LB James Laurinaitis (St. Louis Rams)

[Buckeyescp]

Yeah I dunno how some mock draft have Maualuga over James. I'll take #33 in a heart beat

[Buckeyescp]

I found a compilation of 2009 mock drafts and I was pleased to see that James is in a lot of top 5s

It angers me tho that Ray Mauaglua is higher than him in some mocks. Call me a homer but I take Laurinaitis with the #1 pick

Trying to stay with in guidelines here:

2009 Draft Database

WalterFoootball.com: NFL Mock Draft Database

[Bleed S & G]

Originally Posted by Buckeyescp

Yeah I dunno how some mock draft have Maualuga over James. I'll take #33 in a heart beat

Honestly, at this point, I would take Maualuga over JL right now for the NFL... but as I said in my last post.. it's August - compare these mock's to the actual draft...

[pokey]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

JL: ...Hockey showed me how to get to those guys quicker and at the right angle. Football players have no idea how hard it is to play hockey. They have no idea how hard it is to skate, and stick handle and the balance involved. You learn how to play with your head up at all times and to see everything around you.

All those interceptions are the result of having incredible vision. Now, I know it comes from hockey.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by pokey

All those interceptions are the result of having incredible vision. Now, I know it comes from hockey.

and his soft hockey hands. another attribute of great hockey players. james was a stud right defence, if he stayed with hockey he has the skill set, size, mental stuff he could have made a living doing it...

[SEREbuckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeyescp

It angers me tho that Ray Mauaglua is higher than him in some mocks.

IMO, I think its because of his mass (though only about 10lbs heavier) that Maulalallalugla is being more highly touted. Just about every synopsis I find on JL always starts out with "not highly athletic, but a harder worker.." But really, they are about equal to me.

[SNIPER26]

Originally Posted by pokey

All those interceptions are the result of rattled freshman quarterbacks gift-wrapping them for him

FIFY

[SNIPER26]

Originally Posted by Buckeyescp

Yeah I dunno how some mock draft have Maualuga over James. I'll take #33 in a heart beat

I'm staying out of this one

[BuckeyeLiger87]

Originally Posted by Buckeyescp

I found a compilation of 2009 mock drafts and I was pleased to see that James is in a lot of top 5s

It angers me tho that Ray Mauaglua is higher than him in some mocks. Call me a homer but I take Laurinaitis with the #1 pick

Trying to stay with in guidelines here:

2009 Draft Database

WalterFoootball.com: NFL Mock Draft Database

You're a homer.

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

That would be a hard decision. You can take JL, and know you're getting a great player, or you could take RM and get someone who could be anywhere from an average player who only gets by on pure athletic ability to one of the top 5 or 10 linebackers in the NFL (not history, during his time).

[Taosman]

I take JL as an outside guy and RM as a more pure/classic MLB.

[craigblitz]

Splitting hairs there....I see James play every week during the season and I am lucky to see Ray play three times a season. Ray is an unreal talent and is deserving to be considered one of the best college players in the nation.

[Sportsbuck28]

All I know is that if I'm running a slant against either I hope they would be blitzing.

[OregonBuckeye]

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Freshmen enhance deep receiving corps

Thomas knows playing as a freshman will be a challenge, and not just because of the fellow receivers he must beat out, but the defenders he must beat out. Asked which upperclassman caught his attention the most this summer, he mentioned senior linebacker James Laurinaitis.

"We run and stuff, (but) it seems like he never gets tired, like he could run for days," Thomas said. "During our gasser tests, the linebackers had to come in at a certain time, the DBs and receivers had to come in at a (faster) time. Well, James was coming in at our times, sometimes faster than our times.

"It's not like that in high school."

[Buckskin86]

No doubts for OSU's Laurinaitis
August 21, 2008
Jim Naveau
COLUMBUS - It was a sure thing. A best bet.

James Laurinaitis was going to leave Ohio State after his junior season to enter the NFL draft.

All the draft projections said he wouldn't last past the first 10 picks in the draft. Millions of dollars awaited. If he needed any reassurance, former teammate A.J. Hawk told him he could play and play well in the pros right now.

But when it came time to jump, he stayed at Ohio State.

In the end, though, Laurinaitis' decision was personal, made for his reasons, not for his teammates' reasons or for A.J. Hawk's reasons.

"My dad and mom made a list of the pros and cons. They felt I made a good decision," Laurinaitis said.

"I'm a man of faith. If I get hurt, it wasn't God's will for me to play football. I'm comfortable with that. Maybe some guys aren't comfortable with that and are thinking, ?You idiot, take the money.' But there are always avenues to go down other than football."

Sports: No doubts for OSU's Laurinaitis | laurinaitis, state, ohio : LimaOhio.com