J Leman
OLB / Sr.
Illinois
6' 3'' / 243 lbs.

POSITIVES

Atkins is a very versatile player, able to move inside, and play some pass rushing defensive tackle and then slide back outside, and be more of a run stopping defensive end. Atkins is a little undersized, but a very strong and tough player, working through a knee injury, and being very productive last season. He shows good lateral movement, getting down the line, and making stops, and is also very good with his hands, working past blockers. He's great at penetration up the middle, as evident by 41 quarterback hurries in 3 years, to go with 13 sacks, and over 20 tackles for loss.

NEGATIVES

He's undersized for a defensive tackle. His future is on the outside, and to be effective there, he's going to need to get much better getting pressure off the edge. He's not a particularly fast player, and although he has a good first step, doesn't make many plays off the edge, unless it's a broken play, and he's allowed to pursue. Did play through a knee injury last season, and his health will be monitored closely. Doesn't have much in the way of pass rush moves, and tend to lose the fight, if he gets countered on his first move.

FINAL WORD

He really has the makings of a nice NFL player on the outside. Yes, he needs to get better at his outside rush, but he's a very strong run defender for his size, and does a good job getting penetration up the middle on twists and stunts. If he can develop one big-time outside move, and get a little faster, he could certainly has a nice career. He's versatile, strong, and does all the little things you like players to do.