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[GordonGekko]

Thanks for looking

 

[Drop]

I think that he's a pretty good athlete, but he would need to be an amazing athlete to make that transition. It's hard to make up for time lost playing those positions, so the chances of him being ready to do so at the NFL level with no college football experience at that position are very slim. It requires a very different skillset as well as mindset to play defensively. Assuming that he has the mindset, which is a big leap, we don't know if he is able to do things like pick up the ball in traffic and react properly or dish out/take the punishment physically. Even if he is able to do these types of things in a vacuum individually, putting it all together with no college experience and being a successful defensive player at the NFL level would be difficult.

He's got a decent head on his shoulders and he works hard which I admire and I don't like to count a guy like that out, but I think that it's a very tall order. I'd like to see him do it, but I would bet against him doing it partly because I still think that he would be more successful offensively.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I think that he's a pretty good athlete, but he would need to be an amazing athlete to make that transition. It's hard to make up for time lost playing those positions, so the chances of him being ready to do so at the NFL level with no college football experience at that position are very slim. It requires a very different skillset as well as mindset to play defensively. Assuming that he has the mindset, which is a big leap, we don't know if he is able to do things like pick up the ball in traffic and react properly or dish out/take the punishment physically. Even if he is able to do these types of things in a vacuum individually, putting it all together with no college experience and being a successful defensive player at the NFL level would be difficult.

He's got a decent head on his shoulders and he works hard which I admire and I don't like to count a guy like that out, but I think that it's a very tall order. I'd like to see him do it, but I would bet against him doing it partly because I still think that he would be more successful offensively.

I think the bolded is the key. Athleticism, work ethic and an ability to play with a defensive mindset are important, but without instincts even the most elite athletes struggle on Sundays. Some corners who have been wide receivers have said that they've used their understanding of route running skills to their benefit as defenders, but I don't think Tebow's offensive experiences would help him much as a defender.

Tebow would probably fit best in a flow and chase WLB role with his measurables, but he'd still have plenty of work to do to become a serviceable player. I think run-pass recognition would be the most critical skill, with an understanding of run fits, coverage drops and responsibilities and tackling fundamentals nearly as important. None of those would necessarily come easily to an athlete regardless of work ethic.

It's hard to know whether Tebow could make the transition. On one hand, the Florida coaching staff really didn't challenge him mentally with a large playbook with complicated reads and progressions. On the other hand, he did show this winter that he's coachable and willing to take instruction by working hard to adjust his mechanics to what he'd need to do in the NFL. My guess would be that his defensive upside would be that of a marginal backup OLB/solid special teams contributor. Even that expectation is likely a significant reach.