I didn't scout this guy but I like what I read about him Quentin’s instincts and enthusiasm helping him be a good football player; his intelligence on the field is worth noting, too. Few people can understand the nuances of football such as quarterback cadences, line protections and passing patterns. Quentin, however, understands it with ease. “He diagnoses things extremely well on the football field,” Solich said in August. “He’s one of those guys that finds himself in the right place, very much the majority of the time.” Quentin, a redshirt junior, has NFL potential. With his intelligence, instincts, athleticism and love for the game, he can surely find a spot on an NFL roster. The one problem he could encounter, though, is his height. Standing at 6-foot, Quentin may lack the height NFL teams are looking for in a middle linebacker because he is considered short — at the 2016 NFL Combine approximately 73 inches or 6-foot-1 was the average height of linebackers. http://www.thepostathens.com/article/2016/10/quentin-poling-ohio-football
Posted elite athletic testing numbers on-par with the best LB testing at the Combine. Ran a 4.58 with a 38-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot-7 broad jump. Has big hands and above average upper body strength. Plays with good knee bend. Tackle machine in high school and has carried that over for four years at Ohio. Impressive production included 43.5 career tackles for loss, 18 sacks, and 7 interceptions. Coaches love his football intelligence and he makes the defensive calls. Willing to strike with some force when squeezing his gap against pulling guards. Former high school safety with feel for where quarterback wants to go with the football. Gets early jumps into space in zone coverage and has ability to handle man coverage https://www.nfl.com/prospects/quentin-poling?id=32462018-0002-5611-2752-6790e84c1b70
I thought that was Mike Hull or that other undersized LB we picked up in the late round a few years back. I feel like it is an annual right of passage that this message board declares our late round/UDFA the next Zach Thomas. How about we temper expectations and say that he is the kind of guy that will battle for a roster spot in camp with the hopes of carving out a situational/special teams role? Instead of thinking that we have a one in a million guy, I say we assume that we have the most typical. Here is the thing. There is nothing wrong with situational guys. I think we drafted two of them early on with Baker and Smythe. Here is the thing, if they can both do well in certain situations, they are great picks. If we only see Baker come in on third downs, but he excels in pass coverage, I'd be thrilled. We give up too many third down conversions. If Smythe checks in on running/short yardage/pass protection situations, and his success shows up on somebody else' stat sheet, he is a solid player. Let's have realistic expectations for this kid.
I watched a ton of his tape and I honestly thought Zach Thomas almost instantly- simply because of his reaction time and pursuit. The second the ball is snapped, he's attacking somewhere at full speed, delivering a big hit and following through. I loved watching this kid's tape! On the other hand, he doesn't appear very fast...he makes up for it with intensity but the guy isn't going to be running very many people down from behind. Also, we're not going to be giving a rookie free reign to just react and do whatever, certainly not at MLB nonetheless, so this kid has a heck of a long way to go before receiving the crown. I think he can be an NFL starter someday and possibly elite, simply because of his smarts and intensity. But he can also wash out just as easily. Plain and simple, great film for defenders in college doesn't mean anything in the NFL. I loved what I saw but we have no idea if it will translate or not at NFL speed. Of course I hope it does....but we just don't know. It's possible he doesn't even make the roster except for special teams.
I'd be fine if he ends up as a Special Teams ace. I don't want to see McMillian playing on special teams in the preseason. Or any of our top three picks for that matter.
No one is saying he's the next Zach Thomas. Simply saying being "short" doesn't mean you can't be good. Is one inch off of average really a big deal? I mean, I could see if he was 5'8" or something...
Thats how i look at it. He's a long shot to start, maybe even make the team. But he has the intangibles I love; instinct, smarts, hustle. I'll be rooting for him
The comparison to Zach athomas was shorthand for “if he’s fast enough and smart enough he can ivercome the size issues”. My initial reaction to watching Mike Hull’s tape was that he simply was too slow for the NFL. He was meeting college runners at the sideline from behind. In the NFL the RBs are faster. College LBs need to be at the sideline before the runner if they are going to make it in the NFL.
This! But it is very impressing how quick he reacts on the play. He seems to be always the first defender who knows what's coming and where to go. Sometimes it seems he knows the play right from the snap. We will see if this all is enough to overcome the lack of speed. I'll be rooting for him to.
