STRENGTHS - Alex shows just pure raw athletic ability. He has a good combination of size and speed which allows him to drop back into coverage and match up with more skilled TEs. He is a down hill player that can find the ball and deliver the book when making tackles. He is very fluid which serves him well on misdirection plays and also when he takes false steps. He shows the ability to recover quickly and get back involved in plays.
WEAKNESSES - Even with all his raw talent he lacks great instincts and is found to often out of position. He can easily get caught up in the wash and be pushed aside which creates large running lanes. He struggles with his hand usage to help him get off blocks and when taking on a block he plays with poor leverage and is forced to make most of his tackles 3 or 4 yards down field. When in coverage he gets caught looking inside to often and loses sight of his man and looks lost at times when is zone. .
SUMMARY - Alex Elkins is an interesting prospect. He has only played football for a short while when walking on to his Junior College at Blinn. He quickly earned his spot and was impressive enough to earn a scholarship at Oklahoma St. He is fairly smart and natural on the football field but does lack great instincts. His athletic ability makes up a lot for his mistakes and shows rare explosiveness at the linebacker spot. He is well built physically but the main concern will be can he continue to progress and eventually be a valuable member at the NFL level. If he continues to build on a solid junior campaign and can impress scouts at the combine or an all star game, he could vault himself into the bottom part of the draft. The fact that he will need time to improve his technique and play with a greater physicality makes him a risk to take in the draft. Overall, Alex Elkins would make a solid pick up after the draft and could find a home on the practice squad for a few seasons. Eventually he could make a roster as a special teamer and would add depth to a linebacking corps, similar to Andy Studebaker. .