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LB from TCU.

We have to get him - round 2 possibly?

Pleeeeeaaaaassssse Rick.



That's a great tape right there ^ lots of tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage.



^ Likewise in that game

Dawson will be the best pro LB in this class.

I like Dawson a lot. I live in Fort Worth and watch a lot of TCU's games. Dawson's a very smart LB. Coach Patterson reminds me of Zimmer: a genuine teacher and a defensive specialist. His players are typically less physically gifted than those recruits that go to UT (Austin), but they come out of their college experience better coached and better prepared IMO. I'd love it if Dawson made it to us in Rd. 2.

Texas Vike wrote:I like Dawson a lot. I live in Fort Worth and watch a lot of TCU's games. Dawson's a very smart LB. Coach Patterson reminds me of Zimmer: a genuine teacher and a defensive specialist. His players are typically less physically gifted than those recruits that go to UT (Austin), but they come out of their college experience better coached and better prepared IMO. I'd love it if Dawson made it to us in Rd. 2.

Do you think he could play MIKE? I know he's not the biggest kid, and playing inside in a 4-2-5, it's hard to project, but his skill set seems like it would transfer well to playing the middle in Zimmer's defense. I think he's better than McKinney and Perryman. I want us to draft him in the worst way. I just know he's going to be so good. Some of the best instincts you can ask for from a LB coming out of school.


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frosted wrote: Do you think he could play MIKE? I know he's not the biggest kid, and playing inside in a 4-2-5, it's hard to project, but his skill set seems like it would transfer well to playing the middle in Zimmer's defense. I think he's better than McKinney and Perryman. I want us to draft him in the worst way. I just know he's going to be so good. Some of the best instincts you can ask for from a LB coming out of school.


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Absolutely. He's great at shedding blocks and getting to the ball. I'm hoping his lack of ideal size helps him slide a bit to our 2nd round spot. He's pretty different from some of our recent 1st round picks (Barr and Flash) in that he's not some freakish athlete, but his production was off the charts and I think you're right in that he'll be solid at the next level.

Rewatching the highlights of that Ole Miss bowl game beat down was pretty fun! Dawson played like a man possessed. I don't know if it was Tessitore, Tebow, or someone else, but one of the commentators mentions that a lot of coach Patterson's LBs are now playing on Sundays and Dawson is going to be the next one to be lighting it up at the next level. He's used to wearing purple!

Cheers to that, maybe Spielman trades up into the early second or late first to nab him. It would make my offseason if we got him.


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If we could get a shutdown CB to put next to Rhodes and came back for this guy, our defense could be nasty.

Dawson disappointed pretty big at the combine. Could lead to him landing him later?

Paul Dawson, LB, TCU: The workouts in Indy are not supposed to hurt a player's stock, but it will be hard for scouts to overlook Dawson's disappointing performance on Sunday. He posted pedestrian times in the 40 (4.93) and didn't show any explosiveness in the jumping drills (28-inch vertical, 109-inch broad). Those lackluster marks accompanied a dismal performance in the positional workout, where he looked stiff and upright while changing directions. Although Dawson's game tape is as solid as any prospect in the 2015 class, this lack of athleticism and explosiveness could prompt some teams to drop their grades on the standout linebacker.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... isappoints

dead_poet wrote:Dawson disappointed pretty big at the combine. Could lead to him landing him later?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... isappoints

I feel like this coaching staff is less likely to take a player like this on defense. I think the staff is pretty confident in their 'molding' abilities and I think physical attributes become more important in that situation. I think their pick of Barr kind of reflects that.

Cliff wrote: I feel like this coaching staff is less likely to take a player like this on defense. I think the staff is pretty confident in their 'molding' abilities and I think physical attributes become more important in that situation. I think their pick of Barr kind of reflects that.

That's a good insight. I tend to agree. I'd love to see what Zimmer can mold out of guys like Barr with position flexibility and great athleticism, and I think that's what he is probably looking for.

I'm not opposed to Dawson, but I have a hard time imagining taking a 2 down OLB who will be on the field 25-35 percent of snaps being taken early in the draft.

fiestavike wrote: That's a good insight. I tend to agree. I'd love to see what Zimmer can mold out of guys like Barr with position flexibility and great athleticism, and I think that's what he is probably looking for.

I'm not opposed to Dawson, but I have a hard time imagining taking a 2 down OLB who will be on the field 25-35 percent of snaps being taken early in the draft.

Dawson can be a 3 down MLB in the NFL, and I'm basing that off his game tape, not his combine tests.

The thing that worries me about him is the questions about his work ethic. If he's not a gym rat and film junkie, he's not going to make it. You can't get by in the NFL without it, even as good a player as Dawson is at football.


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frosted wrote:The thing that worries me about him is the questions about his work ethic. If he's not a gym rat and film junkie, he's not going to make it. You can't get by in the NFL without it, even as good a player as Dawson is at football.

I'll cautiously say that I recall Burflict had a miserable combine that contributed to his stock falling out of the draft altogether (also helped by a myriad of off-field issues). But he's a solid LB (when healthy). Though I'm guessing lesser athletically-gifted players like Dawson face an even steeper battle to "make it." I'll be curious if he can improve his numbers during his pro day.

dead_poet wrote: I'll cautiously say that I recall Burflict had a miserable combine that contributed to his stock falling out of the draft altogether (also helped by a myriad of off-field issues). But he's a solid LB (when healthy). Though I'm guessing lesser athletically-gifted players like Dawson face an even steeper battle to "make it." I'll be curious if he can improve his numbers during his pro day.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Depending on where he falls, Zimmer could still go after him.

Paul Dawson - LB - Horned Frogs

TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline noted that while TCU LB Paul Dawson "physically runs a 4.95 forty, mentally he plays at a 4.3 speed."

"Many were surprised by Paul Dawson’s poor forty time but those who saw him at combine training were not," Pauline wrote. "I was told while Dawson is not foot fast but his reaction speed has been off the charts. Dawson was one of the best they’ve seen when participating in reaction drills." Dawson performed poorly in combine tests, but he's never won on the field with elite athleticism. If he falls in April, some brave team is going to find itself a steal.
Source: TFY Draft Insider

Dawson sounds a lot like Bobby Boucher.

Paul Dawson - LB - Horned Frogs

NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock mentioned that an "old-school scout" told him to trust his gut on TCU LB Paul Dawson.

"Don't get off Paul Dawson. ... Trust your gut," the scout told Mike Mayock. The 6-foot, 235-pound TCU prospect, has shown great instincts on film and played at a high level for the Horned Frogs. While Dawson didn't show out at the combine like many expected, the eye in the sky is his best friend. Teams will have to go back and do their homework on Dawson and roll the dice if they believe he's their target on Day 1.
Source: NFL.com
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... er_nfl_cfb