Finishing up week three of your positional draft rankings, we switch back over to the defensive side of the ball, with the guys threatening the edge against the offensive tackles we discussed a few days ago. The NFL has evolved to a point where we can group them together as EDGEs rather than having to use traditional 3-4 outside linebacker and 4-3 defensive end designations, although I will describe which roles I believe these prospects can fit at the end of each paragraph, along with analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, plus in which range I’d personally value them. At this point, I also want to re-iterate that my rankings are based purely on tape evaluation, without information on potential medical or off-field concerns.
This class hasn’t been discussed a whole lot I’d say because we don’t have a headliner like Myles Garrett, one of the Bosa brothers or Chase Young at the top, but there’s still plenty to like. Personally, I believe you can make a case for any of the top three names as EDGE1, depending on which type of player you’re looking for and they’ll all be inside my top-15 overall prospects. I could see about nine or ten additional guys hear their names called on day two, although I don’t see as many intriguing developmental projects in the middle to late rounds as the OT class featured.
I want to note that typically, I have used two or three paragraphs – depending on position – to describe the positives for each position. In this case, I simply used “run defense” and “pass-rush” and added a short line about them dropping into coverage, if I thought it was fitting, since none of these guys were asked to do that 100+ in any season, as far I’m aware.
Here’s the list:
1. Laiatu Latu, UCLA
6’4”, 265 pounds; RS SR
A four-star recruit in 2019 for Washington, Latu saw some action as a true freshman, (15 tackles and 0.5 sacks), but then didn’t get onto the field the following two seasons, as he was announced to have retired due to a neck injury. However, he decided to return with UCLA in 2022 and immediately was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, despite not even starting right away, putting up 12.5 TFLs, 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. This past season he even surpassed those numbers with 49 total stops, 21.5 TFLs, 13 sacks, two interceptions, forced fumbles and passes batted down at the line each. That made him a first-team All-American and the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Run defense:
+ Being labelled more of an average athlete, Latu ran the seventh-fastest 40-yard dash (4.64) with the sixth-fastest 10-yard split among defensive linemen at the combine, before looking smooth going through the change-of-direction drills and incredibly natural going through all the pass-rush drills
+ Does a great job of maximizing his length and keeping his frame clean in the run game, along with being able to suddenly disengage and help wrap up the ball-carrier at the line of scrimmage
+ Regularly squeezes tight-ends into the action when they’re tasked to seal him on the backside of run concepts
+ Yet when he’s put on the strong-side of multi-TE sets, he’d line up in a level two-point stance and play control, where he’d locked out and two-gap against those guys basically
+ His expert hand-usage also shows up in the run game, when he’ll hit a high swim to slip zone-blockers and force cutbacks or just swipe the reach of blockers away and meet the ball at a spot
+ You can tell he plays like a guy who had football taken away from him, going 100 mph at all times
+ While known for his effective pass-rush portfolio, Latu earned the highest overall PFF grade among all FBS defenders in 2023 by quite a margin (96.3), thanks to also finishing with an 82.1 in the run game
+ Looked smooth dropping out into the flats and showed good spatial awareness, also earning a 94.8 coverage grade
Pass-rush:
+ The way he anticipates the snap and how quick he comes out of his stance creates challenges at the start of reps
+ His ability to defeat the hands and win reps in the pass game is pro-like already, consistently hitting connecting points with a broad arsenal of pass-rush moves
+ How he times up the strike of the offensive tackle’s hands and is able to keep them from making contact with his frame makes him rip-move highly effective, to barely change his track to the quarterback
+ Has the flexibility at the hips to flatten on cross-chop moves or curve back around as the quarterback steps up
+ Packs a nice dip-and-rip paired with the euro-step in order to win inside against over-aggressive vertical sets
+ Yet when they set too softly and stand up early, Latu will quickly remind them that he’ll gladly go through their chest with the bull-rush – especially on those tilted rushes from wide-nine alignments
+ Frequently is able to gain late wins against pass-protectors who seem to be in good position, quickly getting to his counters and finding secondary escape paths with non-stop weaponry-like hand-usage
+ Has become highly effective at beating guards and centers cross-face with a perfectly-timed arm-over move, often times off stunts, and even when an extra pair of hands is available to help on Latu, he’s frequently able to slip through that crack between those blockers and affect the quarterback
+ After finishing tied for second among FBS edge defenders (with Will Anderson Jr.) in terms of his 62 total pressures in 2022, he put up the highest pass-rush productivity (13.3) among EDGEs in this draft with 100+ snaps rushing
Weaknesses:
– Wasn’t really asked to take care of traditional run fits, where he’s stacking and shedding blockers, but rather was allowed to swipe past guys and make plays in that facet
– Latu’s ability to come off the ball was a major plus in college, but a lot of that had to do with getting out of the tracks perfectly and I don’t think the raw explosion is quite up there with some other of the other top EDGE prospects
– His 32.5-inch arms rank in the 16th percentile for edge defenders and you see blockers be able to re-fit their hands even if he wins that initial phase of the rush, because they can out-reach him and stall him by grabbing cloth
– Missed a massive 23 of 86 attempted tackles across his two seasons with the Bruins (26.7% miss rate), because he gets so out of control attacking the backfield at times
We have to address the elephant in the room – Unfortunately Latu was forced to medically retire momentarily and that’ll be very scary for any NFL team to invest a first-round pick in him. Having said that, as I mentioned during the intro, I don’t have the necessary information or could probably judge it in a way that would allow me properly weigh that as part of my draft grades. Therefore, by simply grading the tape, no other edge defender has played the position as well over the last two years as Latu. Regardless of inside or outside, he’s the most pro-ready pass-rusher in this draft with a repertoire of hand-combats many veterans in the league never even achieve. He doesn’t have elite length or athleticism – which are typically the guys who dominate on the edge – and he’ll need to learn how to operate in a more disciplined front in terms of defending the run. Yet, if I had to bank on one guy giving me double-digit sacks in multiple years of his career and potentially already as a rookie, this would be my call.
2. Dallas Turner, Alabama
6’3”, 245 pounds; JR
The number one edge defender and top-10 overall recruit in 2021, Turner saw action in all 15 but only started three games as a true freshman, earning Freshman All-America honors from 247Sports and the FWAA with ten tackles for loss and eight sacks. In year two he started ten of 13 games he was available for, being down to eight TFLs and four sacks, but adding a scoop-and-score. This past season he was took over the alpha mantle from Will Anderson Jr. and was named first-team All-American himself for posting career-highs across the board – 53 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, ten sacks and two forced fumbles.
Run defense:
+ Capable of making the heads of tackles snap back as he launches his hands into their chest
+ For being on the lighter end for edge defenders, Turner’s ability to play with good sink in his hips and extension of his 34.5-inch arms make him a pretty stout run defender, in the mold of what Will Anderson Jr. was able to do during their time together with the Crimson Tide
+ Quickly recognizes when offenses try to seal him on the backside and takes advantage of opportunities to work over the top of those guys, in order to create an angle towards the ball-carrier for himself
+ Yet you’ll also see him plug any cutback lane if he catches a tight-end off balance and blows up “duo” plays by digging his hands into his chest and riding that guy into the action
+ Shows no hesitation crashing into or wrong-shouldering pulling guards who outweigh him by 100 pounds
+ Good lateral agility to mid-point option plays or just redirect with the ball-carrier out on the edge – The ability to stick his foot in the ground accelerate in order to shut down plays out to sideline really stood out to me on a couple of occasions
+ Very disciplined with staying home on the backside for reverses and naked bootlegs
+ Fights “over the screen” almost as if he was playing basketball on toss plays and swings to the running back, as they try to pin him inside and then has the quick burst to chase down the ball before they can turn the corner, even when it seems that he’s leveraged too far inside
Pass-rush:
+ Packs a lot of juice off the snap to threaten the outside edge of tackles, paired with the long arms to counter their strikes early
+ Throws out a sudden dip of the shoulder and burst to get around guys after being tangled up with them and then being able to track down the QB
+ Capable of creating a softer outside edge for himself by jabbing inside and euro-stepping around basically
+ Explosive laterally to cross the face of tackles on stunts into the B-gap as well on delayed loops on three-man games to his side (with the backer blitzing)
+ Also flashes a NASTY up-and-under, where he cleanly wins inside after a couple of hard steps up the field
+ Has turned himself into an outstanding leverage rusher, with the long-arm as an effective tool to pair with his speed off the edge, at times attacking through the inside pec of tackles in overwhelming fashion to ride tackles into the quarterback’s lap
+ Quarterbacks running away from Turner get tracked down from much quicker than they’d anticipate, because that gives him an angle to show off that crazy pursuit speed
+ Last season, Turner was “only” 14th in terms of total pressures (55), but that was on just the 142nd-most pass-rush snaps (292)
+ Was asked to drop into different zones underneath and moved pretty well backwards, earning a 81.0 PFF coverage grade last season, with snaps of carrying LSU superstar receiver Malik Nabers up to a certain depth and running down guys like Texas tight-end J.T. Sanders on screens the other way, as well as showing off his chase speed as a QB spy in certain situations
Weaknesses:
– Could do a better job of creating that half-man relationship and have vision on the ball by keeping his chest clean in the run game, rather than having to look around guys and giving ground in the process at times
– While he’s created a more comprehensive pass-rush plan, he’s still limited in the hand-combats he can consistently rely upon and get those clean wins around the corner
– Wastes too much time with tight-ends and H-backs responsible for him on play-action and pass plays in general
– Leaves his feet regularly when trying to bring down ball-carriers – missed ten tackles last season (22.2% miss rate)
Combining athletic tools, length, competitive toughness and how well these guys already played last season, Turner stands on top. While it’s unfair to compare him to a back-to-back SEC Defensive Player of the Year, his game does remind you a lot of last year’s number three overall pick Will Anderson Jr. Where they differ is that the now-NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year had some of the heaviest hands and strongest lower bodies you’re going to find in that 245-pound range and had a better understanding of how finish his rushes. With that being said, Turner actually has better acceleration up the field and is more explosive laterally when it comes to projecting cross-face moves and how he could rack up numbers on twists. He backed up that explosiveness at the combine, where he led all front-seven defenders with a 40.5-inch vertical jump, along with the second-best mark in the 40 (4.46) and broad jump (10’7”), along with looking better than the majority of linebackers in the transitional coverage drills. So while I didn’t project Anderson to be a perennial All-Pro but rather a top-ten player at his position and leader of your defense for years to come, I believe the baseline for Turner is lower but if he hits all the way, he actually has slightly higher potential. I think he’s absolutely worthy of being a top-ten pick.
3. Jared Verse, Florida State
6’4”, 250 pounds; RS JR
After an initial redshirt year, Verse was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Colonial Athletic Association thanks to double-digit TFLs in four games of the spring season, In the fall, he was a first-team all-conference selection thanks to 11.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks at Albany, He decided to transfer to Florida State the following year and immediately got onto the national radar, as a dominant force off the edge, He racked up 48 tackles, 17 of those for loss, nine sacks and a fumble recovery, making him a first-team All-ACC selection in 2022. His stats were very similar this past year, outside of 4.5 fewer TFLs and three PBUs (compared to none), repeating the all-conference honors along with second-team All-American recognition.
Run defense:
+ Has wicked jolt in his hands and a strong base to set a physical edge in the run game
+ His power allows him to just throw off tight-ends in the run game regularly, who (excessively) lean into him
+ Recognizes opportunities on the front-side of zone concepts to swipe away the hands of the tackle and wrap up ball-carriers for negative yardage
+ Capable of lifting under linemen and deconstructing blocks to get involved on tackles when the ball is nearby
+ There are some reps where he’s initially unblocked on the front-side, as the offense brings somebody across to kick him out and he’s up the field to create traffic, not allowing that extra gap to develop for an extra puller to lead up through
+ When sealed off away from the action, Verse can mash his guy into the back of other blockers and create jams in the backfield
+ Can flatten down the down and chase down backs from the backside when left unblocked
+ Even when the ball goes outside his vicinity, Verse typically pursues it hard and gets involved on tackles late as a result
Pass-rush:
+ His first step off the ball really stood out, despite playing along a front with some high recruits at FSU
+ There’s some apparent violence in Verse’s hands, on those chops and clubs, to knock blockers off balance with excellent hand-placement to maximize those
+ Strings his upper and lower half together very well, particularly to swipe by opponents on club-rip combos
+ Incorporates a nice in-and-out scissors maneuver to create a softer outside corner for himself and get home
+ Does well to incorporate stutter steps and slip inside of tackles who overset to the edge and off that, he realizes when it takes guys off balance and he can ride them into the quarterback
+ Has turned himself into the best pass-rusher in this class at combining pad-level and angles to shorten the corner for himself with power, regularly blowing through the best of offensive tackles, especially if they get too tall in their pass-sets
+ Showcases the mental fortitude on twists and stunts to the inside, where he realizes somebody peels off to him but slide too far and can take that create between linemen, at times with a spin move
+ As a redshirt sophomore and junior, his 24.4% and 21.8% pass-rush win rate ranked (tied for) fourth among Power Five edge defenders, while his total pressures increased from 36 to 62 on 124 additional opportunities (329 pass-rush snaps)
+ Has built a resume of taking over games late, such as the 2022 season-opener vs. LSU, the 2023 Florida game and then the ACC Championship against Louisville, to secure an undefeated regular season for the Seminoles
Weaknesses:
– Isn’t one of those guys, who will stick his foot in the ground and chase down the ball on screens outside of him, whether it’s the flat-out speed or crazy effort that’d be necessary
– Has to do a better job of finishing tackles, where he leaves his feet a lot and can slip off guys – missed 21 attempted stops over his two years with FSU (23.1% miss rate)
– Lacks a little bit of ankle flexibility and looseness in his hips to flatten at the top of the rush without going through the tackle
– While the moments of dominance in certain matchups and fourth quarters are great, there were also stretches of games where his impact wasn’t felt a whole lot
If you’re looking for a traditional even-front defensive end, who will give you high level of play in the run and pass game, you can’t really go wrong with Verse. Along with running sub-4.6 at the combine at 254 pounds, he finished second to only a 315-pound defensive tackle with 31 reps on the bench press, despite having 33.5-inch arms. So the combination of length and strength is top-tier and then he’s a very efficient pass-rusher in terms of the approach he takes. Now, he won’t hit a cross-chop, get his body pointed towards the quarterback in one motion and get home within the first two seconds a whole lot, but if that guy drops back on third-and-long, Verse may dump the left tackle into his lap as he takes a hitch at the top of his five-step drop. The thing he really needs to clean up is the footwork to wrap up more securely as a tackler. Yet, if his coaches can help him become a little more consistent with collecting early wins, so he can dictate reps to his opponents more regularly, I could see him flirt with double-digit sacks for multiple years of his rookie deal. I just feel very comfortable with the floor he provides me as a selection in the teens.
4. Demeioun “Chop” Robinson, Penn State
6’3”, 250 pounds; JR
The fourth-highest ranked defensive end from the 2021 recruiting class, Robinson played in all 12 and started one game as a true freshman with Maryland, recording 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Following that, he transferred in-conference to Penn State, where he logged ten TFLs and 5.5 sacks in his debut campaign. His numbers went down a little this past season (15 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, four sacks, two fumbles forced and one recovered) in ten games, but he was still recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Run defense:
+ Has the strength in his triceps to lock out and win the leverage battle on the front-side of run concepts
+ Is able to creation flexion in his lower body and get underneath blockers in order to not get ridden or washed down when they are able to create initial momentum
+ Shows the ability to reduce the shoulder against angular blockers, step under and around combo-blocks near the point of attack, routinely being able to dup under and force blockers to grab
+ You can’t ask tight-ends to cave him in or seal him off on the backside, but Chop will crash through the C-gap and ruin plays in a hurry
+ With his speed and flexion in his ankles, Chop can flatten down the line and chase down plays from the backside or bend around pullers to get a hand on the ball-carrier
+ Only missed one (of 14 attempted) tackle(s) last season thanks to how he meets ball-carriers with square pads and the long arms to extend his radius
+ Led all Power Five edge defenders in overall grade (90.6) and pass-rushing grade (92.4) in 2022, which he actually slightly improved those numbers along with a more than respectable 76.3 mark in run defense
+ Was peeled off the edge quite regularly and would push targets in his path off track, as well as crowd underneath passing windows
Pass-rush:
+ Instantly threatens offensive tackles in their pass sets with his get-off and rushes super low
+ Twitched-up pass-rusher who can give blockers a lot of trouble trying to mirror him, including the leverage and leg-drive to ride guys backwards if they get too tall in their sets or use wide arms
+ Effectively bends his rushes combined with chop-rips and double-hand side swipes, where if tight-ends are assigned to block him (off play-action), those guys typically have no shot of taking him off track
+ Snatches and lifts the outside hand of tackles in order to create a softer angle for himself a few times
+ Lands some wicked up-and-under moves paired with the high swim
+ Working from the three-technique for some longer downs, that ability to stay low and get around guards created major issues
+ Possesses the triceps strength to push off and extend the inside arm through the chest of blockers, in order to open up the inside lane, along with also freeing himself quite regularly by pulling the inside arm over and that foot through
+ Shows some crazy ankle flexibility where he’s a little past the quarterback and is able pivot back around to run that guy down from behind
+ Recorded 48 pressures across 267 pass-rush snaps in 2022 and 26 on 148 opportunities last season – pass-rush grades from PFF of 92.3 and 92.4 respectively
Weaknesses:
– Needs to do a better job of not getting his body turned in the run game and setting a firm edge against tight-ends
– Both in the run and pass game, his upper and lower body don’t always seem to be in sync, limiting his effectiveness at the moment of first interaction with blockers
– When he tries to jump inside of tackles and is cut off, he doesn’t really have a secondary approach to still win those reps
– Doesn’t yet string together moves in a comprehensive fashion or reads pass-sets particularly well
– Only has 32.5-inch arms and that lack of length certainly showed up in the 2022 Ohio State game against that great duo of OTs, who were largely able to neutralize him
Chop has been acclaimed as this crazy athletic edge defender for a couple of years now, making the top of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List ahead of the 2023 season, which was backed up by running a 4.48 and leading all defensive linemen with a 10’8” broad jump at the combine after weighing in at 254 pounds. I believe he played at a good ten pounds less and unfortunately the sack production at least never quite lived up to the hype (9.5 combined over the last two years). He’ll need to fill out his frame a little more in a sustainable fashion and then there’s still plenty of room upwards in the way he formulates rush plans as well as his reactionary skills to counter how offensive tackles approach him. I do certainly understand the appeal here in terms of someone with his kind of get-off and ability to cleanly win around the arc when his hand-swipes hit and I think he plays really hard, but I don’t see him being a very productive early on in his career. If you can get him to play at that weight he tested at in Indy and his future coaches can get that light bulb to go off, I think he can be quality three-down starter by his second season, but I do see a significant drop-off from the “big three” and Robinson to me is more so a target late in the first round.
5. Darius Robinson, Missouri
6’5”, 290 pounds; RS SR
One of the 1000 top recruits in the nation in 2019, Robinson has to earn his stripes early on at Missouri, increasing his playing time throughout the first three years (34 combined tackles, only one sack), before establishing himself as a starter in 2022 (35 stops, 5.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks). However, it was this past season that he truly broke out, making first-team All-SEC thanks to 43 total stops, 14.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, a fumble forced and recovered each.
Run defense:
+ Plays with heavy hands at the point of attack and presses off blockers in the run game with authority
+ Frequently will outreach opposite blockers with 34.5-inch hands and massive (10 and 5/8-inch) hands, in order to maintain leverage on the gap
+ Asking tight-ends to seal him on the backside is a recipe for disaster unless you aim off-tackle the other way, since Robinson might put that guy on roller-skates and eliminate any cutback opportunities
+ Has the physicality to slide into the 4i spot for certain matchups and deal with combos
+ Showcases the contact and upper-body strength to fight off multiple blockers and own his space near the point of attack
+ You see Robinson mess up power/counter plays single-handedly, where locks out against the down-block, pulls the man forward to face-plant as he feels him lean in too much and takes on the first puller in order to create traffic
+ Regularly stonewalled pulling linemen tasked with kick-outs against him in general
+ Does a great job of patiently playing the mesh-point on read-option plays and not giving the quarterback a clean key to read
Pass-rush:
+ There’s some real violence in his hands and you just know linemen facing him will have bruises all across their arms the day after facing Robinson
+ Frequently buries those paws inside the chest of tackles and works the depth of pocket with them, really testing their ability to anchor
+ When he sells out for the bull-rush, you see him take that guy in front of him all most of the way there, then disengage late by pulling cloth or push off and get hits on the quarterback
+ Blockers who try sit on power will be surprised with how quickly he can get by them with a rapid swim-move
+ Has more lateral agility to stress the edges of blockers’ frames than you’d anticipate
+ Will stress blockers up the B-gap when given the freedom to do so or slanting across on E-T twists, being able to contort his upper body away from contact and crash through their reach
+ Powers through tight-ends and chips by backs as if they’re just road-bumps
+ Regularly chops down or lifts up one arm of blockers straining to hold their ground in order to create angles towards the quarterback, with the sudden burst to run them down
+ Logged 42 total pressures across 277 pass-rush snaps last season despite having an extra hand coming his way regularly
Weaknesses:
– There’s certainly room for improvement with Robinson when it comes to block recognition, not allowing guys to seal/wall him off away from the point of attack
– Can get a little reckless with his run fits and rush lanes in general, forcing the rest of the defense to make up for it
– Needs to do a better job of countering the outside hand of tackles and not allow them to stab at his chest in order to take control of reps, along with setting up his speed-to-power moves more effectively instead of immediately reaching out those arms
– Doesn’t have a comprehensive rush plan or ability to access counters when needed at this stage
– May be labelled as a tweener by some teams, lacking the speed in his second and third step to win around the hoop but also not showing the mental capacity to ID and counter the first steps of and place his hands accordingly onto offensive linemen in that more condensed space on the interior
Some of the hype around Robinson coming out of Senior Bowl week – where he flashed the things you also saw on tape but wasn’t dominant by any means – cooled off at the combine, when his 4.95 in the 40 was a tenth of a second slower than any other edge defender and his 9’3” broad jump was also at the bottom of the list. I don’t think those numbers quite represent the type of athlete he is, because seeing his first step explosion off the snap at 290 pounds is still rare. He pairs that with incredible jolt and great length to give him the potential of becoming an elite run-defender if he increases his awareness for blocking schemes and how to respond to them. As a pass-rusher, he’s stil more of a one-trick, relying heavily on his power to take charge of reps early and then find openings later on. However, becoming more pro-active with actually defeating the hands and attacking one half of blockers will be key if he wants to find long-term success coming off the edge. I look at him more as a base D-end on the strong-side, potentially for odd or even fronts and to make his living inside on passing downs, along with using his force to condense the pocket from tilted, wider alignments occasionally. Early second round seems appropriate.
6. Jonah Elliss, Utah
6’2”, 245 pounds; JR
The son of an All-American for Utah from 1991-94 in Luther Elliss, brother of Saints linebacker Kaden and two other NFL players, Jonah joined with father’s footsteps with the Utes as a three-star recruit in 2021. His playing time and production increased all three years with the program. His 37 tackles, 16 TFLs, 12 sacks, three passes batted down the line and one forced fumble earned him second-team All-American recognition.
Run defense:
+ Presents a well filled-out frame and capable of standing up tackles in the run game
+ Consistently is able to fit his hands inside the chest of blockers at the point of attack in order to set a firm edge
+ Was asked to line up at a 4i- and 5-technique quite a bit and worked hard to not be reach-blocked or scooped up as the offense draws up quick combos against him
+ Showcases excellent mobility down the line when he’s on the backside of zone concepts
+ Happily accelerates into pulling guards and squeezes down lanes inside as the offense wants to kick him out
+ Recognizes opportunities to spin inside as the ball-carrier gets upfield to get involved on the tackle
+ When unblocked on the backside of zone concepts, Elliss patiently shuffles along with his shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage, to be ready for bootlegs and reverses
+ His PFF grade has improved by 11+ points each over the past three seasons (84.8 in 2023)
Pass-rush:
+ Displays an impressive ability to get his hips flipped towards the quarterback after threatening up the field
+ His flexibility in the lower half to dip around the corner – often times paired with an effective rip-through – or circle back as the quarterback steps up really stands out
+ Packs an impressively rapid spin move, best utilized when he gives a little jab inside, then steps through and initiates the movement back across the tackle’s face
+ When he gains some distance to the tackle after the initial move is over, how he can swipe away the next punch and get low to work around the man leads to plenty of secondary wins
+ Thanks to his short-area burst, you rarely see quarterbacks be able to get outside of Elliss if he feels like the guy is engaged too much with his blocker
+ Recognizes and pushes down cut-block attempts in the quick game, before getting his arms up in the passing lane
+ Was used as a spinner over the center and even off-ball blitzer a few times and his ability to squeeze past or slide off contact even when there isn’t a lot of space was on display
+ Just continues to work and make the quarterback uncomfortable back there and his pursuit all across the field as they get into scramble-mode or the ball comes early, is top-level
+ Along with his 39 combined pressures (across 332 pass-rush snaps), Elliss logged 29(!) additional pass-rush wins last season – which is more indicative for his ability to beat blockers, since they did rush three and slid an extra pair of hands his way quite regularly
Weaknesses:
– Will gets his eyes trapped inside blockers and lose contain at times against fast ball-carriers just bouncing around him, as well as be reckless with just shooting inside of anybody working towards him behind the line of scrimmage
– Could be labelled a somewhat position-less player, because he’s too small for playing inside at the pro level, but might also not have the pure speed to win off the edge consistently
– Way too often has pass-rush reps against tackles dictated to him at the initial phase of interaction, as they land their outside hand into his chest
– Has a really tough time disengaging from interior pass-protectors once those guys snatch cloth on him, where his wide shoulders don’t help in terms of surface area to grab
– Can still do a better job of attacking half the man, setting up and stringing together moves throughout matchups
Elliss was one of the most fun edge defenders to watch, because his motor was always revving and he’d be looking for different ways to disengage from blocks in order to “make plays”. He sort of reminded me of a (slightly) less athletic version of Maxx Crosby in that way, although rushing more from a two-point stance. He’ll need to become more reliable with his contain responsibility if he wants to see the field on early downs and to fulfill his potential as a pass-rusher, defeating the first punch of tackles so his initial approach can hit more regularly will be key, instead of always having to get to secondary moves or resort to going through those blockers. With that being said, I think he can be a very useful player right away for whoever drafts him, thanks to his alignment versatility in defined dropback situations and the potential he shows as a run-defender thanks to his upper-body strength and effort when the ball isn’t coming his way. Plus, his toughness should be commended, battling through the final four games he played in, where he could barely use his left arm due to a shoulder injury. I expect him to come off the board some time in the middle of day two.
7. Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
6’3”, 265 pounds; RS SR
Outside the top-3000 national recruits back in 2019, Kneeland only played in one game and ended up redshirting initially, before starting three of the five games during the COVID-shortened season that followed (23 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble). Across 32 combined games over the next three years, he combined for 126 total stops, 26 for loss, 10.5 sacks, three passes batted down at the line and a couple of forced fumbles. He was named first-team All-MAC in 2023.
Run defense:
+ Presents a very thick, muscular build without any excess weight
+ Lined up in a more conservative four-point stance on early downs and comes out of it with his 34.5-inch arms ready to shoot, with tons of shock in his hands to frequently rock the pads the blockers backwards at the point of contact in the run game
+ Fights hard at the point of attack, to not allow guys to reach-block him and when he’s in control, he’s looking to jump inside and get involved on tackles, as he sees the back cut it up inside
+ Tight-ends don’t really stand a chance and you see Kneeland take them a couple of yards into the backfield in order to wrap up the ball-carrier on multiple occasions
+ When he recognizes tackles stepping with the inside foot to just shield Kneeland on the backside, he will push that guy backwards and squeeze him into the vision of the ball-carrier
+ Blockers working laterally on zone concepts and not being firm in their base may just get knocked over by Kneeland as he works down the line away from the action
+ Seeing pulling guards come Kneeland’s way, those guys regularly get bumped backwards when they collide on intended kick-outs and traffic jams being created in the backfield
+ Highly forceful tackler, who consistently is able to pull ball-carriers backwards as he has them wrapped up, with no YAC surrendered – never missed more than six tackles in a season
+ Earned PFF run-defense grades of 83.3 and 83.4 these past two seasons, with 27 run stops in 2023 alone (tied for sixth among edge defenders)
Pass-rush:
+ Very efficient pass-rusher when it comes to the arc he takes to the quarterback, regularly with the bull-rush or club-rip move – You rarely see the B-gap open up as an escape lane because of that
+ Great leverage rusher, who combines the force in his hands and leg-drive to really challenge the depth of the pocket, even when working over the guard
+ There at times where he gives a little shake or jabs inside to freeze the feet of tackles, in order to step around them without having to take a wider loop
+ Showcases impressive flexibility when he initially gets hung up with blockers and then is able to slide off contact by knocking away the hands while turning his shoulders away
+ His ability to stick one foot into the ground on stunts/loops or redirecting against screen passes at that weight is pretty wild
+ Kneeland’s combination of flexibility and power to crash through one shoulder of a blocker sliding his way makes him a problem to deal with on T-E twists, flushing the quarterback regularly on those
+ WMU used this guy as a stand-up rusher and somebody that would move along the front on passing downs, to either rush from different angles off the ball or drop out as an extra defender underneath, to deny easy completions over the middle
+ Tough for quarterbacks to get around or the ball over his head as he closes in and gets those arms up to deny them being able to still get the ball out
+ Had his most efficient season getting after quarterbacks as a senior, logging 37 total pressures across 288 pass-rush snaps
Weaknesses:
– Will shift his weight too far into the center of blockers and has to rely on his speed to not get beat around the edge, which he won’t be able to as much on the next level
– Overall doesn’t seem to have the greatest play-recognition and can lose track of the ball on misdirection stuff
– Would still benefit from attacking the edges of the frame of tackles in passing situations, rather than attacking them as straight-up as much
– There’s certainly room for improvement with hand-placement to hit connection points and landing a wider variety of combats, along with getting to more consistently reliable counters
– His synergy between upper and lower body to execute moves to full effect and not stumble as he loses his balance momentarily needs work
This is an impressive specimen, who wreaked havoc on the MAC last season and may end up going significantly higher than what consensus rankings would make you believe. Kneeland had an excellent Senior Bowl week I thought, especially re-watching the practice footage and seeing how efficient he was with his rush tracks, which is more indicative/translatable of what his job will look like on gamedays. He then led all front-seven defenders at the combine in both the agility drills (three-cone and 20-yard shuttle), along with the 40 and both jumps being just above the 80th percentile at 268 pounds. With that being said, he still is a fairly raw player. Whether it’s identifying and counter blocking schemes in the run game, the effectiveness and diversity of his hand swipes or how his body is linked to pull off more challenging moves, he’s certainly not a finished product. And yet, I think he may have the potential to become the most complete player of the bunch after the top-three and I couldn’t blame anybody from the middle of the second round onwards making that investment, especially those contending teams towards the back-end.
8. Bralen Trice, Washington
6’4”, 255 pounds; RS JR
One of the 500 top recruits in the 2019 class, Trice didn’t see any action first two years at campus, redshirting and then dealing with an injury(?) respectively. In 2021 he started two of 12 games, recording five tackles for loss, two sacks and returning a fumble for a long touchdown. The following two seasons he was named first-team All-Pac-12 respectively with a combined 87 tackles, 23.5 TFLs, 16 sacks, two PBUs, a fumble forced and recovered each.
Run defense:
+ Has some real violence in his hands and you see him rock the pads of tight-ends back regularly or stand up tackles
+ If the runner tries to hit the B-gap next to him, you see the triceps strength to extend that inside arm and shrink that lane down, while big men bounce around on one leg
+ Trying to seal him with a smaller body on the backside typically leads to somebody getting ridden backwards and the cutback lane being taken away
+ While we don’t know how much responsibility was put on Trice chasing plays away from him when left unblocked, we did see him flatten hard down the line and put some big hits on running backs deep in the backfield, even as the quarterback pulled the ball
+ Quick to wrong-shoulder and dip underneath pulling guards in order to force the back to bounce out towards his teammates
+ Has the contact balance to bounce off bodies and create car collisions around the point of attack
+ Recognizes when the offense is trying to pin him down on plays out to the perimeter, fighting over the top and forcing the ball to be cut up inside of him for the rest of the unit to corral
+ Consistently chases after the ball once it crosses the line of scrimmage
Pass-rush:
+ Rushes the passer as if his hair was on fire
+ Features a great club-rip move, paired with the flexibility in his ankles to actually get underneath guys and flatten towards the QB
+ The force he can deliver with his hand to the inside shoulder of blockers and open up a more direct path for himself as he pulls the opposite arm over really popped, although offenses would constantly have a guard sliding over to help out
+ Does a nice job of timing up the punch and recognizing when tackles stop their feet, in order to beat them inside with the high swim and impressive footwork to actually step into the gap simultaneously
+ Can stab inside and open up a softer outside edge for himself as he swipes away the hands and corners his rush
+ You see Trice get chipped at times and the tackle sitting back to pick him up off that, where you recognize the force he can build up as he unloads into their chest and bumps them into the quarterback
+ Showed the reactionary hand-combats and determination to come free/power through even if double-teamed with a tight-end
+ Has those long arms to still be able to swipe at or wrap up the quarterback when it looks like he’s slightly overrun that point
+ Not only did Trice unseat Will Anderson Jr. for the most pressures in the country in 2022 (70), but the redshirt sophomore also led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush win rate (29.5%) and was second in pressure rate (22.4%); Then last season he beat his total with 79 pressures on about 200 additional opportunities, but he was also first in “other pass-rush wins” (38)
Weaknesses:
– Peaks inside and loses discipline in his run fits regularly, without the suddenness to disengage and deny them the sideline – which contributes to his 26.1% career missed tackle rate
– Lacks great change-of-direction and re-acceleration to track down the ball-carrier off misdirection or redirecting to the quarterback pulling the ball
– Gets in too many hand-fights if tackles cut off the initial angle for him without a secondary burst to still gain an advantage at the top of the rush
– Needs to transition quicker from run defense to disengaging and getting after the passer off play-action
– Showed up 27 pounds lighter at the combine than expected based on Washington’s roster listing (245 pounds), yet his 4.72 was solid at best, he only measured in with 32.5-inch arms and a quad injury stopped his workout early
I was shocked to see Trice show up as light as he did at the combine, because I looked at him as such a power-based player who could overwhelm blockers and then he didn’t even run well. While his time would of course have been worse, I would’ve preferred to come in around 270 pounds and pump out close to 30 reps on the bench-press to back up what his profile on tape looks like. So we know he’s not really going to threaten the corner with speed and he’ll need to become more disciplined in the run game, but I still believe he can be quality starter as strong-side defensive in an even front or outside backer in a 3-4 base. Nobody in this EDGE class outside of Missouri’s Darius Robinson – who came in around 290 pounds – packs more violence in his hands and then Trice is already so advanced with linking his arms and lower body as a pass-rusher. Whether it’s condensing the pocket with force, setting up teammates by spiking into linemen and/or disengaging late for effort sacks, he’s likely going to outplay his draft status now, which I still value him as a late second-rounder.
9. Chris Braswell, Alabama
6’3”, 250 pounds; RS JR
A top-50 overall recruit in 2020, Braswell redshirted his first year in Tuscaloosa and saw very limited usage the following season, before earning a role as part of Alabama’s “Cheetah” package on passing downs. He recorded 20 tackles, four for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. This past season, he reached career-highs in snaps played (569), tackles (42), TFLs (10.5), sacks (eight) and forced fumbles (three), along with adding a pick-six.
Run defense:
+ Has improved his ability to standing up and anchoring against drive-blocks at the point of attack
+ Counters the first step(s) of offensive tackles to where if they use bucket-steps or open the hips horizontally, Braswell will make sure he turns his body and keeps the outside shoulder clean
+ Does a nice job of staying ready to slip inside and wrap up the ball-carrier up the B-gap when setting the edge
+ The way he can bounce laterally allows him to side-step blockers effectively
+ Happily erases space towards pulling guards and squeezes the lane the offense is trying to create inside of him on power/counter plays, as well as squeezing down sifting tight-ends on split zone
+ Frequently is able to press of blockers late and corral the ball, with pretty strong tackling efforts where he stays on his feet to stop the initial momentum of ball-carriers
+ Disciplined with staying home for QB keeps and (naked) bootlegs, yet provides insane pursuit speed when left unblocked on the backside of lateral concepts, rollouts, etc.
+ Spent 52 snaps in coverage last season and earned a PFF grade of 71.7 in that regard – Particularly dropping into the hook-zone, you like his ability to get square and read the eyes of the quarterback to chase down underneath throws or scrambling QBs
Pass-rush:
+ Has real pop off the ball, with the hips and ankle flexion to turn the corner at challenging angles
+ Features an effective chop-rip move to clear the reach of tackles, plus he added a promising cross-chop to his arsenal last year
+ Even when he doesn’t defeat the hands, you see him drive through contact and circle around as he’s dipping underneath opponents with his legs not being underneath his frame
+ Has improved his ability to convert speed to power and will give a little dip up the field to force tackles to open their hips in order to go through them with the long-arm
+ Whether it’s violently sticking his foot in the ground when stunting over to the A-gap or accelerating as he’s circling back towards the quarterback after overshooting the target initially, the mobility in his lower body stands out regularly
+ Alabama moved Braswell inside a lot more regularly on passing downs and he’d condense the pocket by angling directly towards the QB or set up lanes for loopers that way
+ Does well to yank aside tight-ends after engaging with them initially on play-action, even if they do get hands inside his frame, as well as arm-overing to get inside of tackles setting out to him occasionally
+ Recorded 27 total pressures on just 167 pass-rush snaps in 2022 and his pass-rush productivity (11.9) was actually higher on a heavier workload last season – tied for 11th among all FBS defenders with 56 pressures
Weaknesses:
– While his run defense certainly improved last season, Bama started almost every game and used more even fronts on early downs last season, where he’d be off the field in favor of a heavier base D-end on the strong side (for a reason) who could shoot and lock out his arms
– Struggles to set a firm edge against double-teams with the tight-end on the front-side of (wide) zone concepts, allowing the ball-carrier to string plays out and allow lanes to develop inside
– Can get some happy feet when trying to anticipate the snap count and have a false in his get-off because he’s not loaded up optimally
– It took Braswell a while to figure out how to really win that initial phase as a pass-rusher and now his counters are still largely absent, outside of throwing some spin moves without really moving off the spot
– While he can run the hoop – even through contact – in impressive fashion, he lacks suddenness to reduce his surface area in those encounters as more of a linear rusher
A lot of times when you watch these guys on the defensive front for Alabama and you see who’ll be “next up”, you do have to take it with a grain of salt because their top guys more often than not are the ones who already show some technical refinement rather than being athletic freaks, which is literally where Braswell sort of started off as number seven on Bruce Feldman’s annual list, after flashing in small doses as a redshirt sophomore. I thought he had a long way to go watching his tape last summer but I have to admit that I became a bigger fan the more I dove in. His raw explosiveness, the moments of side-stepping blockers in the run game to make plays and then how he found ways to impact quarterbacks with his ability to turn the corner through contact or go through tackles with speed-to-power moves pulled me in. Unfortunately, he still has a ways to go in order to set a physical edge vs. the run and his approach rushing the passer is still very much straight-forward with no counters off it. Yet, I’d feel a lot more comfortable now investing a second-round pick in him with the knowledge that he’ll be a rotational pass-rusher for me as a rookie whilst I teach him some more tricks.
10. Adisa Isaac, Penn State
6’4”, 255 pounds; RS SR
A four-star recruit in 2018, Isaac was a rotational player through his first two years with the Nittany Lions (27 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks), before missing all of 2021 with an injury. As a redshirt junior, he broke out as a full-time starter, with 28 total stops, 11 for loss and four sacks. He actually improved on those (37 total stops, 16 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, one fumble forced and recovered each) and was a second- and first-team All-Big selection respectively by the coaches and the media.
Run defense:
+ Plays with good leverage in the run game and has some pop in those hands to stand up tackles
+ Shows the ability to contort his body and turn his shoulders away from angular blockers, in order to position himself in the C-/D-gap as tight-ends try to seal him
+ Pummels tight-ends trying to seal him away from the action usually
+ Recognizes when tackles just try to wall him off on the backside and he dips around in order to flatten down the line
+ Shuffles inside and delivers a solid thump with the near-shoulder as he actively meets pulling guards and is able to blow plays like that up single-handedly, where he forces the back to bounce when then jumps outside and makes him redirect yet again into the arms of his teammates
+ Brings great effort to bounce off tight-ends sifting across on split zone and chasing down the back from behind and his closing burst flattening down the line when unblocked away from the action is a major plus
+ Relentless in the way he continues to chase after the ball, whether he has to work through or around contact, getting involved on way more tackles than he should in theory
+ Quickly gets his cleats in the ground after attacking up the field for the quarterback and pursues screen passes
Pass-rush:
+ Packs an effective dip-and-rip maneuver to shorten the corner for himself
+ Yet if he knows he has someone to clean up for him, he’ll sell out and blow through the inside shoulder of tackles to bump them into the quarterback as well
+ Can stick his foot in the ground on an extended first step and shoot up the A-gap from edge alignments, ripping through the guard’s inside shoulder
+ Rushes the passer with tremendous effort, constantly working the hands and regularly runs down scramblers from behind
+ Has the closing burst to cut off the angle for quarterback trying to get around him as he takes a more direct path with power originally
+ Regularly is able to swat down the wrist of the blocker’s outside arm to be able to create an angle late and then reaches out that long arm to hawk at the ball from bhehind
+ Puts some MASSIVE shots on opposing quarterbacks when he has a bit of a runway
+ Finished seventh among Power-5 edge defenders in the 2024 draft class with a pass-rush productivity of 10.5 – 33 pressures across 208 pass-rush snaps
+ Peeled off the edge and covered ground in a hurry out to the flats, along with carrying tight-ends out to the sideline a few times
Weaknesses:
– Generally more of an average athlete without one special trait that stands out as you watch him (other than effort, if you want to count it as such)
– Could work on playing with better extension setting the edge against drive-blocks and lacks mass in the lower half
– Doesn’t yet incorporate any counter moves when he doesn’t hit the first one as a pass-rusher or has the quick twitch to project that he’ll be particularly effective outside of getting home thanks to his motor
– Just runs straight into guards too much when stunting inside or getting involved on twists
– Loses his balance and ends up on turf way too often as he’s trying to corner his rushes or gets banged around on the inside
The Penn State defense was loaded with talent across the entire unit, including a likely first-round pick off the opposite edge in Chop Robinson and what might be considered a parallel to Micah Parsons in Abdul Carter making the transition from off-ball linebacker next season. However, I don’t think there’s another player who continued to show up play after play and showed the kind of hustle Adisa Isaac did for them. He constantly played above his weight class in the run game and was fighting his butt off the get involved on tackles. The same can be said rushing off the edge, where he’d be looking to get a tight turn combined with relentless hands to free himself from the reach of blockers. Unfortunately, he ended up on the ground frequently because he lacked the suddenness to threaten the B-gap and create advantageous angles for himself or showed the flexibility to flatten at the top of his rush, too often overshooting the target. So I have a tough time ever seeing him ever become a true difference-maker in obvious passing situations, but he could start in the league for the next eight years plus.
Just missed the cut:
Austin Booker, Kansas
6’6”, 245 pounds; RS SO
One of the top-1000 national recruits for Minnesota in 2021, Booker redshirted his first year with the Gophers and saw very limited action the following year in six games (two tackles, one for loss). He decided to transfer to Kansas ahead of the 2023 season, which quickly paid off, as he made first-team All-Big 12 and was named the conference’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year, thanks to 56 tackles, 12 of those for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
Run defense:
+ Play-maker in the run game, swiping away the hands of blockers at the point of attack and efficiently navigating around them to initiate first contact
+ Takes advantage of the principle of one arm being longer than two as he locks out on the edge and then is quick to jump inside to get involved on the tackle, as he sees the back cut it up the B-/C-gap
+ Able to press off linemen on the front-side of zone concepts into a flat back and disengage in order to not get beat around the corner
+ Makes running backs bounce or cut back by back-dooring blockers every once in a while if he feels like he’s being overset
+ Happy to drop a shoulder into a pulling guard and condense the lane trying to be set up inside of them
+ Uses his hands as weapons to fight off blocks and create openings to the ball for himself and gets involved on a bunch of stops outside of his vicinity, turning and chasing after the ball with a passion and packs a punch when he gets there typically
+ Alert for reverses and doesn’t typically surrender contain responsibility against misdirection stuff
+ Was peeled off the edge a few times and showed loose movement skills in space to take away easy underneath completions (77.2 PFF coverage grade)
Pass-rush:
+ Times up the snap and blows off the ball in explosive fashion, with long strides along the arc
+ Has the burst to threaten the outside edge of tackles, paired the vines attached to his shoulders, which give him extra room for error trying to defeat the hands of opponents
+ Then off that, he’ll hit a nasty euro-step and slice inside in a hurry
+ Showcases impressive suddenness for that longer build and can contort his shoulders to work around bodies – For a 6’6” guy, his ability to dip that inside shoulder and circle around guys with the ghost most is impressive
+ Packs a wicked spin move, while there’s still room for improvement with the way he presents it to tackles
+ Flashes the ability to dig into the inside pec of tackles to either take the direct path to the quarterback himself or force that guy to move off the spot
+ Does well to grab underneath the arm-pit of tackles as he’s even with the quarterback and pushing them up the field, in order to create a path to the passer for himself
+ Tracks the quarterback’s movement and has the great short-area agility to run that guy down
+ Is able to use the aggressiveness of linemen trying to sell play-action against them, by yanking cloth to pull them forward and slip by them
Weaknesses:
– Only started one of 18 games played after an initial redshirt year and never played massive amounts of snaps (just once more than 50)
– With the lanky build, when guys are able to create some momentum in the run game, he’ll have a tough time re-anchoring so to speak, especially as he stands up and gets into boxing matches too much it feels like
– Regularly you’ll see a false step off the ball from his fairly narrow stance, which limits his explosiveness and leads to him being fairly high
– Not the most refined pass-rusher in the way he sets up maneuvers and efficiently find his path to the quarterback without extensive lateral movement
– Doesn’t rush with power consistently and can get pushed off track by advanced pass-protectors
As a transfer who barely got to start and someone who wasn’t necessarily expected to leave Kansas as just a redshirt sophomore, Booker wasn’t really on my radar in terms of 2024 draft prospects. However, when I got around to his tape, it was a fun watch, because you’d kind of see everything from this lanky dude, even if it didn’t come with much consistency. He offers a wide array of pass-rush moves that he’ll work in, but hasn’t truly mastered any of them, other than maybe that euro-step to cross-face tackles. You also saw that during Senior Bowl week, where he needed to better job of threatening the outside shoulder and setting up the initial move during one-on-ones, but then during team sessions there was a four-play stretch, where he dropped out once and otherwise won with three totally different moves. Unfortunately, he didn’t test as well as I would’ve hoped at the combine, but with his length and activity to make plays in the run game paired with the flashes of getting to the quarterback in a variety of ways, I have a tough time seeing him last too long in third round, since he probably wouldn’t have declared this early without information from NFL teams.
Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
6’1”, 245 pounds; RS SR
A zero-star recruit in 2019, Kamara was fairly quiet as a rotational player for the Rams his first two years, but started to emerge as a junior, as he recorded 80 tackles, 25.5 for loss and 15 sacks over the next two. This past season he put up career-highs across the board in tackles (56), TFLs (17), sacks (13), with two forced fumbles and one scooped up for a touchdown. That made him the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Run defense:
+ Comes in with his hands ready to strike in the run game
+ Being on the shorter end, Kamara consistently wins the leverage battle, showcases good hand-placement and strength to extend against blockers on the front-side (of zone concepts)
+ Against tight-ends trying to drive-block against him at the point of attack, at best this creates stalemates usually
+ The Rams asked Kamara to stunt inside and make plays on early downs, where he’d find ways to deconstruct blocks on an angle and get the initial wrap on the running back
+ If unblocked, he doesn’t decelerate as big bodies are moving behind the line of scrimmage and will bang around with them, showcasing the contact balance and because he plays that low, being able to stay on his feet
+ Works hard from the backside, to work over the top of or circle around opponents and trip up ball-carriers before they can really get going
+ Showcases tremendous awareness against screen passes to the back and is able to run them down single-handedly on a couple of occasions
+ Was peeled off the edge occasionally and forced quarterbacks to turn down stick or hook curls
Pass-rush:
+ Regularly is able to turn the corner by attacking the outside hand of tackles with a strong rip-move, and you see him change up his stance in accordance to which pass-sets he expects and how he intends on countering them
+ Even when those guys are able to fit into his chest, Kamara feels when that outside hand isn’t firm, so he rip through and flatten at the top of the rush
+ Will throw in hard jabs with the inside foot to create a softer corner for himself to win outside and then times up how he attacks that near-hand of blockers
+ Generally does well to counter two-handed strike either swiping down or grabbing and lifting up to keep his frame clean
+ Effectively converts speed to power, angling more directly at tackles after threatening up the field and then burying his hands into their chest to create displacement
+ Brings the force to crash through one shoulder of interior linemen on slants/stunts
+ CSU stood up Kamara on the interior and showed the ability to power through helping hands as the set-up man on twists, still getting home himself
+ Was asked to quasi-spy the quarterback and control rush over guards, to shut down attempted scrambles
+ Finished tied for fourth among all FBS edge defenders with 64 total pressures (on 323 pass-rush snaps) in 2023
Weaknesses:
– Would much rather dip underneath or attack up the field than trying to anchor against tackles on inside runs, in part because he probably doesn’t want to lose vision on the ball either
– Needs to do a better job of recognizing pin-downs and other angular blocks from tight-ends, where he gets washed down the line
– That third and fourth step towards the top of the rush don’t cover the type of ground you’d like to see in order to get to a spot where he can flip the hips at the top of his rush, if he’s not driving through contact
– Only has 32.5-inch arms and a miniscule 8.5-inch hands, which leads to him being out-reached and allows tackles to establish first meaningful contact to stall his rush
– Not the twitchiest rusher, who will cleanly beat blockers with cross-face moves or go power-to-speed regularly
Mo Kamara is one of the easiest defensive players in this draft to become a fan of. His breakout game came against Colorado last season, where everybody was tuning in to see Deion Sanders and family, yet this guy nearly ruined the party, since their O-line could simply not block the guy. He went on to be one of the most productive pass-rushers in the country and probably surprised some people when he ran the second-fastest 40 time among all defensive linemen at the combine (4.57), along with showing that pop in his hands clubbing the bags. There are certainly some limitations that come with his stature, whether it’s not being able to maintain vision on the ball through blocks or tackles having those couple of inches in terms of arm length to challenge him in his approach, while not being the most fluid or twitched-up mover necessarily. With that being said, he already has a pretty defined plan of how he can win as a pass-rusher, showcases tremendous competitive toughness and I could see a path for him to ben Elvis Dumervil-type of player.
The next names up:
Javon Solomon (Troy), Gabriel & Grayson Murphy (UCLA), Xavier Thomas (Clemson), Zion Tupuola-Fetui (Washington), Brennan Jackson (Washington State), Jalyx Hunt (Houston Baptist), Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Charlotte), Nelson Ceasar (Houston) & Cedric Johnson (Ole Miss)
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