I have heard a lot about Shamburger being underrated, so I decided to watch some film and critique him as a former DB.
First thing that jumps out is he is extremely aggressive. This is not something to overlook. He has dog in him and wants to attack the play as opposed to finesse it. The first thing you need in order to be on an island is the mentality that you're going to win the fight.
Another thing that sticks out to me is his awareness. He does not simply follow his man. He is consistently aware of both his man as well as what the QB is doing. This is the Eric Berry factor. It seems like he is always in the right spot at the right time ... but it's awareness and instinct that allows him to react before the ball is released.
He knows how to place his body to maximize space. This goes beyond coaching and reaches into instinct. It's "feeling angles" and allowing your man freedom to move within a safe zone. Some DB's feel like you need to be on a mans hip at all times. This is inaccurate. There are certain calculated risks you can take as a DB. If the QB is in a 5-7 step drop you know you have the ability to turn your hips and prevent a deep route from getting behind you, but still have time to recover before the ball gets off on an intermediate route, it's a risk you can take but it has to be instinct and not a thought process. He watches the drop well. His eyes are in the backfield to assess the drop and then he responds based on that read. Based on the 15 minutes of video I've viewed he appears to be reacting and not thinking. This is a good sign.
Finally, he whips his head to the ball. Three keys to covering a deep route:
1. Stay low on snap
2. Drive into the turn low
3. WHIP YOUR HEAD TO THE BALL
This is something we were TERRIBLE at this year.
Not a sunshiner, but agree this one may be underrated.
First thing that jumps out is he is extremely aggressive. This is not something to overlook. He has dog in him and wants to attack the play as opposed to finesse it. The first thing you need in order to be on an island is the mentality that you're going to win the fight.
Another thing that sticks out to me is his awareness. He does not simply follow his man. He is consistently aware of both his man as well as what the QB is doing. This is the Eric Berry factor. It seems like he is always in the right spot at the right time ... but it's awareness and instinct that allows him to react before the ball is released.
He knows how to place his body to maximize space. This goes beyond coaching and reaches into instinct. It's "feeling angles" and allowing your man freedom to move within a safe zone. Some DB's feel like you need to be on a mans hip at all times. This is inaccurate. There are certain calculated risks you can take as a DB. If the QB is in a 5-7 step drop you know you have the ability to turn your hips and prevent a deep route from getting behind you, but still have time to recover before the ball gets off on an intermediate route, it's a risk you can take but it has to be instinct and not a thought process. He watches the drop well. His eyes are in the backfield to assess the drop and then he responds based on that read. Based on the 15 minutes of video I've viewed he appears to be reacting and not thinking. This is a good sign.
Finally, he whips his head to the ball. Three keys to covering a deep route:
1. Stay low on snap
2. Drive into the turn low
3. WHIP YOUR HEAD TO THE BALL
This is something we were TERRIBLE at this year.
Not a sunshiner, but agree this one may be underrated.
