positional experience. Wendling-fluidity in coverage. Add to the mix Daren Stone (Maine) as a later pick...wow. The FO has a lot of homework to finish up!

[Zepster]

Thanks BBF. Wendling looks comparable to Rouse. Weddle looks to be a better prospect, but it seems as if you'll give up something different with each one. Weddle-size. Rouse-positional experience. Wendling-fluidity in coverage. Add to the mix Daren Stone (Maine) as a later pick...wow. The FO has a lot of homework to finish up!

I'm sure the homework has been done quite some time now.

[Vote for Kalas]

Wyoming is a mormon school?

[ThoughtProcess]

Thanks BBF. Wendling looks comparable to Rouse. Weddle looks to be a better prospect, but it seems as if you'll give up something different with each one. Weddle-size. Rouse-positional experience. Wendling-fluidity in coverage. Add to the mix Daren Stone (Maine) as a later pick...wow. The FO has a lot of homework to finish up!

I'm sure the homework has been done quite some time now.

As am I. I just used it as a figure of speech to help illustrate just how much goes into the grand crapshoot called the draft.

[BowieBirdFan]

Thanks BBF. Wendling looks comparable to Rouse. Weddle looks to be a better prospect, but it seems as if you'll give up something different with each one. Weddle-size. Rouse-positional experience. Wendling-fluidity in coverage. Add to the mix Daren Stone (Maine) as a later pick...wow. The FO has a lot of homework to finish up!

Daren Stone
S | (6'3", 218, 4.5 | MAINE

Scouts Grade: 47

Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position
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Strengths: Reads routes fairly well and shows good awareness in zone coverage. Has good instincts and rarely gets caught out of position. Opens hips well and flashes the ability to change directions quickly. Reads quarterback's eyes, shows adequate ball skills and can make plays in coverage. Is a strong leaper and competes for jump balls. Times blitzes well and flashes the ability to get to the quarterback. Reads keys quickly and fills hard when reads run. Is big enough to line up in the box, is aggressive and flashes the ability to make plays in the backfield. Plays with a mean streak and is a sound open field tackler that can deliver big hits. Has experience lining up at corner and is somewhat versatile.

Weaknesses: Isn't fast enough to run with most receivers or tight ends and lacks the range to consistently cover the deep half of the field. Doesn't show great burst coming out of cuts and should have problems matching up with explosive slot receivers. Played at a small school and there is some concern about ability to make the jump to the NFL. Though character isn't a substantial concern Maine suspended him for one game in 2004 for missing classes.

Overall: Stone played in all 11 games as a true freshman during the 2003 season, mostly on special teams, and was involved in five total tackles. In 2004, he played in all 11 contests with 10 starts at strong safety and posted 77 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and three pass breakups. Stone moved to cornerback in 2005, played in 10 games (eight starts), missed one contest with a high ankle sprain that hampered him throughout the season, and finished the year with 41 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five interceptions, and three pass breakups to earn a third team All-Atlantic 10 selection. In 2006, he started 10 games at strong safety and recorded 50 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interceptions, five pass break ups, and one forced fumble garnering second team All-Atlantic 10 accolades (coaches).
Stone lacks prototypical speed for a safety and he would have to get bigger to move to linebacker fulltime. However, he is a smart player who is athletic for his size and works to the whistle, so he could develop into an effective reserve who also contributes on special teams. Stone projects as a late-round pick or rookie free agent.



* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[taz]

I don't think Wendling is a 3rd or 4th rounder, I would be surprised if he is there in round 2 for the Eagles. They guy is a super atheletic safety with prototypical size/speed and coverage ability. He will lay you out if you come over the middle also. He can play both safety positions and is a very good special teams player. His biggest knock is he is inconsistant and doesn't always play up to his atheletic ability. Put him in Jim Johnson system and I think he is a star type Safety.

I have him as the fifth rated safety on my board behind

Landyr
Nelson
Griffen
Meriweather (who might go after Wendling now)
Wendling

I also like Piscitelli, Michael Johnson and Aaron Rouse.