Pro potential seen in Philistin
The Sporting News Draft Guide has former Manchester Central standout Dave Philistin (6-1, 228) listed as the No. 12 inside linebacker available for this year's NFL Draft.
Philistin (pictured) played both inside linebacker and outside linebacker during his college career at the University of Maryland. He is projected as a sixth-round selection. Here's what The Sporting News Draft Guide wrote about Philistin:
Strengths: Smart. Plays hard from snap to whistle. Is consistently around the ball. Reads the run quickly. Uses his hands to keep blockers from locking on and sheds them to make tackles. Sniffs out screen passes.
Weaknesses: Is a straight-line athlete who lacks ideal agility. Lacks sideline-to-sideline speed and only reaches ballcarriers when given a clear path. Lacks quick closing burst to break up passes in zone coverage.
Bottom line: Philistin shows good instincts, but it's unclear if he has enough to be a starter in the NFL. He looks destined to be a career backup because of his lack of physical tools, but Philistin would be a solid late-round pick for a team in a 3-4 scheme.
