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Abdul Hodge
Height: 6-0
Weight: 235
40 Speed: 4.87*
Position: Inside Linebacker
College: Iowa
Final Grade: G 6.4
SUMMARY
Hodge has played in the shadow of Chad Greenway during his career at Iowa, but he is an excellent linebacker in his own right, and will have a long and productive NFL career. He is a very tough and hard-nosed player who consistently plays with an all-out, no-quit aggressive attitude on every snap, and he never stops chasing the ball carrier until the whistle. He is a very good all-around linebacker, who not only makes an impact against the run (both at home and away), but he is also very good in coverage (both zone and man-to-man). Overall, I believe that Hodge is going to be slightly overlooked because of his teammate and his lack of height, but when all is said and done, he is going to be an excellent NFL linebacker. He will be very valuable because of his ability to be productive in all areas of defense, and he will not have to come off the field. He is best suited to play middle linebacker in the NFL, but has the ability to play all three linebacker positions in the NFL productively.
STRONG POINTS
Hodge is a very good athlete with all the physical tools you could ask for -- very quick feet, excellent acceleration, top playing speed and an explosive closing burst to ball. He consistently reads and reacts to the play quickly, and he has the speed to take advantage of his instincts and make big plays. He is very tough and aggressive, and consistently has shown a willingness to take on lead blockers strong at the point of attack -- and he can be a very strong and physical tackler.
WEAKNESSES
Hodge's biggest weakness is not something he can improve -- he is barely over 6-foot-0. While he is lighter than ideal now, there is no doubt that in a season or two he will end up playing at approximately 245 pounds. He needs to do a much better job of using his hands to protect his legs from cut blocks, so that he does not get cut to the ground so easily. He needs to improve his ability to shed quickly when the blocker is able to get a good hold of him.
ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a very good athlete, which has enabled him to be an impact linebacker at Iowa his entire career. He has extremely quick feet and can change directions very fast -- he has a burst in the other direction. He accelerates to full speed very fast and has the playing speed to chase down plays from sideline to sideline. His flexibility helps him to break down and tackle with good leverage and technique, and to take on lead blockers strong at the point of attack. He has the speed and athleticism to run with tight ends and running backs down the field, and he can cover them well in man-to-man coverage. Overall, Abdul is a very good athlete with the quick feet, playing speed and explosive closing ability to make plays all over the field vs. the run and the pass.
COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a very tough linebacker, who consistently has shown toughness taking on lead blockers strong and aggressive at the point of attack. He has consistently shown a knack for stepping up and making important plays -- he and Greenway really were the main defensive playmakers their last two seasons. Most linebackers are considered productive if they are involved in approximately one out of every ten plays, but Hodge is the second-most productive linebacker ever graded -- he was involved in one play out of every 6.2 snaps. He has been an extremely consistent player during his career at Iowa. The only area he needs to work on is using his hands better to protect his legs from cut blocks. No question Hodge is a team player who consistently hustles and chases after the ball from snap to whistle, and he makes tackles all over the field.
MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a smart football player, which is evident when you see his consistent tackling technique and the way he handles his assignments. He has excellent football instincts, which combine with his very quick feet to let him consistently read and react to the play very quickly. He almost always plays with a very high level of concentration, but at times, he does not keep his focus, and when he doesn't, he does not use his hands vs. blockers (upright or low/cut).
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is clearly under-sized at barely over 6-0 and 230, but he plays bigger and stronger than his measured size. He has been an extremely durable linebacker at Iowa, and with his all-out effort and toughness on every snap, there is no doubt that he will be a durable NFL player. He is a naturally explosive player, whose ability to bend his knees and get low combines with his very quick feet and athleticism to let him explode up into ball carriers to make hard, physical hits. He has very good playing strength, despite being under-sized -- he consistently has shown the ability to stack blockers at the point of attack and can tackle strong ball carriers easily.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 235
40 Speed: 4.87*
Position: Inside Linebacker
College: Iowa
Final Grade: G 6.4
SUMMARY
Hodge has played in the shadow of Chad Greenway during his career at Iowa, but he is an excellent linebacker in his own right, and will have a long and productive NFL career. He is a very tough and hard-nosed player who consistently plays with an all-out, no-quit aggressive attitude on every snap, and he never stops chasing the ball carrier until the whistle. He is a very good all-around linebacker, who not only makes an impact against the run (both at home and away), but he is also very good in coverage (both zone and man-to-man). Overall, I believe that Hodge is going to be slightly overlooked because of his teammate and his lack of height, but when all is said and done, he is going to be an excellent NFL linebacker. He will be very valuable because of his ability to be productive in all areas of defense, and he will not have to come off the field. He is best suited to play middle linebacker in the NFL, but has the ability to play all three linebacker positions in the NFL productively.
STRONG POINTS
Hodge is a very good athlete with all the physical tools you could ask for -- very quick feet, excellent acceleration, top playing speed and an explosive closing burst to ball. He consistently reads and reacts to the play quickly, and he has the speed to take advantage of his instincts and make big plays. He is very tough and aggressive, and consistently has shown a willingness to take on lead blockers strong at the point of attack -- and he can be a very strong and physical tackler.
WEAKNESSES
Hodge's biggest weakness is not something he can improve -- he is barely over 6-foot-0. While he is lighter than ideal now, there is no doubt that in a season or two he will end up playing at approximately 245 pounds. He needs to do a much better job of using his hands to protect his legs from cut blocks, so that he does not get cut to the ground so easily. He needs to improve his ability to shed quickly when the blocker is able to get a good hold of him.
ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a very good athlete, which has enabled him to be an impact linebacker at Iowa his entire career. He has extremely quick feet and can change directions very fast -- he has a burst in the other direction. He accelerates to full speed very fast and has the playing speed to chase down plays from sideline to sideline. His flexibility helps him to break down and tackle with good leverage and technique, and to take on lead blockers strong at the point of attack. He has the speed and athleticism to run with tight ends and running backs down the field, and he can cover them well in man-to-man coverage. Overall, Abdul is a very good athlete with the quick feet, playing speed and explosive closing ability to make plays all over the field vs. the run and the pass.
COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a very tough linebacker, who consistently has shown toughness taking on lead blockers strong and aggressive at the point of attack. He has consistently shown a knack for stepping up and making important plays -- he and Greenway really were the main defensive playmakers their last two seasons. Most linebackers are considered productive if they are involved in approximately one out of every ten plays, but Hodge is the second-most productive linebacker ever graded -- he was involved in one play out of every 6.2 snaps. He has been an extremely consistent player during his career at Iowa. The only area he needs to work on is using his hands better to protect his legs from cut blocks. No question Hodge is a team player who consistently hustles and chases after the ball from snap to whistle, and he makes tackles all over the field.
MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is a smart football player, which is evident when you see his consistent tackling technique and the way he handles his assignments. He has excellent football instincts, which combine with his very quick feet to let him consistently read and react to the play very quickly. He almost always plays with a very high level of concentration, but at times, he does not keep his focus, and when he doesn't, he does not use his hands vs. blockers (upright or low/cut).
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5
Hodge is clearly under-sized at barely over 6-0 and 230, but he plays bigger and stronger than his measured size. He has been an extremely durable linebacker at Iowa, and with his all-out effort and toughness on every snap, there is no doubt that he will be a durable NFL player. He is a naturally explosive player, whose ability to bend his knees and get low combines with his very quick feet and athleticism to let him explode up into ball carriers to make hard, physical hits. He has very good playing strength, despite being under-sized -- he consistently has shown the ability to stack blockers at the point of attack and can tackle strong ball carriers easily.
