Preseason Profile: Nathan Stupar, LB

Nathan Stupar #54

College: Penn State
Height: 6'1⅝"
Weight: 241 lbs
Arm Length: 31.3"
Hand Size 9.1"

40 Yard Dash: 4.78
3 Cone Drill: 6.84
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.28
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 31"
Broad Jump: 116"

Nathan Stupar was drafted out of Linebacker U. Regardless of what the college is famous for now, they have been able to produce solid linebackers on a yearly basis. Nathan has a really high football IQ and comes in as a very disciplined player. How's that for a change of pace huh? Disciplined? He also comes from a pedigree of NFL players which include a brother Jonathan Stupar who most recently played TE for the Baltimore Ravens and an uncle Jeff Hostetler who is a former quarterback of the Raiders.

Stupar started 7 games his senior season at outside linebacker and collected 73 tackles which included 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. He's still is a bit of an unknown though having played behind a rich crop of linebackers at Penn State. Stupar projects to battle for a special teams spot his first season while he attempts to make his mark on defense. Expect him to add weight to his frame to help be more competitive at the next level. He looks to have a decent frame to play at 250-255.

Comments

Looking Forward: Raiders 2012 Free Agents

Khalif Barnes - Weakest link on the offensive line with youth behind him. Raiders will look for for other options. It's not as if there aren't a dozen Khalif's on the street each year. Darryl Blackstock - Was a Chuck Bresnahan guy, but found a home on special teams. Would have to make the team as a reserve LB and special teams guy next training camp. Wouldn't be surprised to see him back as a camp body or gone entirely. Kyle Boller - Hue didn't have enough confidence to turn to Boller. Expect the Raiders to look elsewhere for a backup to Carson Palmer. Jerome Boyd - Was nothing more than a reserve and special teams player. Some good moments and some very bad ones. Camp body again and fate will depend on the defensive coordinator. Tyvon Branch - About the only consistent producer in the secondary. Raiders will want to bring him back. Desmond Bryant - He's been great in limited action and can play inside and out. Key reserve. Michael Bush - He'll find a home a...

Oakland Raiders' Studs and Duds From Preseason Week 1

[embed]http://gty.im/484069738[/embed] The Oakland Raiders finally look like a competitive football team again. That should be the biggest takeaway from their preseason rout of the St. Louis Rams. Quarterback Derek Carr and the offense looked significantly improved from a year ago, thanks in large part to some of the studs listed below. The starting defense was still a little shaky, but there were still a few bright spots. Overall, the Raiders can feel good about their first live action of the year, especially since there appeared to be no significant injuries to come out of it. Studs Rodney Hudson Of all general manager Reggie McKenzie's offseason acquisitions, he committed the most money to center Rodney Hudson. Offensive linemen rarely get the praise they deserve, but a great offensive line as anchored in the middle can be huge for an offense. Hudson was very solid in his debut against a very good defensive front. If Hudson and the offensive line can consistently protect Carr an...

Texans Preview with Stephanie Stradley

Stephanie Stradley, AKA TexansChick from the Houston Chronicle was kind enough to do a Q&A with us. Follower her on Twitter @StephStradley and check out my answers to her questions on the TexansChick blog. Big thanks to Stephanie for taking the time to answer my questions. Raidersblog: How much of a difference has Wade Phillips made to Houston’s defense? Has scheme played as big of a role as the additions of Joseph and Watt and a healthy Cushing? Stradley: "The biggest difference in the Wade Phillips hire is sort of a institutional confidence. The previous two defensive coordinators were first time coordinators. The Texans have had the youngest starting defenses in the league since Gary Kubiak started in 2006. Inexperienced DCs + Inexperienced Players = A defense ranked by Football Outsiders as 31st-2006, 30th-2007, 29th-2008, 20th-2009, 31st-2010. When Phillips took over, he had a clear plan of the players he did not want to retain and which ones he wanted to target in fr...

Raidersblog.com

Search This Blog