6’5” – 265 lbs.
Consensus five-star recruit who rotated into the defense over twelve games as a true freshman, posting 19-6.0-3.5. Took over a starting role the following year and finished with 33-14.5-9.5. Put together a monstrous junior year of 46-21.0-16.5 and six forced fumbles, then declared for the draft. Widely regarded as one of the top prospects in this year’s class. Has prototypical size for a pro edge rusher, with very good size and length; carries his weight well and looks a little bit trimmer than anticipated. Tends to line up from wide techniques, often on the right end but also taking snaps on the left; less frequently, will slide inside to rush the passer from more of a tackle look. Capable of taking over games as a pass-rusher. Draws a lot of chips and extra attention from opposing running backs, tight ends, and linemen. Does a good job of mixing up his approach as a rusher, succeeding at both winning the edge and getting into the backfield with inside moves. Usually the first player out of his stance, gets up to speed quickly, and can threaten the edge with his explosiveness. Demonstrates very good hand use to slip by opposing tackles as a speed rusher, making a very smooth arc when dipping his shoulder and bending around the corner. Able to finish his rushes without losing much speed. Perhaps even more dangerous when he’s using his ability to get off the line quickly to threaten on inside moves; does a nice job of getting skinny and knifing between opposing linemen to penetrate from the interior, and the team occasionally takes advantage of that by sliding him inside on obvious passing downs. Closing burst and tackling radius allow him to finish his rushes with sacks. Excellent nose for sniffing out developing screens. Capable of making spot drops into zone coverage but does it rarely, being something of a waste of what makes him special. Able to get good extension with his arms, stay balanced, and anchor at the end of the line on rushing downs. Does a good job of locating and shedding when two-gapping. Plays with discipline as the read man. However, can sometimes get too deep because of his rush-first approach, creating lanes which make it hard for him to recover and make stops. Solid motor and excellent athleticism allow him to make tackles from the backside. Would be a better fit in a one-gap front which takes advantage of his ability to disrupt by penetrating the inside. Has some of the most natural pass-rushing skills in recent memory, which is likely to make him one of the first two or three prospects off the board.
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