6’6″ – 264 lbs. – 4.58
Played in eleven games as a freshman, then took over a starting role the following season, which he reprised in both 2016 and 2017. Very tall and long-limbed edge player who functioned as a rush linebacker in college but would probably play defensive end in an even defensive front; was only a 190-pound recruit but has added considerable bulk since entering school. Will probably need to add a few more pounds of bulk relative to his listed weight. Has a desirable on-field temperament. Extremely violent, powerful bull-rusher who can walk back opposing offensive tackles in order to collapse the pocket. Fast and explosive enough in a straight line to close on the quarterback and finish his rushes. Even able to collapse the pocket when blitzing from the inside. Also flashes the ability to bend the edge, using a rip move to beat opposing tackles around the corner. Has the presence-of-mind to go for the football when he closes from the blind side. Gets his hands up to contest passing lanes and has the length to disrupt quarterbacks. Might be overly reliant on power at this point given the bigger, stronger offensive linemen he’ll be rushing against at the next level. A little bit linear and tends to get depth and then redirect to the passer rather than bending the edge. Could stand to develop additional counters; shows a tendency to rely on a lethargic spin move if his initial rush is unsuccessful. Has made only limited drops into coverage; passing-down value is as a rusher. Length, power, intensity, and toughness should allow him to set a hard edge at the next level once he fills out his frame. Flashes the ability to shoot inside and blow up rushing attempts in the backfield. Punishing hitter who can help set the tone defensively. Length gives him a wide tackling radius. Not very athletic in space even relative to the low level of competition he played against; overall speed and agility diminish with distance and range leaves something to be desired as a consequence. Has some balance issues which can cause him to get knocked off-balance by initial punches or chip blocks. A big, long, physical edge defender with a powerful bull-rush and a desirable temperament, he should come off the board early as a downhill player who can defend the run and rush the passer.
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