Overall
Kelvin Sheppard does not have the elite athleticism to be a star, and is not a flashy player, but he is rock solid, and his production speaks for itself. Playing just about every down for LSU over the past 2 years, Sheppard was a tackling machine with 110 tackles in each season. He is an extremely smart player who is always in the right position, he has excellent instincts, and takes great angles to the ball so that he is always around the football. He is a sure tackler who rarely misses, and is also an excellent leader on the field who does a a great job directing and firing up his teammates. He doesn't have great athleticism, but makes up for it with his high football IQ, and rarely ever making mistakes. He needs to play with better pad level, which will help him in taking on blockers. But other than that, he is pretty much maxed out in ability. Sheppard is an NFL ready player who could start from day 1, and make an immediate impact. He is a very safe pick who will be a productive player in this league for a long time. He should go some time in the early-to-mid second round.
