Reggie Ragland: Atlanta Falcons draft profile

Strengths

Ragland has the ability to stuff the run and stop anything in which he is moving forward. He has a great instinct for the ball which is always a must have out of your middle linebacker and hit’s the point-of-attack beautifully.

Watch how Ragland is able to fight off lineman, re-assess himself, and make a play on the quarterback. He wasn’t able to bring him down, but forced a throw away. This was a perfect example of an effort play which is something that the Atlanta Falcons’ defense is in dire need of.

While his coverage skills on passing downs aren’t outstanding, he does a great job of reading quarterback’s eyes and is an absolute ball hawk. Anything thrown in front of him is bad news for the opposing team.

Ragland hits the ball carrier at the point-of-attack and lays the boom on him. Almost every play that happens in front of him he will have some sort of impact on it and this play proved to be big. Ragland’s ability to hit the runner head on led to an easy strip.

Most importantly, Ragland is an outstanding tackler of the football, has great size and strength and possesses the skills of someone who can be a leader in both the locker room and out on the football field.

Let’s dive into his weaknesses, now.