I'm stoked with how things have panned with the draft and UDFA, especially with our DT picks. I'm sure that many of you are just as excited as I am with the depth and talent that we now have at the defensive tackle position. What I am most looking forward to is seeing how all the DTs we have picked up go at camp. How will they work together? Who will win starting roles? Who will miss out on making the team? These just some of the questions that I can't wait to be answered.

I've been inspired by bamock's fantastic YOU DECIDE posts, and gone ahead and put together all the information, highlights, comments, etc. of the all the DTs we have picked up either in the draft or through UDFA (so far). Have a read/watch and share your thoughts about who you like, how you think they will fit into the team, what role they'll have on the team, who will make the team, etc.

Fili Moala - USC

6'4" / 303 lbs

5.07 40 Yard Dash, 30.5 Vertical Jump, 25 Bench Reps

Senior Season Stats:

30 Tackles, 14 Assists, 10 TFL, 4.5 Sacks, 1 FR, 1 Blocked Pass, 1 QB Hurry, 2 BK

Injuries:

2004 - As a redshirt freshman, Moala sprained his right hand and shoulder during fall practice, missing the first 4 games.
2009 - Suffered a groin pull at the combine.

Scouting Report:

NFLDraftScout.com, MockingtheDraft.com

Strengths: Rare size for the position with the frame to add mass.  Measures in at nearly 300 pounds, but considering his height, Moala almost has a lanky build.  Good initial quickness off the snap.  Powerful hands to slap away the offensive linemen trying to control him.  Quick to recognize the play and work his way toward the action.  Good size and strength to collapse the interior running lanes.  High-effort player who will pursue laterally and down the field.  Durable performer who has seen starting action every year of his career.  Good bloodlines. Cousin, Haloti Ngata, was a first-round pick and is a standout defensive lineman with the Baltimore Ravens.

Uses his size to collapse running lanes between the tackles. Can handle double teams. Great recognition skills, which come from being a career starter on the defensive line. Knows where the ball is going and is quick to react. A four-year starter. Solid wrap-up tackler. Has the strength to hold on to finish off tackles. Frame is big enough to easily at 10-15 pounds of mass. Could play inside in a 4-3 or end in a 3-4. 

 

Weaknesses: Essentially a one-trick pony, as Moala is simply too slow of foot to create much of a pass rush.  Reasonable short-area quickness, but lacks closing speed and is too stiff to break down and make tackles in space.  Lacks a variety of pass-rush moves and relies on his initial quickness off the snap and a simple bull-rush to pressure the passer.  Signed with USC out of high school, but failed to qualify academically and spent a year at Cypress Junior College (California), though he didn't play football there.  Redshirted at USC in 2004 and will be 24 years old by the time he suits up for an NFL team.  Arrested in March 2008 for resisting and obstructing an officer after a fight at a Newport Beach bar was broken up by police. No charges were filed.

Plays too upright and loses leverage. Needs to use his hands better to shed blocks. Has only average quickness, particularly against the pass. Decent off the snap, but he doesn't have the speed to chase down a quarterback or running back. For a player of his build, Moala doesn't have as much strength as you'd expect, but it's still good enough to hold up pretty well against the run. Play was inconsistent during his senior year.

Professional Scouting Report - Dave-Te' Thomas

Body Structure: Moala has a good-sized frame with solid bone structure. He has a barrel chest, long, muscular arms, thick thighs and calves, wide waist and hips. He still looks lanky, despite being 300 pounds and has the frame to carry at least another 20-25 pounds of additional bulk.

Athletic Ability: Moala lacks sudden closing speed, but shows good lateral quickness and above average footwork, along with the agility and balance to change direction and flow down the line. He is strong on the inside gap charge and can dominate with his hand swipes. He has a nice combination of power and quickness to stack and shed. Moala might lack sprinter's legs in pursuit, but shows good body control working in space. He is a normal-to-short strider who has a good short burst to gain penetration. GRADE: 6.7

Football Sense: Moala struggled to qualify academically, but has average intelligence. He might not be a quick learner, but will grasp the play after several reps. He is quick to recognize blocking schemes and locate the ball. He picks up plays easily and is sharp spotting traps and pulls. GRADE: 6.0

Character: Moala is a likable sort who comes from a supportive family. He has a good relationship with his father, a former heavyweight boxer and also with his cousin, Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, whose style many scouts feels that he patterns. He was arrested in March, 2008 at a bar fight, but charges were later dropped (not involved, but ran away from the incident and police arrested him in the bedlam that ensued). GRADE: 5.5

Competitiveness: Moala is no gentle giant, as he plays with very good toughness. Little nicks, cuts and bruises fail to phase him and it is hard for the coaches to convince him to leave the field when he gets banged up. He needs to improve his overall strength and hand usage, but is a physical athlete who plays with a high motor. He is athletic on the move and gives his best effort all the time. He lacks the foot speed to make opposite field tackles, but shows relentlessness in his play and will make the second effort when his initial move fails. GRADE: 6.4

Work Habits: Moala plays hard and is a good worker in the weight room. He has a good motor and attitude that indicates he will do whatever it takes to make the play. He just needs to play under better control, as he does get frustrated when stood up by the blockers, but that is his own fault, as he will get too tall at times and lose leverage. He shows enthusiasm on the field and is very easy to coach. He will need to add bulk and strength to compete at the next level, but does respond well to hard coaching. GRADE: 5.8

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.31

Explosion/Pursuit: Moala is not a pass rusher, as he lacks explosion off the snap and appears too slow to give long chase throughout the backfield. He is light on his feet working down the line and quick to deliver a blow, but is best when tying up blockers and clogging the rush lanes. Despite his tall frame, he knows how to hunker down and stay low in his pads. He has a functional short-area burst and his wide base and hand punch allows him to gain advantage out of his start. He also shows good body control working down the line, but is not the type that you want running long distances. He gets most of his success behind the line of scrimmage with his ability by angling and slicing to the play. GRADE: 5.5

Strength at Point: When Moala keeps his pads down, he can be very effective at making plays at the point of attack. He is not easily moved out when he plays at a low pad level, but can be rooted out when he gets too tall in his stance, as he leaves his chest exposed, struggling to shed those blocks. He also has a nasty habit of turning his back on the blocker, losing sight of the ball as he is ridden wide from the play. He is strong enough to dominate up front when he plays with a wide base and has the ability to win battles vs. double teams. He made very good improvement in 2008 in using his hands more effectively to keep blockers off his feet. He just needs to improve his upper body strength to fight through a double team. When he sinks his weight, he is capable of holding his ground to stack, as he splits and redirects with leverage, doing this much better in 2008 now that he learned to stay lower in his pads (used to get too high, resulting in guards getting their hands into his body). He flashes marginal explosion to penetrate, but was asked to play more of a run containment role during his career. He has enough strength in his arms and hands to create separation, stuff and shed, while also showing the nimble feet to adjust laterally, but that is negated when he gets his hands outside his framework, exposing his body to the block. GRADE: 6.1

Use of Hands: The thing you notice on film is that he has now developed the technique needed to use a swim or club move with efficiency. Moala gets a good reach coming off the snap and is quick to shed. When he stays low in his pads and keeps his hands active, he can dominate, shed and keep blockers away from his legs. He hits with authority to jolt and control at the point of attack. While he has explosive hands, he can get even better once he fills out and develops more strength. When he gets too tall in his stance, it is as if he forgets to use good technique and will let blockers get into his body. GRADE: 6.2

Lateral Pursuit/Effort: For a player his size, Moala is quite nimble working down the line. He runs well for a player his size, but only in the short area. His change of direction agility allows him to move down the line of scrimmage and cause problems. GRADE: 6.8

Tackling Ability: Moala is strong enough shooting his hands to hit with authority, but could use more overall strength. When he locks on to a ball carrier, they are not going to get away. He is a powerful tackler who will explode into a blocker, but you know he is going to get even better once he puts on more bulk. He is a productive wrap-up tackler who will strike with consistency. GRADE: 6.4

Run Defense: Moala is aggressive shooting his hands when working to get leverage. With his large hands, he does a nice job of grabbing and shoving the lineman out of the way. He is effective parking in the gaps, staying low in his pads and clogging the rush lane by neutralizing the lead blocker. He has enough short-area quickness to chase down the runner in the backfield. When he gets tall in his stance, he struggles to disengage, reverting to turning his back on the blocker (needs to develop a better spin move). He plays with good balance and body control and has shown the ability to fight through double teams. At Southern California, you'd wish they would let him attack the backfield more, but with a slew of edge rushers on their roster in 2008 the Trojans thought it was best to use him to take out the trash (constant double teams) and let the smaller replacements on the defensive line attack on the perimeter. When they shift him from weak-side tackle to the nose, they unleashed him more often, resulting in quite a few scoring drives being thwarted. He still gets a little high in his stance at times and when this happens, he ends up exposing his chest. GRADE: 7.6

Pass Rush: Moala does not finish well on his pocket attacks, evident by having just one QB pressure in 38 starting assignments. He has the hand strength to pull and jerk the blocker and gets some push and penetration shooting the gap as a bull rusher, but when he gets tall in his stance he struggles to shed or squeeze the pocket. He shows quickness and power, doing a very good job of getting inside and outside the blocker's frame with his hands. He shows just minimal promise as a pass rusher, as he relies too much on club and rip moves and needs to develop another move while also refining his technique (will take a few swipes that miss). He is good to disengage coming off his second effort, but could be even better here once he adds more bulk and has his role better defined. While he played weak-side tackle most of his career, he showed much better arm-over action coming off the nose guard position. GRADE: 5.8

Closing on the QB: Moala lacks the sudden burst to close and has just adequate speed to chase down from the back side. He separates in the open with an efficient surge and with his size and active hands, is almost impossible to block one-on-one once he gets a bead on the quarterback. The Trojan system calls for him to play more of a containment role, but in games they took the leash off him he caused havoc in the opposing backfield. GRADE: 5.7

Instincts/Recognition: Before 2008, Moala played mostly on his instincts and natural ability. Thrust into a leadership role as a senior, he took on more responsibility calling assignments on the front wall. He has no problems flowing to the ball, whether in passing or running situations. He plays with good alertness and showed improved ability to read and react to traps, pulls and play-action than he did earlier in his career. GRADE: 6.7

Compares To: BARRY COFIELD, New York Giants -- Like Cofield, Moala can't be judged on personal statistics, but needs to be reviewed based on the success of the team because he is a classic mauler in the middle of the field. His constant double-team battles led to USC's linebackers having great success being freed to wreak havoc in the backfield. He is quick to get position, redirect and extend his arms to stalk, wrap and secure the ball carrier in run containment. He reminds a lot of the Cofield because of his lateral agility, change of direction and dominance when he slides down and plays over the center. He still needs some technique refinement, but if he can improve his overall strength base, he will be a solid supporting role player for a defense looking for someone to handle the inside trash.

OVERALL GRADE: 6.27

SENIOR BOWL PRACTICE RECAP - TFYDraft.com

Monday Practice Notes: Showed good quickness and used his hands well in getting off blocks, was complimented on his hips and pass rush abilities by a Jacksonville Jags staff member. 

Tuesday Practice Notes: Once again proved proficient in using his hands well to swat those of his opponent. Played well throughout the day, both against the run and pass, but showed a tendency stand straight up off the snap and give up his chest.

Wednesday Practice Notes: Really good day for the USC product. Moala received praise by his coach on multiple occasions throughout practice. Though he still gave up his chest once or twice to the offensive lineman, he was really getting off blocks against the run. His pass rush was inconsistent, but he was able to get a few nice moves to beat his opponent.

Thursday Practice Notes:  None.

Analysis: Getting better with each day, Moala became a favorite of his North coaching staff. His one area of concern will continue to be playing a little high and giving up his chest. Otherwise, he was able to use his hands very well, hold up solidly against the run, and even display an effective interior pass rush. Another USC product who could likely become a high round selection.

Comments/ Quotes:

President Bill Polian:

"He’s the kind of long, tough, rough-house defensive tackle that we feel like can help us both in the run game and the pass. He’s a guy obviously that we thought very highly of"

 

"We like his length. We like his toughness. We like his effort."

 

"Stats are meaningless. It’s the linebackers that make the tackles when they play the 3-4 front. What you see is penetration, length in penetration, the ability to change direction and go chase the play. That’s critical. He’s a long-armed, long-limbed guy. That aids him in pass rush. He really has a chance to get up the field and get on the outside of a guard and do some damage in the pass rush. Our most successful inside pass rusher has been Raheem Brock, who is the same height and naturally quite a bit less heavy. This is a guy that has a lot of the attributes we’re looking for, plus the 305 pounds, quality and what he can do."

 

"This guy isn’t necessary the ‘Big Guy’ in the middle. He’s a bigger guy than we’ve had. We still need length. We still need athleticism. We still need change of direction. The under tackle is still a guy that has to be able to get through the gap and disrupt. It’s hard to win consistently with 275-pound guys in there. It helps if they are 290 to 300. The nose tackle is another story. He could even be bigger if you could find one"

Head Coach Jim Caldwell:

"We are excited to have Fili (Moala). He is a guy that does indeed have some length and some power. He certainly is a very efficient pass rusher as well as a good run defender as well. He’s been in a system in which they’ve won a lot of games. That’s what maximum effort is all about. He does all those things extremely well. He’s a committed guy that we are looking forward to getting in."

DT Fili Moala:

"I couldn’t be anymore happier. There were some things that I experienced with the organization meeting with them. There are so many good things about the organization and Indianapolis itself, I couldn’t have been happier."

 

"I have no preference on what position I play. I just love being on the field playing football, whatever I can contribute to the team. That’s what I’ll be doing."

 

"Coming from SC (Southern Cal), I’ve had the privilege of having a lot of great coaches from Coach Ed Orsoron, Jethro Franklin, and Coach Nicholas Holt. I’ve learned a lot of things from them, they taught me to just use my natural ability, be true to myself as a football player. What I provide is athletic ability, strength and point of attack. I know I have a motor and can run with the best of them. Those are qualities that have gotten me to this point in my career. I look forward to fine-tuning, sharpening my skills and being the best football player I can be and contributing to the Indianapolis Colts."

Links:

Conquest Cronicles talks Fili Moala

2008 Season highlights

Two FG Blocks

Pro Day Interview

Combine Workout

Draft Vignette

Terrance Taylor - Michigan

6'0" / 319 lbs

5.08 40 Yard Dash, 7.78 3 Cone Drill, 5.06 20 Yard Shuttle

30.0 Vertical Jump, 37 Bench Reps

Senior Season Stats:

 35 Tackles, 19 Assists, 4 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 2 FR, 1 BK

 Injuries:

 No major injuries reported.

 Scouting Report:

 NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Prime NFL nose tackle candidate. ... Plays with good leverage, keeping his pad level low and square and getting his hands high and inside. ... Does not move much against double teams, holding his ground against the run. ... When fresh, he gets off the ball and pushes the center into the backfield to blow up inside runs. ... On occasion he can quickly knife through the A-gap to get pressure on the quarterback. ... Will chase downfield at times. ... Plays with a mean streak. ... Voted team captain in 2008.

Strong, wide-bodied defensive lineman tough to move off the point. Built low to the ground, plays with leverage, and gets underneath opponents. Possesses a thick lower body, tough to handle on the inside, and holds his ground. Displays good first step quickness, fires through the gaps upfield or bulrushes opponents off the line. Constantly doubled or focused on by opponents.

 

Weaknesses: Short and not in great shape. ... Does not shed blocks when straight-up on his man, but makes plays when lined up on the shoulder of the center or guard. ... Better conditioning could help him get off the ball and collapse the pocket consistently. ... Doesn't get his hands up often enough to break up passes. ... Exposed a bit at the East-West Shrine Game for being a bit of a one-trick pony. ... Makes piles in short-yardage situations but does not stay on his feet consistently enough to stop the runner.

Inconsistent in his play and effort. Does not overwhelm lesser opponents, and too easily locked up at the point by a single blocker. At times seems intimidated on the field. Slow locating the ball. Must develop more moves with his hands.

 Professional Scouting Report - Dave-Te' Thomas

Body Structure: Taylor has a short frame, but shows good thickness throughout his torso and hips. He is a classic overachiever in an undersized body, as he has a soft, fleshy midsection and wide hips, but actually has the frame with the potential to carry more bulk (played at 330 pounds). He has good shoulder and chest definition, adequate arm length and very thick thighs and calves (looks like a walking fire hydrant). GRADE: 5.88

Athletic Ability: Despite the fact that he is very undersized for the classic 4-3 defensive tackle position, Taylor shows good quickness and suddenness off the snap. He generates good strength and consistently plays at a low pad level. He possesses outstanding strength to shock and jolt, along with good balance, but has only adequate, at best, flexibility and change-of-direction skills. He demonstrates the functional foot quickness and active hands to defeat the single block and gain gap penetration. He needs to get in better shape, as he does carry excess soft flesh around his midsection, but it only affects him when he has to run long distances. GRADE: 5.9

Football Sense: Taylor is not the type of player that spends the extra hours in the film room preparing for the upcoming opponent. He has good field smarts, showing the ability to read and react. He has no problem retaining plays and is an OK student. GRADE: 5.8

Character: Talk to teammates, coaches and professors and they all say Taylor is a great person with natural leadership skills. The team captain was highly recruited coming out of high school, but decided to stay close to home. He has an outgoing personality and commands respect from teammates and opponents. GRADE: 6.0

Competitiveness: Taylor is a tough, physical player who compensates for a lack of size and sustained speed with above-average balance, power and determination. He plays with a chip on his shoulder because he's undersized and is determined to prove doubters wrong. He is the classic nose guard -- take out the trash and occupy multiple blockers so a teammate or two can make the play. He works hard in practice and the weight room and can spark the team with his ability to simply obliterate smaller blockers that get into one-one-one battles with him. GRADE: 6.3

Work Habits: Taylor is a self starter in the weight room, but does need a little prodding in order to produce on the field. He understands his role as the "garbage man" on the defensive line, but relishes that his ability to stack and control vs. double teams has allowed for considerable success by his teammates. He needs to get in better shape. He still needs to work on hand placement, but has a punishing hand punch to jolt. GRADE: 5.4

ATHLETIC REPORT

GRADE: 5.93

Explosion/Pursuit: Taylor might lack sustained speed, but is generally consistent getting off the line. He is quick to position and get into the block, flashing the upfield quickness to disrupt. He has the valid short-area burst to get into gaps and disrupt the pocket, showing quick reaction to plays off the side of the blocker, but is just not going to generate long pursuit; he has short, squatty legs and carries too much weight around his midsection. He does play with good body lean and strength to stack and control vs. double teams. When he comes off the snap at a good pad level, he is quick to gain advantage. When he gets high in his stance, he gathers before getting into gear, making him a step away from making some plays in pursuit. GRADE: 6.0

Strength at Point: His best asset. Taylor could relieve Charles Atlas and take a turn holding up the globe. For an undersized player, he packs tremendous force behind his hand strike. When he stays low in his pads, he plays with leverage and has that low center of gravity to get under a blocker's pads. He creates piles vs. the double team, but with better conditioning, he could be an effective terror shooting the gaps. He has a good feel for blocking schemes and is very combative with his arms, fighting pressure to work his way to the ball. He lacks sustained quickness or good lateral agility, but shows good hustle going down the line of scrimmage in pursuit. Despite his lack of typical height for the position, he has enough foot speed to gain gap penetration and is a solid two-gap type of tackle. GRADE: 8.2

Use of Hands: Taylor is a puncher and a mauler, but needs to do a better job with placement to keep blockers from attacking his body. He is very strong for his size, especially when shooting his hands. He can keep separation and handle larger players with leverage. When he attacks an offensive lineman, his initial hand jolt will usually knock the opponent off balance, allowing him to dip in attempts to shorten the edge. You can see on film that his strong stab action lets him easily separate and shed. He still needs to do a better job of protecting his legs, though. GRADE: 5.9

Lateral Pursuit/Effort: Taylor can move down the line adequately, but when he has to do this for several plays, his lack of stamina comes into play and he has to be replaced. The effort is there, but the speed is lacking when having to go the distance to chase down plays. He has a good short burst to shoot the gaps, but no long chase speed. His problem comes when he has to work outside the box, as he does not have the acceleration to pursue in space. GRADE: 4.8

Tackling Ability: Taylor excels at stacking and controlling, can make piles with the best of them, but he is more of a collision tackler than a wrap-up tackler. He is very strong when locking up ballcarriers on plays in front of him, but if he has to give chase at the perimeter, he won't win those battles. He will sometimes revert to wrestling the opponent to get off the block, losing sight of the ball. He has above-average strength to contain the ballcarrier, showing strength, hip snap and roll on contact. He has good jolt and strike ability, but is best when working at the point of attack rather than in pursuit. GRADE: 5.7

Run Defense: Taylor has a strong anchor and when he plays with a low center of gravity and squares his shoulders, he can easy split double teams. Once he extends his arms inside his frame, he can deliver a jarring hit into the ball carrier, as the lead blocker is then obliterated and fails to get into Taylor's body. When he gets into the gaps, he is too disruptive for one blocker to contain. If he gets high in his stance, he can get washed out if he does not beat the combo initially. GRADE: 6.2

Pass Rush: Taylor is relentless shooting gaps, but his feet die once he makes contact in the backfield. Possibly due to stamina issues, he looks clumsy on the move and doesn't chase down the scrambling quarterback. He is just adequate executing twists and games due to average lateral quickness. He stays up and gets involved in attempts to gain gap penetration, showing enough short-area burst to collapse the pocket, but is more of a pressure type who doesn't get to the passer. GRADE: 5.3

Closing on the QB: Taylor had four pressures in 47 games. He will get some garbage sacks, but the QB needs to be right in front of him. He can both collapse the pocket and beat the offensive guard upfield, but does not seem to be consistent finishing the sack. His short burst allows him to get the penetration needed and he will make some plays behind the line of scrimmage, but the Wolverine system called for him to be utilized more in containment rather than attacking the ball. GRADE: 5.0

Instincts/Recognition: Taylor is smarter on the field than in the classroom. He shows a good feel for blocks and where they are coming from. He knows when to create a pile and likes being the "traffic cop" directing traffic in the middle of the field, as he knows he can't generate relentless pursuit. He has good awareness and ability to read and react to the pass and run, and has a combative nature taking on combos and traps. GRADE: 6.2

Compares To: JIM BURT, ex-New York Giants -- Taylor was tailor made to play for Bill Parcells in Miami. He needs some hard coaching and the right 3-4 system to become a classic garbage man in the trenches. When he gets a good angle, he attacks the ballcarrier with intent, getting good collision upon contact. While he can make plays behind the line of scrimmage, he seems more comfortable in his role of handling combos and stacking at the point of attack. For a player of his size, he shows good quickness, along with strength and proper pad level. He plays with good body lean and has the power to stack and control.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.92

Comments:

President Bill Polian:

"The second pick in the fourth round was Terrance Taylor, a nose tackle from Michigan. He’s 6-0, 320 pounds. He’s a wide-body and a guy with explosion. He’s a true nose tackle. That’s something we felt like we needed to add in terms of how we structure the defense, and he was the prototypical nose tackle."

DT Terrance Taylor:

“I’m excited. I’m happy to be a Colt. I want to be a part of the Indianapolis Colts, and I’m ready to get to work.”

“I’m a physical player. I’m explosive, a play-maker and a run stopper. I’m an all-around good player. The Indianapolis Colts got a great player. Picking me was one of the best things they could have done. I’m just ready to get to work and show them what I can do.”

Links:

Mile High Report

Combine Workout

Terrance Taylor Michigan vs. Minnesota 

Picture Taylor doing this to Chris Johnson or Tom Brady or MJD 

Pat Kuntz - Notre Dame

 6'2" / 285 lbs

4.98 40 Yard Dash

Senior Season Stats:

42 Tackles, 23 Assists, 8 TFL, 3.5 Sacks, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 Blocked Pass

Injuries:

2005 - As a freshman he missed final three games*

2007 - As a junior he missed two games*

*Couldn't find exact injuries

Scouting Report:

 TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Explosive one-gap tackle who plays with good pad level. Fires off the snap with a nice first step, quickly changes direction, and effectively uses his hands to protect himself. Works hard to make plays and does an effective job reading the action.

Weaknesses: Undersized and easily taken from the action. Lacks top growth potential.

Analysis: Kuntz possesses poor size/speed numbers, but he has the explosion and movement skills to find a home as a backup three-technique lineman.

Video Links:

Pat Kuntz interview

Pat Kuntz interview 2

Adrian Grady - Louisville

6'1" / 298

5.25 40 Yard Dash, 7.68 3 Cone Drll, 4.72 20 Yard Shuttle

32 Vertical Jump, 31 Bench Press

Senior Season Stats:

41 Tackles, 20 Assists, 9 TFL, 2.0 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD, 3 QB Hurry

Injuries:

2006 - Broke Fibula

2007 - Played in 5 games before a pectoral tear ended his season

Scouting Report:

 NFLDraftScout.com, TFYDraft.com

Strengths: Good initial quickness off the snap. … Quick hands to slap away the guard's initial hand punch. … Flashes some upper-body explosiveness with his own initial hand punch. … Can bull rush and forcefully disengage using upper-body strength. … Good lateral quickness to alter his pass rush if his initial burst isn't enough. … Good flexibility to handle the cut block and keep his feet. … Good use of leverage to hold up against the run. … Plays with good leg drive and can create a pile. … Good lateral quickness and balance to slide off the block and make the tackle inside. … Flashes a burst to close when provided an open lane. … Good sideline-to-sideline hustle and gets downfield in pursuit.

Explosive one-gap defender who moves well on his feet. Plays with good pad level, consistently gets leverage on opponents, and fires off the snap with a quick first step. Fluid changing direction, makes plays down the line, and immediately diagnoses plays.

 

Weaknesses: Lacks the bulk most teams prefer inside. … Rarely penetrates the line of scrimmage despite a quick initial burst off the snap and good hand strength. … Doesn't show much variety in his pass rush and his short arms are a limitation. … Short arms also come into play when he tries to tackle, especially when tackling high. … Can bounce off the ballcarrier. … A bit thick around the middle. … Has struggled with durability throughout his career. Missed nearly half of the games during the 2006 and '07 seasons due to a broken leg and torn pectoral muscle.

Undersized and handled at the point by a single blocker. Has been marginally productive in college. Needs to be pushed and not considered a self-starter by scouts.

Video Links:

Draft Guys Profile

Combine workout

It so exciting thinking of the potential that all these guys have. I'm not sure who will make the team or who the starters will be. What I do know is that we will finally have the depth and talent that we have sought so long for at the DT position, and that whoever is in I am sure they will perform at a high level.

Share your thoughts on our new DTs.