Our next draft profile comes courtesy of our very own KDean75 who moonlights as an Oregon Ducks fan in addition to his following of the Arizona Cardinals. Being an aficionado of the Ducks allows him to bring us a detailed look at....
Max Unger (C), University of Oregon
Height & Weight: 6'5, 309 lbs.
Combine Results
40 Yards: 5.28
20 Yards: 2.96
10 Yards: 1.78
Bench Press: 22
Vertical Jump: 24 1/2
Broad Jump: 7' 9"
3-Cone Drill: 7.39
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.5
Positives: Unger's a smart, four year starter for the Oregon Ducks (51 consecutive starts) who's won multiple awards including being named to the All-Pac Ten Team the past two seasons. He's extremely versatile with two years as the Ducks' starting left tackle before moving inside for his final two seasons at center. Good feet and technical proficiency are his calling cards and despite not being an overly big lineman, he looks to dominate his opponent and plays with a mean streak.
Negatives: The biggest question on Unger, as with most centers, is his strength. He's not a mauler and powerful nose tackles will give him trouble. At times he'll overextend, which will lead to him losing his balance and Oregon's offense operating primarily out of the shotgun, so he's not overly familiar with the QB under center. He needs to be limited to inside traps and pulls because he can get too tall at times, which leads to him being overpowered.
Overview: Strength will be an issue, but otherwise, he's an excellent lineman. Best suited to be a center where his ability to get to the second level will be best utilized. Due to his good mobility, he has the ability to pull which he did often at Oregon. He was a team leader on and off the field at Oregon and his durability is simply amazing. He's often described as a ‘jack of all trades' but a master at none.
Projected round: late 1st - mid 2nd
Why he should be a Cardinal: It's pretty simple; he fills two needs at the same time. He'd instantly provide competition to Lyle Sendlein and he might just end up being a starter from day one. If he doesn't win the job though, he might just fill an even greater need: depth at nearly every position. He can certainly play each interior position and he could even slide out to offensive tackle in a serious bind. For a team that's probably going to lose Elton Brown, Unger's versatility would be a welcome sight. Using their first round pick would be a reach, but if he's still available in the second he'll be hard to pass up.
How he fits into the Cardinals offense: Excellent. Unger would be an upgrade at center, which is certainly a need, and only the 49er's run a 3-4 defense in the NFC West with a nose tackle. His lack of experience with a QB under center wouldn't be a major issue considering how much the Cardinals utilize the shotgun and their incorporation of zone blocking techniques could mask his deficiencies as an in-line blocker.
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Unger's an intriguing prospect because he can help a team in so many different ways and he's a high quality prospect. For a team that lacks depth at center and guard, Unger will be an enticing option. So what do you guys think? Would you like to see his name called in the second round? Would he unseat Sendlein as the starter?
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Also guys, KDean was the first one to grab the cheese and write his own draft profile (and more are in the works), but if anyone else is interested in profiling a prospect, email ROTB at revengeofthebirds@gmail.com and we'll talk about it.