Edge Defenders (DE/OLB)
1. Randy Gregory*, Nebraska (6060, 245#)
Intriguing skill set for a big guy. Very talented and athletic with room to get much bigger/stronger. Shows great instinct for the position already and good awareness. Pad level good for his age/size and should improve with NFL coaching. Reminds me of Chandler Jones in the fact size/length with push up stock. Round 1 for sure.
2. Dante Fowler Jr.*, Florida (6020, 261#)
Might not be elite at anything, but he’s a legit NFL prospect. Plays with NFL size, strength and closing speed. Played all over Florida defense (both OLB, ILB, DE) with hand in/out of dirt. Okay dropping back into coverage for a man his size. Has decent arm length to make up to 6’-2” frame. Violent hitter when given a free run. Round 1
3. Shane Ray*, Missouri (6030, 245#)
Very active hands with exceptional swim and chop moves. Great pad level that slides under/between lineman frequently. Good footwork with quick steps and closing speed downhill. Check strength numbers as he doesn’t show much bull rush and when stood up by O-line can stop on a play. Played predominately as a DE and size/agility will dictate a move to 3-4 OLB. Round 1-2
4. Alvin Dupree, Kentucky (6040, 245#)
Really liked his tape. Try hard kid that does a lot correct. Played in space a lot in his defense. Good hustle and gets effort plays. Reminds me a lot of Jarvis Jones with versatility and instincts. Combine will matter to see if KEI holds up. Probably could use some more functional strength. Round 2
5. Vic Beasley*, Clemson (6030, 235#)
Undersized but extremely athletic. Played with his hand in the dirt 90% of time and will have to transition to OLB. Shows effort in run game but can get walled off pretty easily. When allowed to tee-off on a pass play is a disruptive, difficult one-on-one block. Looks athletic enough on limited coverage opportunities but needs practice. Round 2
6. Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville (6035, 256#)
Very thick in seat/thigh and reminds me a bit of James Harrison. Strong and can one-hand dip around edge and maintain strength to close corner. Could even get stronger with NFL weights and be a monster edge defender that can hold point and cause issues pass rushing OT’s. Could play with a bit nastier edge and would like to see an occasional bull rush. Could do better with hands and like Harrison is not the best one-on-one in space vs. smaller backs/receivers. Round 2-3
7. Trey Flowers, Arkansas (6022, 268#)
Plays with great pad level and physical at point of attack. Keeps head up and follows play very well. Thick in the seat/thigh. Good edge defender vs. run and can play both sides. Not sure he’s an elite pass rusher and not very quick-twitch. Shows nice burst downhill however and decent hand-to-hand stuff. Not a quick, around the edge, dip pass rusher. Don’t expect a good 40-time. Likely peaks as a functional strong side OLB or rotational DE. Round 2-3
8. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA (6032, 266#)
Predominantly a hand-in-the-dirt player and projects to a 4-3 end (looks like he played 3-4 DE for UCLA in a Wade Phillips 1-gap system). Strong and holds point very well vs. tackles and guards. Quick off ball as a gap penetrator and has potential as a DT pass rusher. Not sure I see elite edge pass rush but functional and certainly good enough to cause issues one-on-one to be effective in a decent front-4. NFL caliber player that doesn’t have much bust potential and will definitely find role at the next level. Round 2-3
9. Nate Orchard, Utah (6032, 251#)
Undersized 4-3 weak side DE in college that will have to transition to OLB. Not quite as explosive as you’d like and lacks that “it factor” on tape. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none and with the combination of position change lowers his potential/draft ranking in my opinion. Might even end up as a SAM type 4-3 OLB at the next level. Mostly a hustle player that does a decent job getting off blocks and finding guys. Check change of direction combine numbers. That’s a big thing for this player. Round 3
10. Cedric Reed, Texas (6060, 271#)
I kind of like his 2013 tape vs. WVU more than Trail/Smith as a physically gifted size/length 4-3 DE prospect. Shows a lot of work ethic and hustle on tape. Plenty of things to work with from a coaching perspective and has obviously been coached well based on tape. Does a lot of little things well. Might not be as flashy or test as well as some other guys, but has an NFL body, plays for a big-time school, has experience, and should develop into a good professional. Coming off knee meniscus repair surgery and has to pass medical. Round 3-4
11. Danielle Hunter*, LSU (6060, 241#)
Not my thing and just too tall and weak at this stage of career. A project that might best be suited to a 4-3 DE pass rush specialist. Decent hands that uses reach well to disengage tackles, but not sure that works at the next level much. Not much power in game and could be a one-trick pony. Lots of bust potential to me, but talent /physical gifts are there. Round 3-4
12. Eli Harold*, Virginia (6040, 235#)
Very tall and skinny. Lacks functional strength. Everything is trying to go around guys to make plays. Can get washed out of plays often. Flashes tempting pass rush ability and is extremely athletic and long, but is still an unfinished product. A little Mingo in his game but Mingo was probably better in space. Round 3-4
13. Hau’oli Kikaha*, Washington (6024, 245#)
Looks the part and played predominately as a stand-up OLB. Might be maxed out size-wise. Not as athletic and “quick twitch” as you’d like and didn’t show me a lot of burst/explosion in his play. Had a free blindside run vs. Hawaii and didn’t “close” as fast as you’d like (steps were very choppy). Doesn’t play with best pad level to hold point but effort is there. Reminds me of Koi Misi and will get overdrafted. Round 4
14. Za’Darius Smith, Kentucky (6045, 270#)
Plays more like a 2-gap 3-4 DE/DT prospect. Despite size similarities is a much more lumbering player than Preston Smith and does most of his work against guards. Everything in pass rush is just bull rush, minor hand use and sheds into the QB on coverage sacks. Not a lot of explosion in his game at all. Has NFL size and strength however and can play in multiple fronts and that type of versatility will get him drafted. Might end up putting him on my 3-4 DE list.
15. Preston Smith, Mississippi State (6043, 270#)
Size and reach are very tempting. Shows okay explosion around edge for a player his size. Has WOW plays. However, he doesn’t play as strong as his size indicated and looses leverage too often. Gets stood up and can stop if initial move fails. Pad level , combination moves and better hand use really need to be coached up. Boom/bust prospect and interview will matter. Round 4
16. Markus Golden, Missouri (6022, 255#)
Short stocky edge defender that is more bull than gazelle. Lots of just ramming gap and hoping for the best. Not the greatest athlete but should measure well on strength tests. Can blow up smaller backs in pass protection and not afraid to just go through them (unlike some that too easily get blocked by backs) and protects legs well. Not sure he’s functional enough in space to be a stand-up OLB (check combine).
17. C. J. Johnson, Mississippi (6020, 225#)
A bit undersized but could be a functional OLB at the next level. Nothing jumps out on film and I’m curious how he tests at the combine. I think he benefitted greatly from a good D-line in front of him at Ole Miss and had a lot of clean plays. Decent fundamentals and looks like he’ll take to coaching, just not sure his frame/size can improve enough to play at the next level. Round 4-5
18. Max Valles*, Virginia (6050, 240#)
Very good late round flyer/prospect. Young and needs coached up and patience, but there is a LOT of NFL talent here with prototypical size and athleticism. I’d almost hope he doesn’t blow up the combine or get too much press right now as he could be a steal in rounds 5-6. Plays with toughness and not afraid to get his nose dirty. Plays with an edge and used to standing up in Virginia’s 3-4. He’s not a guarantee and very raw and he’ll have to accept special teams for a while, but the risk/reward is worth the interest/investment (unlike Tony Washington for example). Round 5
19. Zack Hodges, Harvard (6025, 242#)
Typical, small-school DE prospect that seems to have unique athleticism at his level to be a project 3-4 OLB. Against D-II talent he did almost everything correct: good pad level, explosive around edge, strong against the run, sheds blocks, follows play. Round 5
20. Deion Barnes*, Penn State (6037, 260#)
True 4-3 DE with tempting size/length for position. Plays with good leverage at times and isn’t a liability vs. the run (unless he is pushed wide of play). Not as natural an athlete as you’d like and plays a bit stiff. Not sure he’s as “cut” physically as some of the others on this list and could improve with NFL weights. Difficult prospect to gage as he will have to continue to improve and work hard to really pay off likely draft position. Round 5
21. Lynden Trail, Norfolk State (6062, 262#)
Very raw D-III prospect with tempting size/reach/athleticism. Did not dominate vs. Bethune like you would have liked to see. Everything in his game is based on reach advantage and push/pull moves to disengage. Some film has him standing up but he’s way behind even Dion Jordan in terms of athletic ability and experience (and Jordan is struggling in the NFL). Even more of a project than Preston Smith with even more risk. Round 6
