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2017 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects Halfway through Season

By Tyler Brooke

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) catches a pass as Mississippi Rebels linebacker Detric Bing-Dukes (43) defends during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) catches a pass as Mississippi Rebels linebacker Detric Bing-Dukes (43) defends during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) is tackled by Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham (41) and defensive back Bryce Lewis (30) during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) is tackled by Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham (41) and defensive back Bryce Lewis (30) during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Tackles are an overrated stat for a linebacker, but Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham is still getting a ton of hype from a lot of media outlets. I’m not as big of a fan as others are, but I can see the appeal with some flashes he’s shown this season.

Cunningham can do a really nice job of shedding blockers to get to the ball carrier. He is also more than capable of dropping back in coverage when he’s asked to.

However, Cunningham can struggle mightily in the open field and frequently misses tackles. He can also take bad angles when in pursuit. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, his starting stance is awkward and might need to be fixed to help him get off of the snap more efficiently.

There is a lot to like with Cunningham, but I think that the hype train is going off of the rails a little bit.

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