He has the size and speed to make a difference and, by the looks of things, he’ll be given every opportunity to. The only true surprise in camp so far has been the play of former BYU stand out, Todd Watkins.

He’s caught everything thrown his way, he’s shown good speed, and he’s made plays.  The rest of the group is a collection of McFoys, Shields, Hollands, and Higgins, and with the suspect injury-history of the starters, that’s got to keep Kiffin up at night.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Projected Starters: Derrick Burgess, Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, Jay Richardson

Depth: Greg Spires, Kalimba Edwards, Josh Shaw, Terdell Sands, William Joseph

There is talent here. The tackle rotation, if healthy, should be stout between Kelly, Warren, Shaw and Sands. Burgess has a few more years of being an elite pass-rusher still. 

The major question remains: Who will rush from the other side? The coaching staff has been high on Jay Richardson, and Edwards and Spires may have something to give. 

Spires is the most proven commodity, and if he can find one more year in his legs, they may just have their answer. This group should be helped by the secondary. With two shutdown corners, they should find the extra second they need to make a difference up front. 

There are questions here.

Kelly will have an undue amount of pressure from his $55 million deal. Sands has never played up to his size. Warren is only as good as his motivation, and William Joseph has yet to live up to his University of Miami hype.

Kalimba Edwards has been streaky, Spires has 11 years of wear and tear, and Jay Richardson is largely unproven. Most sentences about these guys start with the most dangerous word in sports: “if”.

If they can stay healthy...if they can get a push...if they can plug the gaps. If these things happen, this defense can be scary.

Linebackers

Projected Starters: Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Ricky Brown

Depth: Sam Williams, Ed Hartwell, Robert Thomas, Jon Alston

There may not be a faster linebacking corps in the league. Howard and Morrison have been absolute draft home runs and, while the weak side is a question, Brown, Thomas, and Williams all have the talent to start in this league.

Ed Hartwell’s best years are behind him but remains a viable option for 10-15 snaps a game. This group will be helped by the presence of Gibril Wilson as a run-stuffing safety, and their speed alone covers a lot of mistakes.

The real question here is: Can one or more of these guys get after the quarterback? Last season’s eye-opening interception totals could transform into sack totals with the freedom that may come with that stout secondary. 

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