Ross Homan predraft analysis

The predraft analysis, stats and projections for the Vikings' fourth pick in the sixth round.

Ross Homan, Ohio State, 6-0½, 229 – Fifth-year senior who was granted a medical redshirt four games into the 2007 season after suffering a turf toe injury…Team captain who already graduated…Started 30 of 54 career games…A two-year, full-time starter who had 180 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, three sacks, nine passes broken up and six interceptions…Always around the ball and had outstanding production his last two years…Reads and reacts very quickly and has great run-pass instincts…Tough and physical…Active pass defender who covers backs and tight ends very effectively…A good wrap-up tackler who rarely peels off…Takes good tackling angles…Does not have ideal athleticism and makes a lot of plays because of his effort…Is shorter than desired…Doesn’t have the lower-body strength to take anchor on blockers at the next level…Not a blitz threat, never having more than two in any season…Has an injury history….Worked out with the inside linebackers at the Combine, running a 4.66 40 with a monstrous 32 reps of 225 pounds with a 35½-inch vertical jump and a 9-3 broad jump.

PROJECTION: An old-school classic linebacker from the Big Ten, he has the football smarts and is a very physical overachiever. The coaches on the team that draft him will love him, but he will be a push to come off the board prior to the third round. For a team with athletic LBs late in the second, he could be a consideration.

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John Holler has been writing about the Vikings for more than a decade for Viking Update. Follow Viking Update on Twitter and discuss this topic on our message boards. To become a subscriber to the Viking Update web site or magazine, click here.

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