DeMeco Ryans

Strengths: DeMeco Ryans, while not an awesome athlete, is a hearty competitor who plays smart and solid. He has good instincts, moves well laterally and has excellent pursuit. The 2005 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Ryans is the kind of linebacker that makes plays and seems to be around the ball frequently. A smart player (he’s a former All-Academic selection), he’s a coachable film junkie with outstanding character. Ryans was the 2006 Cotton Bowl MVP after helping slow down Texas Tech’s high-powered offense.

Areas of Concern: Ryans lacks straight line speed (he ran a 4.7/40) and explosion, plus the bulk to take on bigger blockers. He sometimes misses tackles and may have trouble if isolated on faster backs or slot receivers. His hands are questionable and he needs work as a blitzer, recording just 6.5 sacks in four years at Alabama.

2006 Expectations: With the Texans defensive alignment in flux, it is hard to say how much Ryans will see the field initially. He is expected to play on the outside and is a better fit in a 4-3 defense than in a 3-4, which will give him a leg up on some of the other linebacker options the Texans currently have.

by Bob Hulsey

YEAR G TAK TFL SACK FF FR 2005 12 76 16 5 1 2 2004 12 78 7 0 2 1 2003 13 126 8.5 1.5 1 1 2002 13 27 1.0 0 0 1 TOTALS 50 307 33 6.5 4 5 DeMeco Ryans Home

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