Analysis
Positives: Has a thick upper body with broad shoulders, tight waist, good bubble and excellent timed speed for his position Has loose hips and above average balance, keeping his feet on the move Shows natural knee bend and has a sudden burst coming off the edge to defeat the lethargic offensive tackle (see 2005 Texas game vs. Jonathan Scott) Understanding blocking schemes and is quick to locate the ball Very capable of taking his impressive weight room totals and translating it into his play on the field Can shed blocks consistently and has the upper body power to create a pile Tough inside force vs. the run who moves well through traffic to locate the ball Plays at a low pad level and uses his hands effectively to reroute the tight end Has fluid and explosive range outside the box, using his hands to sift through traffic and generates the burst needed to play on the edge Has excellent speed to close on the ball, demonstrating the balance and body control, along with quick feet to move down the line Big hitter who will strike with force and has the strength to explode behind his tackles Has the athletic agility, loose hips, valid speed and a strong desire to take on receivers in man coverage Plays with a quick, controlled backpedal, showing the looseness in his hips to open and play the ball
Gets very good depth in his pass drops and does a fine job of reading the quarterback and reacting to the ball, using his leaping ability and timing to break up the pass Does a good job of reaching and plucking the ball away from his frame Moves forward with quickness and good urgency on the blitz and has above average flexibility to counter blocks and close on the passer.
Negatives: Generally alert player, but can get a little reckless in his play and over-pursue, especially on run fakes and play action Very combative with his hands, but does not have that strong lower body power needed to hold ground at the point of attack vs. larger blockers Attacks with good aggression, but a lack of ideal size will see him get bounced out of the rush lanes when trying to fill working in-line Needs to play with a wider base to prevent offensive tackles from washing him out along the edge.
Hawk is a punishing open field tackler with valid speed and explosion for his position. He is a bit on the short side, but compensates with excellent acceleration and outstanding read-and-react ability. He has the strength to explode into ball carriers and takes good angles in pursuit to string plays out. He has above average upper body power, but could use more lower body strength, as he plays with a narrow base and can be washed out by the larger offensive tackles if they lock on to him coming off the edge.
Hawk plays at a high intensity level, showing good urgency closing on the play and pressuring the pocket. He developed more effective swim and rip moves to get an edge on the offensive tackle and the result was 9.5 sacks in 2005. He plays with true aggression and while he sometimes gets reckless in his play, he will hit with authority. His range and lateral agility is the best I've seen in a linebacker outside of Brian Urlacher and much like the Bears standout, he has the natural knee bend to deliver punishing shots when tackling.
Hawk has the range to work down the line and generates a very strong hand punch to push the pocket. He is effective at jamming and rerouting tight ends and runners coming out of the backfield and has enough valid speed to stay on the hip of receivers past the intermediate area.
Hawk is an outstanding blitzer who has the natural feet and hip explosion to constantly disrupt the backfield. He is so instinctive that he has a knack for getting into the pocket almost at will. He closes with good urgency and does a very good job of breaking down and wrap tackling when working in space. He is better on the move than when asked to take on blockers working in-line, as he does not have the size or wide base to maintain his position at the point of attack, especially vs. double teams.
Hawk has nice pass rush moves and charges aggressively coming off the edge. He also shows valid hand extension to reach and pluck the ball at its high point. Much like David Pollack (Bengals), he simply has a natural feel and flow for the ball. He is an excellent sideline-to-sideline player who needs to be accounted for whenever on the field. With improved lower body strength and a better base, he will be as close to a complete line-backer as one can find.