According to everyone who has been at camp, the second year linebacker is looking better than he did last year.
Darius Leonard is the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year. He led the league in tackles and had seven sacks and forced quite a bit of turnovers. No one expected him to be that good coming out of South Carolina State. But now the league has taken notice.
So far in training camp, Leonard seems to look faster. Multiple reports have suggested that he looks faster and stronger right now. If that is the case, the rest of the league should quiver in fear. You don’t want a faster Maniac running around the field making plays.
The way Leonard looks, this could affect the whole defense. If he is looking this good, the offense is going to have to commit extra men to him to block him. That will open up plays to be made for other players on the defense like Justin Houston and Anthony Walker.
Leonard has bold goals for this next season. He wants 200 tackles, 10 sacks, and to win a championship. If he accomplishes the first two goals, the championship should follow. He impacts the game so much that he can change the whole defense.
It will be interesting to see how well he plays this year with the expectations that have been set for him down. I wouldn’t expect him to play worse than what he did last year. He is an extremely hard worker and he will only get better.