6’1” – 240 lbs. – 4.72
Profile:
- Redshirted, then appeared in a special-teams capacity the following season before starting eleven of thirteen games as a sophomore. Broke his leg ten games into his junior year, then started only five of nine games played as a senior after being arrested for a DUI.
Positives:
- Plays the game with a tough on-field demeanor. Has pretty good instincts and often ends up around the ball. Likes to play downhill and is not afraid to step into the hole and get physical with blockers. Understands leverage. Flashes the ability to use his hands to play off of blocks, although is inconsistent in this regard. Reasonably rangy in pursuit. Good hitter who can help set the tone defensively. Gets the most out of his length and has a solid tackling radius. Pretty smooth athlete who is able to get depth when dropping into zone coverage. Can plant and drive to deliver hits on receivers running shallow drags across the middle of the field. Was asked to shade over bunches in the passing game. Exhibits the ability to anticipate snap counts and close with speed when blitzing the A-gap Has experience playing both inside and outside.
Negatives:
- Physical and athletic gifts are just adequate. Struggles to consistently get off of blocks and locate the ball when engaged. More athletic than instinctive in coverage; has more raw athleticism than controlled footwork when making his drops. May not be able to match up in man coverage. Not as anticipatory in the passing game as he is against the run; can be pulled away from the play by misdirection. Limited value as a pass-rusher off the edge. Arrest and subsequent suspension will raise character flags which will need to be investigated during the pre-draft process. Broken leg sustained as a junior is a medical concern. Play and production dropped off as a senior.
Summary:
- A better football player than athlete; plays the game with aggressiveness and physicality, can cover a respectable amount of ground as a run defender and in zone coverage, and is a pretty reliable tackler who can help set the tone defensively. Would have been a mid-round talent because of those traits and because of his versatility, but draft stock is a question mark because of the leg injury which ended his junior campaign and his subsequent arrest, which led to a reduction in playing time as a senior.
DRAFTEXAMINER 