Pre-Season Scouting Report – Hayes Pullard, ILB USC
By Peter Smith
2014 Schedule
| Sat, Aug. 30 | vs. Fresno State |
| Sat, Sept. 6 | at Stanford |
| Sat, Sept. 13 | at Boston College |
| Sat, Sept. 27 | vs. Oregon State |
| Sat, Oct. 4 | vs. Arizona State |
| Sat, Oct. 11 | at Arizona |
| Sat, Oct. 18 | vs. Colorado |
| Thu, Oct. 23 | at Utah |
| Sat, Nov. 1 | at Washington State |
| Thu, Nov. 13 | vs. California |
| Sat, Nov. 22 | at UCLA |
| Sat, Nov. 29 | vs. Notre Dame |
Notable Games
- Stanford
Pullard had a huge game against Stanford in 2013 and was a huge reason they were able to come up with a victory. The Cardinal will undoubtedly be seeking redemption in Palo Alto and stopping Pullard will be a huge key to making that happen.
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- UCLA
Not only is this a big time rivalry that UCLA has had the upper hand with the past two seasons but Bruins also boast one of the more balanced offenses in the country which will be a great opportunity for Pullard to showcase his entire skill set.
- Notre Dame
The combination of Notre Dame coming as the last week of the regular season, a week after an emotional game against UCLA and boast a talented spread offense make this an interesting matchup for Pullard. Athletically, he is a great matchup for the spread but he sometimes was playing faster than he had to as a junior.
System Fit
- 4-3 Middle Linebacker
The combination of being able to be a play maker, take on blocks and set the tone for a defense makes this seem like the best fit for Pullard in the NFL. The Trojans have played with a good amount of three man fronts, so if Pullard goes to a team really stout up the middle, he may be a big surprise in the NFL.
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- 3-4 Weak Inside Linebacker
His size may cause some people to discount this possibility, but this is largely the position that Pullard has played at USC. He is not afraid to take on blocks or get his hands dirty in the middle, but has range and can help in coverage. Pullard appears equipped to make a great transition here, especially if he gets bigger.
- 4-3 Weak Side Linebacker
This seems the least likely situation, but is nevertheless possible. Pullard would not be ideal in terms of athleticism but his middle linebacker mindset could give a team an advantage in the running game.
Draft Projection
Based on 2013 tape: Fringe Top 100 Pick
With improvement in key areas in 2014: Top 75 Pick in the 2015 NFL Draft with a chance to go in the Top 50
The clips were provided by DraftBreakdown.com