Expectations: DE Lawrence Sidbury

Part One: DT Vance Walker
Part Two: LB Robert James

I wanted to see exactly which current or former NFL player Falcons’ draftees have been compared to. Using the data from CBS Sports, I took a look at the 26 draft picks the Falcons have made in the Dimitroff-Smith era and reviewed their NFL comparison according to the experts at CBS.

Hit the jump to read who is dissected in part three of our series.

Today’s Expectation Breakdown: DE Lawrence Sidbury

Sidbury was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft and played 10% of the defensive snaps at defensive end. His biggest contribution was in week five when he played in just under half the snaps in the blowout against San Francisco but he’ll be remembered for his 11-yard touchdown return of a Fred Jackson fumble in a 31-3 romp over Buffalo.

Sidbury is currently projected to backup John Abraham at right defensive end.

NFL Comparison (when drafted): Hugh Douglas

"From CBS: Sidbury could also be compared to Philadelphia’s Trent Cole and Denver’s Elvis Dumervil. They all might lack the size you look for in a 4-3 defensive end, but all have been able to compensate for that deficiency with their long wing span and explosion off the snap. Some scouts compare him to the Colts’ Dwight Freeney, but Sidbury is not that fast or explosive and has shown more consistent leverage as a run defender at this stage in his career. His style of play is similar to that of Douglas, in that he uses leverage and natural power to defeat bigger blockers but can also pick up sacks in bunches with effort."

What It Means

This was huge praise for Sidbury coming out of Richmond. Douglas was a three-time Pro Bowler and between 1995-2002, only six players sacked the opposing quarterback more.

Does Sidbury have the skill set to generate Hugh Douglas-type success? Will he quietly bide his time until Abe retires before taking over the spotlight? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.