STRONG POINTS

Hawk is a top-notch athlete with the acceleration and playing speed that is rare for a 240-plus linebacker. He consistently reads and reacts to the play in a flash, accelerates to full speed very quickly, and makes plays all over the field. He is extremely smooth dropping off ball into zone coverage and can run with any tight end down the field -- he can break up passes with his front arm or make the hard tackle right after the catch.

WEAKNESSES

The only real weakness is that Hawk is under 6-foot-2, so he does not have the ideal height. He will occasionally over-run a tackle when he does not keep his knees bent while chasing in pursuit. His hands are decent, but not great enough to make the interception consistently. He is not an explosive pass rusher.

POSITIONAL FACTORS

Grade Category Comments/Description 7.5 Read & React He consistently reads and reacts to the play in a flash, and bursts towards the ball. 7.5 Initial Quickness He reads the play and gets started towards the ball as soon as the play starts. 6.5 Play Strength He has very good playing strength to stack the point of attack, shed the blocker and make the tackle. 6.5 Tackling He can break down and tackle very well in space when he bends his knees. 6.5 Shed Blocker He uses his hands well to fight through, and he sheds the blocker quickly. 6.5 Run at Him He slips through cracks between blockers, gets into the backfield, and makes plays. 7.0 Pursuit/Range Hawk reads plays fast, bursts towards the ball, and has top-end playing speed to chase down the ball. 7.5 Closing Burst He has an explosive closing burst to the ball to finish plays he gets close to. 7.0 Zone Coverage He's remarkably smooth and fluid in zone coverage, breaks on balls quickly, and can break up passes. 6.5 M/M Coverage Hawk can run with tight ends down the field, and he shows the ability to break up passes. 5.5 Pass Rush Ability He's not explosive off the ball, but he slips through cracks well and gets pressure on the quarterback. 6.5 Errors He doesn’t make glaring errors, but will over-run an occasional tackle.

ATHLETIC ABILITY	Section Grade: 7.0
Hawk is a very good athlete, who is consistently all over the field and around the ball. He has excellent foot quickness to accelerate to full speed in a flash. He has top-level playing speed to chase down plays in pursuit, and has an explosive closing burst to finish plays. His athleticism shows best in his smooth ability to drop off the ball very quickly into zone coverage -- he can break and close fast, and he makes plays on the ball. When he stays under control, he can break down and tackle well out in space -- he does a very good job of making tackles on receivers right after the catch. He can change directions quickly and burst in the other direction, accelerate to full speed quickly, and chase plays down from behind consistently.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination 7.0 7.5 6.5 6.5 7.0

COMPETITIVENESS	Section Grade: 7.5
Hawk is a super tough linebacker, who consistently has played through pain and has shown a willingness to step up and take on lead blockers aggressively at the point of attack. Not only has Hawk been extremely productive, but when Ohio State needed a big stop, he was the defender who made the most big plays. His overall production was tremendous -- he is the second-most productive linebacker ever graded (He was involved in one play out of every 6.1 snaps). He is a very consistent player, who not only is always around the ball making tackles, but has shown a knack for making the hard hit or big play. The two areas he needs to become more consistent are: staying low when in pursuit so he does not over-run some tackles, and catching passes he gets his hands on better for the interception. He showed he was a team player when he chose to stay for his senior season when he would have been a Top 10 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit 7.0 8.0 8.0 7.0 7.0 7.0

MENTAL ALERTNESS	Section Grade: 6.5
Hawk is an extremely smart linebacker, and it shows in his hand usage vs. blockers and his precise, sharp zone drops. He has tremendous instincts, which combine with his super quick feet to let him consistently read and react to the play in a flash. He plays with a very high level of concentration, but occasionally will lose focus in pursuit, getting upright and over-running some tackles he should make.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration 7.0 7.5 6.5

STRENGTH/EXPLOSION	Section Grade: 6.5
While Hawk is definitely a well-built linebacker, he is also clearly shorter than ideal and can be engulfed by taller offensive linemen at times. His toughness, competitiveness and athleticism helped him be a durable player at Ohio State, and he will be a very durable NFL linebacker. He is a naturally explosive player, who consistently explodes to the ball carrier when he gets close to finish plays; the only area he doesn't display explosiveness is as a pass rusher. Despite being shorter than ideal, Hawk has very good playing strength -- he can stack the point of attack vs. lead blockers, and makes strong tackles vs. big ball carriers consistently.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength 5.0 7.0 7.5 6.5