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When the Jaguars traded away their second round pick of this year's draft to acquire a third round pick in the 2009 draft, a lot of eyebrows were raised. When the Jaguars used their newly acquired pick on a very unknown cornerback named Derek Cox from William & Mary, anybody who hadn't raised their eyebrows before, did. Many fans were instantly upset with the move, stoked on by comments from Mel Kiper who had Cox listed as his 108th best cornerback in the draft. Trading away a second round pick for such an unknown commodity that played questionable competition at best was very risky.
Less than a year since the move, opinion has changed dramatically about the move. Derek Cox is a fan favorite and considered to be a solid piece for the Jaguars future at the cornerback position and one that the team can build around. Some of the biggest beneficiaries of Cox's success have been the players at William & Mary. In the words of W&M safety David Caldwell:
If Derek Cox hadn’t performed so well last year and made such an impact on the Jaguars, we wouldn’t have had as much attention on Adrian [Tracy] and Sean [Lissemore], and that gave players like myself an opportunity to go off of Adrian and Sean. You just have to use whatever you can use when you come from a small school that’s not used to putting out big name prospects.
One of the more popular of the William & Mary recruits is defensive tackle Sean Lissemore. Lissemore has to be one of the only, if not the only, defensive tackle to enter a draft as a former track star in high school. His 11.20 seconds in the 100m made him one of the best sprinters in New Jersey. A high school linebacker at 6'3, 240 pounds, Lissemore has since gained 50+ pounds yet managed to keep his linebacker speed. His 4.83 40 yard dash would have placed him among the fastest DTs at the combine if he had received an invite.
With all that speed, the next, logical step is to question his strength. His 36 reps on the bench press would have earned him third amongst the defensive lineman at the combine. His 30 inch vertical is very respectable for anybody near the 300 pound weight range. Clearly Lissemore is an athlete with the necessary NFL measurables.
Production is the only thing left to look at production and Lissemore has that too. Although hampered by a nagging shoulder injury that hurt his stat totals in his sophomore year and even affected his play into the beginning of his junior season, Lissemore pulled it all together during his senior campaign. In 14 games, Lissemore accumulated 66 tackles, 14 of which came for a loss, 6.5 sacks and 2 interceptions. All very good numbers from the DT position.
The Jaguars have scheduled a meeting with Lissemore to be held sometime in the next couple weeks.
Video Killed the Scouting Report
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2009 William & Mary Defensive Highlights
2008 Highlights
Lissemore - Lateral Movement Tackle
Lissemore - Tackle for No Gain
Sean Lissemore: By the Numbers
| Sean Lissemore | |||||
|
Position 1: Defensive End |
Height: 6'3 | ||||
|
Position 2: N/A |
Weight: 298 | ||||
| Class: Senior | Age: 22 | ||||
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Projected Round: 6th-UDFA |
40time: 4.83 |
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1st Team All-CAA 2009
Stats Overview
Tackles
Misc
Interceptions
YEAR
TOT
SOLO
AST
SACK
STF
STFY
FF
BK
INT
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
PD
2007
14
4
10
1.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
2008
43
17
26
2.0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0.0
0
0
0
2008
51
18
33
4.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
2009
66
30
36
6.5
0
0
0
0
2
4
2.0
4
0
0
According to the Experts
Pros
Thick, raw-boned street brawler who is naturally strong and a bit nasty. Does not look all that athletic but can move. Plays better than his athletic numbers and has some room to grow. Penetrates unless double-teamed, and is a good bull rusher. Stalemates OGs his size. Good motor. Pile maker. Work ethic and speed gives him a chance.
Cons
Not all that big for an interior D-line candidate. Can be cut blocked. Has a little upside but will never be more than a journeyman. Doesn't bat balls. Lacks moves.
DraftInsider.com from the Texas vs. Nation practices
Lissemore has been improving all week and his hustle has really turned on scouts. He’s played with a sense of urgency and scouts have compared him to Mike DeVito of the New York Jets.
Another senior to look at is DT #93 Sean Lissemore who has adequate size and shows a good use of hands.
NFLDraftBible on Lissemore's Texas vs. Nation game
Lissemore exhibited his brute strength to get through the line and drop the ballcarrier in the second half, as well as using his relentless leg drive to bowl over Dennis Landholt on a fourth quarter safety.