Robert Ayers Scouting Report

Ayers struggled in his first three seasons as a Tennessee Volunteer, but he took over a starting role at defensive end as a senior and flourished. He led Tennessee in sacks and tackles for loss and was named to the All-SEC First Team by the conference's coaches. 2008 was a great year for Ayers and he has not missed a step in 2009. He was awarded with defensive MVP honors at last month's Senior Bowl. Needless to say, Ayers' stock is on the rise and he probably has himself in position to go off the board in either the second or third round in April's NFL Draft. He does not have incredible size (6'3' and 270 pounds), so he must continue to impress with his speed at the upcoming combine. Ayers can run under 4.7 in the 40-yard-dash and his quickness allows him to get around offensive tackles and be effective in the pass rush. He can also play linebacker, and NFL teams will enjoy such versatility. The only real weaknesses seem to be correcting themselves at the moment. Ayers lacked production early in his UT career and ran into a few problems off the field. All of that changed last season for Ayers, who was a team captain.