NFL Draft 2019: Paddy Fisher could be good fit in heart of Chiefs defense
By Thomas Welte
2019 NFL Draft Prospect Profile for Northwestern Middle Linebacker Paddy Fisher. Could Fisher be the solution to the Chiefs woeful run defense?
If you have not heard me say it yet, the Chiefs defense is a mess. They need help at several positions, and their defensive identity is changing. This week, we take a look at Paddy Fisher from Northwestern. Fisher is an older school middle linebacker, born and raised by a football family in a football town: Katy, Texas. Paddy Fisher plays with toughness, something the Chiefs are sorely lacking in the middle of their defense.
Despite investing money and draft capital to bring in Anthony Hitchens and Reggie Ragland, the Chiefs are still 25th against the rush and surrendering over 125 yards per game rushing. To the defense of the linebacker duo, the Chiefs are also near last in every other defensive category as well so the blame extends well beyond them.
It is yet to be seen if Paddy Fisher will declare for the 2019 NFL Draft, but if he does the Chiefs should take a long and hard look at the young linebacker. Let’s take a look at the strengths, weaknesses, and fit for Kansas City.
I said that Josh Allen from Kentucky may be my favorite prospect in this class. After going back and watching the tape for this article, Paddy Fisher has the edge on Allen. Fisher is a big, physical, energetic linebacker who is surprisingly fluid despite some questions about his overall speed and quickness. He is the leader of Northwestern’s defense and has been a tackling machine for the Northwestern Wildcats, registering over 100 stops in his two years as a starter.
Leadership/Character: This is a hard trait to quantify simply in words, but Paddy Fisher is a high character, high leadership type of player that would lend itself to the Chiefs rebuilding a defense. This article by Davis Rich of Inside NU does an excellent job of detailing Fisher’s football career and his role as the face of the Northwestern defense.
Effort and Instincts: I’m doubling up on my list of positive traits here because these both stand out, usually in tandem for Fisher on tape. Paddy Fisher has a good understanding of angles and pursuit, and he does not slow down until the whistle blows. Fisher moves fluidly from sideline to sideline, even if he is not the fastest player on the field he takes good angles and will make plays along the perimeter. Wherever the offense is taking the ball, #42 will be there.
Size: Paddy Fisher is listed at 6’4 and 241 pounds, and he plays with every bit of that size. Fisher is fearless in taking on blockers at the line of scrimmage and often times shrugs off blocking attempts from smaller players while sifting through a play. Fisher’s size lends itself to his above-average run stopping abilities.