6’4” – 312 lbs.
Background:
Four-star recruit who redshirted, then appeared in fifteen games the following year, posting 18 tackles. After a 27-tackle sophomore year, he went 31-5.0-1.5 as a junior before breaking out with a 49-12.0-9.0 line as a senior to conclude his collegiate career.
Positives:
Made his senior year by far his most productive. Very well-built defensive lineman who usually plays as an under tackle when the team uses four down linemen and a five-technique when they go with an odd front; has, however, played pretty much everything from the zero-technique to the five-technique. Has a lot of the things teams look for in a two-gap defensive lineman. Bends his knees, keeps a sound base, and gets good extension with his arms to lock out opponents and read the play. Lower-body strength allows him to maintain his anchor at the line of scrimmage. Does a nice job of keeping his shoulders square, even when taking on double-teams. Plays with patience and discipline, while flashing the suddenness at the line to disrupt plays. When in position, does a nice job of discarding blockers to make the stop. Gives good effort in pursuit; can be seen chasing to the sidelines or down the field. Flashes the ability to reset the line of scrimmage when he fires out low and gets his legs driving. Pretty active with his hands as a pass-rusher, with a nice swim move.
Negatives:
Already on the tall side, and can stand up straight out of his stance instead of firing out. Might be more appealing to teams which favor a read-and-react approach, as he doesn’t have the most explosive or violent game. Appears to have above-average lateral quickness, but doesn’t always show it. Can sometimes lose track of the ballcarrier, or flow in the wrong direction; might be a little bit more technically sound/controlled than he is instinctive. Overall range is limited despite a strong motor.
Summary:
Put up some gaudy sack totals this past season, but looks like he might fit best on a team that is content to have him digging in at the line of scrimmage, locking out blockers, and maintaining run fits in a two-gap front, either as a nose tackle in an even front or a five-technique in an odd front. That’s not necessarily the most highly sought-after skillset in the modern game, but offers a lot for teams looking for someone who, physically and technically speaking, is basically a plug-and-play fit for that type of role.
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