Four years ago, we ranked the top twenty-five Virginia Tech athletes playing professional. The list featured then Denver Broncos receiver Eddie Royal at the top of the list and included anyone from Brandon Flowers to Joe Saunders to Ace Custis. Today, we update the list with plenty of changes. [details]
Worilds is a natural bender for the position who sits into his stance well and has the first step to explode off the ball. He likes to line up from a four-point stance and consistently is able to take a positive first step and get into opposing linemen quickly. He isn't overly aware off the snap vs. the run and has a tendency to be one of the last defensive linemen moving. He lacks ideal initial pop on contact and can be jolted backward at the point of attack. But he uses his hands well to play his way off blocks and find the ball inside. Worilds showcases an explosive inside move when asked to slant down the line of scrimmage but can be easily washed away from the play once an opposing lineman gets his hands on him. He needs to win with his first step in order to gain ball-side leverage at the point to work his way toward the ball. He can be easily sealed on the edge by physical tight ends. He displays impressive closing speed and can track the ball in pursuit. He possesses an explosive first step when asked to rush the passer and has the speed to consistently reach the corner and flatten out around the edge. Worilds does a nice job dropping his pad level and working the chop move with his inside hand in order to keep blockers from getting their hands on him. He has improved his ability to play with power significantly from last season and looks natural making tackles up the field, pivoting back inside and generating a lot of power on his bull-rush. He has the ability to overwhelm opponents with his combination of speed and inside power. He looks natural when asked to redirect in space, is balanced and has the ability to read and react and then quickly close on the football, which definitely makes me think he can play OLB in a 3-4 scheme as well. He needs to showcase his counter move more. Worilds has a tendency to get a bit upright and struggles fighting his way through contact after an opposing tackle gets his hands on him on the edge. Occasionally, he will work a spin move off the edge, but he hasn't developed a go-to counter move yet. He played a lot as a run containment guy this year at Virginia Tech, which took away from his pass rushing opportunities. But he looks like a potential impact pass rusher at the next level as either a 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. If he wants to play as a down lineman, he needs to add more overall power at the point of attack.
var CurrentYear = 2013;
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