6’3” – 305 lbs. – 4.99
Started seven of thirteen games as a true freshman, then became a full-time starter as a sophomore. Tore his ACL in the season opener of his junior season, forcing him to redshirt, then reprised his starting role the following year and declared for the draft. Played a lot of one-technique in college but looks like he has the type of build to potentially line up over the center for an odd defense. Has solid size and a very thick frame, with arms which measured over 33” at the Combine; was listed at 325 pounds this past season, but dropped twenty pounds for his Combine weigh-in. Tough and physical player. Will fire off of the snap with a low pad level at times, but ability to stay low is inconsistent and can have some other issues with balance during the play. Leg drive is inconsistent but has the brute strength to reset the line of scrimmage and create congestion. Almost never driven off the line; easier to neutralize with traps and cut blocks. Range is limited, however, by his lack of athleticism; is a pretty straightforward two-gapping space eater in the middle. Struggles to flow down the line and make tackles; more likely to obstruct an attempt and force runners to find other lanes than he is to bring down ballcarriers. Teams may wonder about his weight and conditioning given large fluctuations in his size. Doesn’t offer much as a pass-rusher; has active hands and will work in rip and swim moves, flashing a surprisingly explosive spin, but doesn’t really have the burst or quickness to skinny through gaps and create pressure on the quarterback. Does have some value on passing downs, though, because he can sometimes draw double-teams and create one-on-one matchups for his teammates. Balance issues crop up here as well; can be shoved off-balance easier than he should. Will probably end up rotating off the field on passing downs at the pro level. Torn ACL will require further medical evaluation and could affect his stock, especially because he was seemingly a different player after returning. Teams may hesitate to select him before the mid-rounds, but could outperform his draft position if he keeps his weight in check and is able to recapture his earlier form, and could still end up as a two-gap, early-down run stuffer even if teams get the bigger version of him we saw this past season.
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