Kenneth Tate: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Maryland OLB

Maryland linebacker Kenneth Tate is something of a jack of all trades.

A highly touted wide receiver in high school, Tate made the switch to the defensive side of the ball for the Terrapins, where he played both safety and linebacker en route to being named an honorable mention All-ACC performer in 2012.

Here's a handful of things you should know about the versatile defender.

Background

Hometown: Forestville, Maryland

High school: DeMatha High School (Hyattsville, Maryland)

Major: American Studies

Year: Senior (fifth-year)

Kenneth Tate was a star athlete at DeMatha High School, a two-way player who was named an all-state performer three times and was both a 4-star prospect and one of the nation's top 200 players, according to Rivals.com.

According to the University of Maryland's website, Tate received over 100 scholarship offers, and after considering such college football powerhouses as Penn State, Florida, Ohio State and Michigan Tate, chose to stay close to home and attend Maryland.

Statistics

Once Kenneth Tate arrived at Maryland he became a full-time player on defense, but it wasn't until his sophomore year that he carved out a regular role, starting four games.

In 2010, Tate's collegiate career took off. He started all 13 games at free safety, leading the team in solo tackles and ranking second in total stops en route to being named first-team All-ACC.

Before Tate's junior season, he made another position switch, sliding to the "star" linebacker/safety hybrid spot. Sadly, a knee injury ended Tate's season just four games in. Tate earned a medical redshirt, which he parlayed into 42 tackles in nine games as a strong-side linebacker in 2012.

Year	Games	Tackles	Assists	Sacks	FF	INT
2008	13	10	5	0	0	1
2009	10	26	21	1.5	0	1
2010	13	58	42	3.5	4	3
2011	4	20	15	0	1	2
2012	9	25	17	4	1	0

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 221 pounds

Combine Results

Did not participate.

Pro Day Results

40-Yard Dash: 4.66 seconds

Bench Press: 15 reps

Vertical Jump: 33"

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.34 seconds

Three-Cone Drill: 7.2 seconds

Kenneth Tate was not invited to the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, and given his relatively small stature and the fact that he was worked out as a safety at Maryland's pro day, his sluggish 40-yard dash time was cause for some concern.

Interesting Facts

Kenneth Tate's breakout third season at Maryland was the first time a defensive back had tallied 100 tackles for the Terrapins since 2000.

That season, Tate logged 12 tackles and forced two fumbles in a win over Navy, a performance that netted him the Jim Thorpe defensive back of the week award as well as ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors.

Tate also has some experience in the return game, returning two a kickoff and two punts for touchdowns as a junior at DeMatha High and returning a handful of punts as a freshman at Maryland.

Tate's first career interception came at the expense of Nevada's Colin Kaepernick in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl.

Observations

Here's the latest observations and scouting reports on Kenneth Tate.

Per Tate's NFL.com draft profile:

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Tate played strong-side ‘backer as a senior, where he used his length and instincts to make plays in the run and pass game. To stick in the professional ranks, Tate will need to continue to add strength while maintaining his agility.

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From Tate's profile on NEPatriotsDraft.com:

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Kenny Tate is a productive and versatile (FS, SS, OLB, Pass Rusher, Special Teams) defender. Tate’s football IQ, instincts and tenacity should help him overcome his high 4.5 speed in the NFL. He rarely takes false steps and seems to break very early on the ball.

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Tate's strengths and weaknesses, according to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports:

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Tate is a smart player with a versatile skill-set to line up all over the field, but is an inconsistent tackler and lacks the strength to routinely disengage blocks. Tate is a Taylor Mays-like defender because of his athletic ability and range, but is an undisciplined football player and might be an athlete without a natural position for the next level. Nonetheless, he has the physical skill-set and chase skills to be a top-100 draft pick, if healthy.

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