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Prospect of the day
Lofton's instincts, toughness outweigh athletic deficiencies
By Nolan Nawrocki
Feb. 24, 2008
ILB Curtis Lofton
Oklahoma junior
Ht: 6-0; Wt: 240; 40-time: 4.7 (all estimated)
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Curtis Lofton
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Upside: Has a very compact, square-cut build. Plays downhill and fills gaps fast. Strong, drive-through tackler. Has good instincts and a knack for being around the ball. Plays with intensity and elevates the play of his teammates. Very competitive. Plays with good pad level and leverage. Keeps his shoulders squared, shuffles down the line and drives hard to the ball. Hits on the rise with good coil in his legs. Very reliable open-field tackler. Has a nose for the football and sniffs out the run exceptionally well. Sifts through traffic. Very instinctive and plays fast. Takes great angles. Shows awareness in zone coverage and plays alert. Can run with backs. Very productive and makes plays all over the field. Brings special-teams coverage value.
Downside: Lacks ideal height. Is tight-hipped and will veer rather than sink his hips to change direction. Lacks great acceleration and top-end speed and can be late to transition in lateral chase pursuit. Marginal blitzer — does not use his hands well, exposes his chest and allows blockers to engulf him too easily.
The way we see it: A better football player than athlete, Lofton more than makes up for his deficiencies with outstanding instincts and toughness. His exceptional production in his first full year as a starter is just a sign of what’s to come. Should be able to contribute readily in the pros.
You can preorder Pro Football Weekly's 2008 Draft Guide online at PFWstore.com. The magazine, which contains scouting reports on the nation's top 350 prospects and sells for $6.99, will be available for shipping the first week in March. Also available for preordering online is a combo-pack of the 2008 Draft Guide and the 2008 Draft Preview, a book of approximately 200 pages that will be available for shipping the first week in April.
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