From FFToolbox.com
2009 NFL Draft Prospect Scouting Report:
Jasper Brinkley, OLB, South Carolina
Brinkley played two seasons at Georgia Military College before transferring to South Carolina, where he was the defensive star when healthy. In 2006 he led the team in total tackles with 107 -- a whopping 85 of which were solo. As a result, Brinkley went into the 2007 season on the Pre-season All-SEC First Team. An ankle injury, however, slowed him in the beginning before torn knee ligaments sidelined him for the year. Because that happened in September, Brinkley received a medical redshirt and returned to Columbia in 2008 for his senior campaign.
Nevertheless, the linebacker was never the same and he recorded just 54 tackles last season. As such, physical concerns are the main red flag surrounding Brinkley among NFL personnel. He is also better against the run, and if he never regains his past speed and athleticism, he won't be much of a factor against the pass. When he is at full speed he can run under 4.7 in the 40, a scary element to go along with being 6'2'' and 270 pounds.
It is definitely not fun for opposing running backs to see Brinkley coming their way. Nor is he fun to see in blitz packages, as Brinkley is great at getting into the backfield and taking care of quarterbacks. His draft stock really hinged on his 2008 performance, and because he was limited, there is almost no way he will go off the board in the first round. Still, some NFL teams are not afraid of a high-risk / high-reward situation and could be willing to snag Brinkley before the end of round two.
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