Early Draft Projections: Steven Daniels

Early Draft Projections: Steven Daniels

By Anthony Iati

Over the next few months until the NFL Draft commences on April 28, WZBC Sports will take an inside look at Boston College football prospects who will receive consideration on the draft boards of professional teams. We have already broken down Justin SimmonsThree Eagles were selected in the 2015 draft: offensive lineman Ian Silberman (San Francisco 49ers), center Andy Gallik (Tennessee Titans), and defensive lineman Brian Mihalik (Philadelphia Eagles). Although it is only early March, we begin by taking an early glance at one of the Eagles’ most valuable and reliable defenders in 2015.

Name and Number: Steven Daniels, #52

Year: Senior

Position: Linebacker

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio 

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 243 lbs.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYCGq67T20U

2015 stats: 51 solo tackles, 82 total tackles, 6.0 sacks, 1 interception, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries.

Career stats: 164 solo tackles, 266 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 3 fumble recoveries.

The eye test: The book on Daniels is pretty clear– he projects as a two-down linebacker at the NFL level. His ability to stop the run and deliver thumping hits to opposing ballcarriers can be an asset on first and second downs. Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus lists Daniels as one of the top seven pro prospects coming out of the ACC, writing in February, “[Daniels] also received the highest grade among all college linebackers, which is largely due to his work in defending the run. His run stop percentage of 15.3% led all Power-5 inside linebackers and 50 of his 56 tackles in the running game were stops, which is a very impressive number.”

Daniels’s downside comes in pass coverage, where he is often a liability, and thus would not see the field much on third down. Experts say his thick frame makes him slow, stiff, and unathletic at times. At the NFL Combine in late February, Daniels ran a 4.86 in the 40-yard dash, recorded 16 bench press reps at 225 lbs., and logged a 32-inch vertical jump. These numbers were largely expected for Daniels, but he enters a draft full of quite athletic linebackers, like UCLA’s Myles Jack, Ohio State’s Darron Lee, Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith, and Rutgers’ Steve Longa.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com writes of Daniels, “On first glance, Daniels simply appears to be too big and stiff to be able to function as an NFL linebacker, but the more you watch, the more you realize that his motor and strength makes up for some of his deficiencies. Daniels has flexibility limitations that will hurt him, but his production over the last three years as a downhill player should be considered. He plays better football than he tests and could become a consideration for 3­-4 teams looking for a thumper to add some depth.” 

Where he might land: There is no shortage of teams who could use help at inside linebacker– NFL.com lists the 49ers, Browns, Giants, Dolphins, Raiders, Lions, Falcons, Bills, and Bears as teams that fit that description. The common theme? Most of those squads were in the bottom half of the NFL in run defense in 2015. Since the new NFL year opened on Wednesday, a few things have changed at inside linebacker: the Dolphins acquired oft-injured Kiko Alonso in a trade with the Eagles, the Bears signed former Bronco Danny Trevathan, and the Giants made multiple moves to shore up their shoddy run defense.

Perhaps Philadelphia, which ranked dead last against the run, and Denver should be added to the above list. The Broncos acquired two extra 7th round picks via trades with San Francisco and Houston. The defending champs, however, tend to favor speed and athleticism on defense. The Eagles are tied with the Bears for most selections in this year’s draft (nine), so count them as a team to watch for Daniels a year after they took BC product Brian Mihalik.

Never count out the Giants when it comes to Boston College players, either. Despite the firing/resignation of former BC boss Tom Coughlin, Big Blue maintains a BC connection via owner John Mara, a ’76 alum. Much to the chagrin of its fan base, New York also refuses to use high draft picks on linebackers, instead favoring late-round projects, like Greg Jones and Spencer Paysinger in 2011. If Daniels is available on Day 3, the Giants could pull the trigger, as their run defense was porous in 2015. 

Projected draft round: Some consider Steven Daniels a sleeper pick who could slip in as a late Day 3 draft pick because he excels in a defined area. Time and time again, Daniels has proven he can effectively stop the run and command a defense. This consistency is valuable. Others, though, believe Daniels’s inability to defend in coverage will drop him to UDFA (undrafted free agent) status. The league is increasingly geared towards the pass, and it is a risk for teams to spend a pick on a player who is largely limited to two downs. With well over a month still to go until Draft Day, and BC’s Pro Day still to come, I list Daniels as a late 7th round pick. 

If you have thoughts on Daniels or other BC prospects, tweet them to us @WZBCSports.

Photo credit