6’5” – 266 – 4.76
Rotated into the defense as a freshman, then started five games the following year, becoming a full-time starter in his junior campaign and reprising that role as a senior. Very big defensive end with excellent size and length (arms measured 35” in Indianapolis.) Played on the left side of the Aggies’ defensive line, opposite Myles Garrett. Often operates out of a four-point stance and will vary his alignments throughout the game; also takes some snaps out of a two-point stance. Has a good get-off at the line of scrimmage, firing out of his stance low. Has enough speed to challenge the edge. Flashes the ability to use his hands to slap away opposing attempts at engaging him. Possesses a strong closing burst to finish his rushes. Not a purely linear rusher and is able to bend the edge a little bit and redirect to the quarterback. Gets his hands up to contest passing lanes and has the length to be a factor there. However, is more toolsy than refined at this point and will probably need some time to develop additional moves and counters; has a tendency to get stuck on blocks when his initial attempt is unsuccessful. Sack production wasn’t overly impressive despite playing across from a top prospect. Physical attributes give him high upside as a run defender, but he’s still developing his abilities in that area of the game. Instincts in the run game are a little bit raw; better when using his athletic gifts to penetrate than when asked to be patient and locate the football. Stays home against the read option. Good lateral movement skills to scrape down the line and defend attempts to the outside. Will take himself out of some plays, being sucked in by misdirection. However, is able to use his length to get extension on the edge, with the quick hands needed to shed blocks at the appropriate time and make tackles. More likely to lock out opponents with his arms than to use his power to reset the line of scrimmage. Length gives him an impressive tackling radius. Still raw, but with an excellent set of physical and athletic traits to work with; could potentially develop into a starting defensive end in either type of defensive front or an elephant linebacker in an odd base, although he’d need to add about twenty pounds of bulk to be a five-technique end. Doesn’t make the type of consistent impact on the game that teams look for in second-day picks, but may end up going there nonetheless.
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