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D-line prospects showing their stuff

By Nick Scurfield
January 15, 2009 Comments (0) | Avg. Rating
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New Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush said in his introductory press conference on Tuesday that his defensive linemen will be attacking and aggressive next season. There has been plenty of defensive line talent for Bush and his staff to evaluate at East-West Shrine Game practices this week.

One of the players making the most noise this week has been San Jose State defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert (6-6, 287), who spent three years at defensive end before moving inside to tackle. Gilbert is a gifted athlete who has shown an explosive first step in practice this week, and there's been a big buzz among scouts about a YouTube video in which Gilbert jumps out of a pool from an underwater starting position.

"Just about every scout has seen it, pretty much every scout I see," Gilbert said. "They are pretty shocked when they see it, me being such a big guy. I weighed in at 287, which is a little too big to be jumping out of pools for most of their minds."

Jumping ability aside, Gilbert has a lean frame and might be a tad thin to plug the middle in a 4-3 defense. One scout said Gilbert could make a very effective rush end in a 3-4 scheme. Gilbert had nine sacks as a senior at San Jose State.

Another player who has turned a few heads is small-school prospect Lawrence Sidbury (6-4, 265), a defensive end from Richmond. Sidbury has used his good upper-body strength and some nifty moves to hold his own against the big boys, including in one-on-one drills against Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone (6-8, 312).

"At my position, I try to take advantage of people with my speed. I feel that's my biggest asset."

- Richmond defensive end Lawrence Sidbury
"I'm not the biggest defensive end, so that's a big obstacle, but I'm trying to show them that I can get in there and mix it up with the big guys a little bit," Sidbury said. "At my position, I try to take advantage of people with my speed. I feel that's my biggest asset. I'm a pretty strong guy and good with my hands."

Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller (6-2, 295), an All-Big 12 performer and the 2009 Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP, has shown a high motor in practice this week. Still, questions remain about his size.

"You know what, I have no idea (about that)," Miller said. "I know I'm taller than (defensive tackles) Sedrick Ellis and Glenn Dorsey (both top-10 draft picks) from last year. I'm not comparing myself to them by any means. If you want to compare me to size, you can, but I'm a guy that goes out there and plays from my heart. I'm going to fight until the whistle blows."

Miller, who has gotten some reps at fullback this week, has worked on showing scouts that he can be consistent.

"You've got to show that you can be coachable and that you're going to hustle to the ball," he said. "Hopefully, I've been able to show those things and hopefully they've seen that I can play a little fullback, too."

Michigan defensive tackle Terrance Taylor (6-0, 319), a strong player with run-stuffing potential, said that he hoped to use this week to show scouts that he is physical and explosive.

"I try to punish the guy that's over me and I try to get up field," he said. "That's some of (what) a lot of these scouts out here are looking for, and I wanted to come out here at practice and show them."

Stillman (Ala.) defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill (6-4, 329) is a player who passed the eyeball test with his massive frame, but he was sidelined early in the week by a hamstring injury.

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