Overview

Curry is viewed by some as the elite prospect of the 2009 draft. A hard-hitting, playmaking extraordinaire in the mold of Tennessee Titans star Keith Bullock, Curry leaves Wake Forest as a three-time all-conference selection, an All-American and the recipient of the 2008 Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker.

An explosive athlete with a penchant for the big play, Curry broke onto the national stage in 2007, posting 99 tackles, including 13.5 behind the line of scrimmage and three interception returns for touchdowns (he had four picks overall) during the season. Despite increased attention from offensive coordinators, Curry was even better in 2008, leading the team with 105 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss. Capable of making plays at every level of the defense, Curry - not Rey Maualuga or James Laurinaitis - is the most versatile linebacker in this class and likely to be the highest drafted come April.

The conference defensive player of the year... also earned all-conference and all-region honors... tallied 123 tackles during his senior year... saw action as a tight end... selected to the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl as a tight end... coached by Mike Earwood at E.E. Smith.

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Analysis

Positives: Strongly-built with long arms to keep himself off offensive linemen when playing against the run. Very smooth in pass drops, staying low in his backpedal and getting into depth at the proper angles. Good hands for the interception, and can break up passes using his hands or a big hit over the middle. Plays the nine-technique very well, ripping off the tackle's block and getting to the ballcarrier on inside and outside runs. Also closes on the ball quickly when playing in the stack. Able to shed blocks and go through backs on blitzes. Will pop the fullback and create a pile to stuff inside runs. Shows good awareness on misdirection, quickly diagnosing plays and affecting the success of the play. Gets a lot of attention from opponents on special teams because of his size, speed and aggressiveness in kick return coverage.

Negatives: A bit stiff in the upper body, he tends to succeed most in straight-line situations rather than changing directions quickly. Can get to the quarterback on the blitz but doesn't always make the play. Doesn't explode into tackles consistently, using his long arms to try and wrap up.

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