Robert Ayers DE 6'3 273 Tennessee

Ayers had a minimal impact as a freshman, posting just five tackles, one for loss, and a sack on the year. He played more as a sophomore, and his numbers improved to 25/3/1 on the year. Ayers had a big year as a junior, despite remaining a reserve on the line. He had 34 tackles, 12 for loss, and four sacks on the year. He became a full time starter as a senior, and had his best season. Ayers finished the year with 49 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and four sacks.

Strengths

Ayers is a complete end prospect that brings a lot of versatility to the field. He has solid size, is a good athlete, and has the speed to finish the play. Ayers uses a quick first step to beat his man off the line, and his natural athleticism allows him to beat his man to get into the backfield. He also shows the ability to hold his ground at the point of attack, and make plays in the running game. Ayers is active and will do his best to make any play he can. He is a true 4-3 end, but has some experience at linebacker and some added bulk should allow him to play in a 3-4. That versatility will make him a good fit for all teams in the draft.

Weaknesses

The biggest issue Ayers is going to face is based around an issue during his freshman season. There was an incident that involved an original charge of aggravated assault that ended in a guilty plea to a lesser charge. By all accounts he has matured from that incident, but he will still have to answer questions about it. Until his final season, Ayers was a reserve that was a bit inconsistent. He will need to convince teams that he has figured it out, and the inconsistent intensity level is a thing of the past.

Future

Ayers is a player that had a very good senior season, and impressed off the edge in the Senior Bowl. He has a lot of momentum going leading up to draft day. He has the potential to be a very good all around end in the NFL, and if he plays with a consistent motor, should reach his potential.