6’4” – 261 lbs.
Background:
Was shifted from end to tackle as a freshman, bulking up to 285 and finishing with 20-3.0-1.0. Dropped down to 260 and kicked out to end as a sophomore, posting 27-7.0-3.5 that year, 30-7.0-6.0 as a junior over just eight games, and 43-7.0-4.5 as a senior through twelve games.
Positives:
Offers an excellent combination of height and length. Takes snaps from both ends of the defensive line, typically out of a two-point stance. Fluid and flexible mover who plays with a solid motor. Keeps his shoulders square and shows nice suddenness at the line of scrimmage to threaten gaps. Able to disrupt rushing attempts laterally, with a wide tackling radius; does a nice job of scraping and flowing toward the ball. Nice range in pursuit. Plays with some discipline on the backside in the option game. Hands are pretty active and shows the ability to set up blockers with stutter-steps. Shows the ability to skinny through gaps, being fairly reliant on inside moves. Flashes some violence in his hands to swipe and shed. Gets his hands up to contest passing lanes.
Negatives:
Has never been much of a sack artist at the college level, with a total of fourteen over the past three seasons. Not the most explosive player off the line of scrimmage. Contact balance leaves a little bit to be desired; takes a little bit of time to get his legs under him. Pad level can rise when moving inside, causing him to get pinballed around a little bit. Would like to see more knee bend instead of waist-bend. Inconsistent anchor. Relies on hand usage and quickness, but doesn’t look like a major threat to win with speed/explosiveness or power; would like to see him vary his rush approach more. Lets opponents into his body; needs to be more consistent about using his length to lock out. Wasn’t asked to work in coverage much during the games reviewed.
Summary:
An experienced stand-up edge defender with an excellent combination of height and length, who plays with the suddenness and toughness teams look for, and who does a nice job of flowing toward the ball in the run game. In order to be a truly dynamic pass-rusher at the pro level, will need to develop the ability to dip and bend around the edge, and work his bull-rush more consistently. Would probably fit best working out of a two-point stance on a defense which allows him to threaten gaps with his quickness at the line of scrimmage.
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