What do you need to know about Miami Hurricanes outside linebacker Sean Spence? For as fundamentally sound as Colin McCarthy is, Spence is equal parts explosive. Put simply, he hits like a Mack Truck. I'm already interested, what else does McCarthy's former fellow Hurricane have to offer?
Will Witherspoon is not a long term solution, neither is Gerald McRath. This is the year the Titans should begin to look to draft a potential successor for the both of them. As far as athletic outside linebacker prospects go, Spence is pretty solid, and in the fourth round, "pretty solid" is something that teams go nuts for. He's admittedly a little bit small, coming in at just about 6' and a meager 220 pounds, but I have faith that he'll try to add a bit of muscle before the combine in an attempt to impress the scouts. Getting up to around 230 by training camp should be adequate.
Like McCarthy last year, Spence has questions concerning his size, but as far as speed goes, Spence has it covered. Look for him to display some of the explosiveness that led to 30 tackles for a loss over his final two seasons at The U. You've got to love the idea of putting another playmaker on the outside opposite Akeem Ayers.
Bottom line, Spence is a vicious hitter with a mean streak and a knack for making hugely disruptive plays. I expect his stock should slip a bit due to concerns about size and where he'll play in the NFL, (some scouts like him as a strong safety) but every time I hear concerns about these speedy, instinctive linebackers who maybe don't tip the scales like their contemporaries I just think "Derrick Brooks." Is Spence Derrick Brooks? No, but is he worth a look in rounds 3-5? Absolutely he is. The Titans have struck it big in round four each of the past two years, grabbing a couple of players who wound up contributing in a starting role by the end of the rookie years, let's look to continue that trend and draft another difference maker.