Finding Broncos: Scouting Georgia LB Monty Rice
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Georgia off-ball linebacker Monty Rice, a talented prospect but does he fit the Denver Broncos?
Measurables
- Height: 6 foot
- Weight: 238 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- Trusted as a leader on the Bulldog defense, which is saying something with how many dogs they had in that unit.
- Very physical coming downhill, engaging blockers, and attacking sideline to sideline speed.
- Good ability to avoid blockers and make a play on the ball carrier on outside runs.
- Has enough there in coverage to work short zones and the flats.
- Seems to have a solid football IQ and excellent awareness and does well dissecting plays.
- Offers up plenty of value as a special teamer as well on defense.
- Has good tackling technique that he uses consistently.
Cons
- Lack of length which, despite good tackling technique, has led to missed tackles.
- Overall coverage ability is limited due to limited athleticism and stiffness in his hips to flip and turn.
- The farther away from the line of scrimmage he gets, the more of a liability he is in coverage.
- Can get stuck on blocks due to his lack of length despite physical attempts to disengage.
- Will need to work on his awareness and reads in zone coverage to be more consistent there for the NFL.
- There is almost no versatility due to his overall limitations as an athlete and with length.
Overview
A smarter linebacker that will bring it with his physical play and leadership. He is one of those reliable linebackers that can last in the NFL, even if he isn’t a starter. Rice may end up being just a depth linebacker, or the counterpart to a linebacker with elite traits to mask his deficiencies.
His special teams play and leadership will catch coaches eyes, but he really doesn’t have the athleticism or length to be a full time linebacker. Early on in his career, he is essentially a two down run defender that you don’t want caught in coverage.
Fit with Broncos
The Broncos already have two athletically limited linebackers that have those issues really get attacked in coverage. Vic Fangio has found success with linebackers like this in the past, but the NFL has really evolved over the years requiring more.
With Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson, Rice is very redundant for Denver and doesn’t offer up any more upside than those two do.
Grade: Round 5
Where he goes: Round 3/4
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
