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3rd Round: Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State


HoosierCat

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STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

STRENGTHS: A sudden and slippery defender with an NFL-blend of vision, awareness and athleticism. Instinctive defender who locates the ball quickly. Trusts what he sees and attacks, showing little hesitation to his game. 

 

Exhibits impressive body control to elude would-be blockers in tight quarters, demonstrating agility, balance and closing speed to throw off the timing of opponents. Alert and athletic in pass protection, showing good quickness to gain depth in his initial drop as well as the fluidity to change direction and cover downfield. 

 

Takes aggressive routes to the ball, showing vision and athleticism in avoiding the trash. Generally reliable open-field tackler, flashing textbook hit-lift-drive form. Willing to sell out and trip up ballcarriers with excellent hand-eye coordination. Isn't afraid of physicality, showing the willingness to take on lead-blockers in the hole. 

 

Effective rusher, altering his gait to leave pass-blockers guessing before zipping free or using a smooth spin back to the inside. Saw action at running back for Utah State, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns on 47 attempts, for a 3.63-yards average per carry. 

 

WEAKNESSES: More athletic than powerful at this point and can struggle with physicality. Possesses a relatively slim frame for inside linebacker and may lack ideal arm length, failing to anchor effectively, at times. 

 

An effective open-field tackler with balance and closing speed but lacks ideal strength to knock ballcarriers down with his collisions, generating just average stopping power. Good overall athleticism but has a high backpedal and loses a step in his transition when flipping his hips. 

 

IN OUR VIEW: The younger brother of former Aggie Zach Vigil, who made the Miami Dolphins roster as an undrafted free agent last year, Nick elected to give up his final year of eligibility and enter the 2016 NFL Draft. Vigil's instincts and agility are NFL-caliber, but he'll need to be protected his defensive line at the next level, making him best-suited to middle or weak-side linebacker in a traditional 4-3 alignment. 

 

--Rob Rang (2/13/16)

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1999597/nick-vigil

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The Vigil brothers were trouble for Mountain West foes in 2013 and 2014, with Nick and his older brother Zach terrorizing offenses with their toughness and heady play. Zach left for the NFL after the 2014 season, and had a good rookie season for Miami despite going undrafted. Instead of waiting for two years to reunite with his sibling at the next level, Nick decided four years at USU was enough, opting to enter the 2016 NFL Draft. He certainly ended his career with the Aggies on a high note, garnering first team All-Mountain West honors with 144 tackles (ranking sixth in the FBS), 13.5 of which were for losses (three sacks). Conference coaches voted him first team as a sophomore, as well, because he made 123 tackles, 16.5 for loss and seven sacks. He also played five games at running back (41-152, three TD rushing), starting one there to make him the only player in the country that year starting on both sides of the ball. Even as a redshirt freshman, Vigil got on the field regularly, starting four of 14 games played and making 55 tackles, 8.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks, with seven of those tackles and 1.5 of those sacks coming against Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl. 

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Eye­-popping production from the middle with 30 tackles for loss and 267 tackles over last two seasons according to the school. High school running back with above average vision and feel for track of the run. Quick to diagnose and respond to play direction. Uses instincts to help him win races over top of climbing linemen. Disciplined gap awareness, but bounces to the play when run lane is declared. Loose hips allow for cover ability from zone. Wide-­armed, wrap-up tackler looking to chest up on each tackle. Not lacking toughness for the middle.

WEAKNESSES

 Slender frame that might not carry normal girth for the position. Needs to play with better punch and active hands to stay clean. Can be smothered by size. Gets bounced around when caught up in traffic during flow to the ball. Instincts make him seem more athletic and fast than he might actually be. Lacks sudden twitch and change of direction ability. Lost a couple of races to the perimeter where he had the angle.

NFL COMPARISON

 Hunter Hillenmeyer

BOTTOM LINE

 Vigil has the desire and instincts to play in the NFL, but his slim frame and lack of play strength will need to be addressed in the weight room and the training table. Vigil?s athletic scores at the combine could push his draft stock in either direction, but with more mass, he has the ability to stick on a roster even though it may need to be as an outside linebacker in a 4-­3 defense.
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A nickle LB with better cover skills than Lamur?  Not hard to do but a much needed role position.

The Bengals LB corps is one of their weakest, if not most needed areas of improvement on the team.  Guenther must have liked him and that's all I need to know.  Wait and see pick.

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7 minutes ago, volcom69 said:

Who never heard of this guy, but why a LB here? You would think a pass rusher or somebody on the d-line? Stupid pick here

Outside of vontez,what long term answers do we have?karlos is signed for the short term,we have everybody hates Rey... Then Last name Ray,Plus We all know Marvin loves linebackers 

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This guy was almost universally a round 4-5 projection from the searches I could do after the pick.  I know we're picking late 3rd, which is nearing round 4, but this seems like a reach for a guy who doesn't have good pursuit speed.  He is great in short bursts per his combine numbers, but he's undersized and hasn't played against power conference type of talent.  Truly does seem like a reach when there were prospects, even at LB(his team mate that GB picked one pick later was actually projected in the 3rd round and has the measurables by comparison, though with an ACL injury in his past).  Here's to hoping they know what they are doing since none of the drafted LBs have really panned out to what they had hoped they'd be.  Burrfict is the one who actually has exceeded expectations and he's a head case unfortunately.  For all the LBs Marvin drafted and developed in PITT and BAL, he hasn't really cut the muster here.

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1 minute ago, SuburbanStripes79 said:

This guy was almost universally a round 4-5 projection from the searches I could do after the pick.  I know we're picking late 3rd, which is nearing round 4, but this seems like a reach for a guy who doesn't have good pursuit speed.  He is great in short bursts per his combine numbers, but he's undersized and hasn't played against power conference type of talent.  Truly does seem like a reach when there were prospects, even at LB(his team mate that GB picked one pick later was actually projected in the 3rd round and has the measurables by comparison, though with an ACL injury in his past).  Here's to hoping they know what they are doing since none of the drafted LBs have really panned out to what they had hoped they'd be.  Burrfict is the one who actually has exceeded expectations and he's a head case unfortunately.  For all the LBs Marvin drafted and developed in PITT and BAL, he hasn't really cut the muster here.

Exactly.

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at this point on just about every player drafted there's going to be something to like and something not to. 

To have a reach the player typically is filling a roster hole out of desperation and there is a consensus of being available later.

neither is true with this pick because 3 draft "experts" go along with the pick.  

All of a sudden the bengals are going to start reaching?  

Small school player that people didn't connect the dots and figure out the interest an therefore didn't mock him to us.  

Most people knew Marvin met with the UK lb and therefore many starting mocking him to the bengals. 

If they take that dude no one blinks. 

 

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I think in the late third round a reach is a player that is projected by some to be there in the next round when you pick.  This guy probably would have been there in the fourth if we wanted him.  There are still players with 1-2 round grades on the board and they take a player with a 4-5 round grade.  

To me that defines reach.  Now, he is here and I hope they know something that others don't about him.

Welcome to the JUNGLE Nick.

 

After researching some, he has some really good speed results.  He was the best cone and shuttle performers at ILB and top 5 in the 40.  With some strength buildup he could be exactly what we need.

I'm warming up to this pick.

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I think it's a coin flip as to whether he lasted to our 4. Walter had him as his 9th best ilb and going in the 3-5 rounds, and says at least one other team was targeting him in the fourth. He got taken at the high end of his value but I don't think it was a crazy reach.

That said, history suggests the Bengals are usually better off taking their 3rd round pick and setting it on fire. They've found a player once or twice here, like Sanu, but it's mostly Coffmans and Ruckers and Mochs and Brookses etc. As a rule I am always in favor of using this pick as trade bait. So I'm not expecting much out of Vigil.

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