| March 02, 2006 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 03:30 AM |
BillsZone.com takes a look at the players available in the 2006 NFL Draft and how they fill the needs of the Buffalo Bills. This week, we take a look at defensive ends.
QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S
Mario Williams has an excellent combination of size, strength, and athleticism for a defensive end. He's 6'7 290lbs. runs a 4'5 40. Has the ability to run guys down from behind. Possibly, with the speed, moves, and strength we could be looking at another Dwight Freeney with Julius Peppers type of size. Williams fits as a strong side end in a 4-3 or as an end in a 3-4. He has rare size for the position and that allows him to play inside or outside. He has good athleticism considering how big he is. He isn't blazing off the ball, but is more than quick enough. He has quick feet around the line of scrimmage and has a good spin move to get around offensive tackles. He has the speed to get around most offensive tackles as well as the size and strength to bull rush them. His size also allows him to be effective against the run. Williams sports a massive wingspan with long arms and big hands. Prototypical looking DE but with exceptional natural athleticism. He flashes rare playmaking skills when he gives good effort and plays with solid technique. There may not be a better physical specimen that has the highest upside of any defensive player at any position in this year's draft. His upside is outstanding. Williams has fantastic size for a defensive end, but couples that with supreme athleticism. He has had a great college career, but still hasn't produced like he could given his ability. Despite being so talented, Williams has not dominated like he should. He just seems to disappear at times. For how big and athletic he is, he should just own opposing tackles. Perhaps that is because he still relies on his athleticism to make plays. His motor runs hot-and-cold. Whatever the reason, it does cause some concern. He is not as good a prospect as Julius Peppers was, because along with all his talent, Peppers dominated games too. But, the ability is there. Williams might need to have a disappointing combine if he is to fall to the Buffalo Bills at #8. If he were still on the board, the Bills would be crazy to pass on him. He would be the best defensive end in Buffalo since Bruce Smith.
Mathias Kiwanuka could be the top pass rusher in college football. It's not just his talent at getting into the backfield, it's also his imposing way he blocks field goals and passes. Has the height and long arms wanted by most NFL teams. Has a massive wingspan and room on his frame to add bulk. His sack production at the highest collegiate level was astounding. Does an adequate job of anticipating the snap count, is fast enough to turn the corner working against most offensive tackles and shows good closing speed. Has great pass rushing skills and can pressure the quarteback nearly every play. Possesses good initial quickness, has the athletic ability to make plays in space and disrupts running plays in the backfield. Kiwanuka's upside is tremendous. Physically, he has it all. He's tall, athletic, quick, and strong. He can change game plans with his big play ability. Once he gets moving forward, his quickness and athleticism make him a major pass rushing threat. Compared to Jevon Kearse. The only negative on Kiwi is his ability to play the run, he stands up decently well at the point of attack but sometimes can be caught over-pursuing. He will also have to work very hard on being able to get off a block and stop the run at the line of scrimmage, instead of making the play 10 yards down field. There has to be concern that he has been unable to add more bulk and keep it on his frame at this point. Is lean and needs to add bulk and strength in order to be an effective every-down player at the next level. Mathias isn't strong enough to take on most tackles, and has to rely on speed to much to get past blocks. He also isn't very good at getting off blocks to stop the run plays at the line of scrimmage. Unless Kiwanuka bulks up he could struggle and be a bust. Despite all this he will more than likely be a top 15 pick this year.
An experienced pass rusher, Tamba Hali might be the most polished of all defensive ends in the 2006 NFL Draft. He is a natural athlete with good size and speed to match up at the next level. A very experienced starter, Hali has seen action since first arriving at Penn State. He started his career as a tackle, and as a sophomore starter, he finished the season with 53 tackles, six for loss, with one sack despite playing hurt for most of the year. As a junior he moved outside to end, and was named All Big 10 after notching 51 tackles, 12 for loss, with six sacks. Uses a lot of spin moves and double moves to get off of blocks. Also shows a powerful bull rush. Will use his upper body power to disengage and knock OT's back on their heels. He has the bulk and strength to hold his ground at the POA vs. most OT's as a perimeter run defender. He has great recognition skills. Will find the ball quickly and makes a lot of plays in pursuit. Is a powerful tackler with good closing burst to the QB or ball carrier. He plays with a great motor and high intensity. He never quits on a play and is relentless in pursuit. Making Hali even more attractive are his rare motor and instincts, which will help him to contribute quicker than most rookies in 2006 - both on defense and special teams.
Hali lacks elite physical skills and his below average height is bound to hurt him most come draft day. Tamba lacks ideal size for a defensive end and bigger linemen can give him problems at times; however, he is a very talented defensive end who still has not realized his full potential. He doesn't have the quickest reactions, but good enough to make plays. Tends to play himself out of plays at times. He is also a bit undersized to play in the 4-3 scheme. For a team in need of a solid versatile defensive player, Hali is worth drafting in the middle of this year's first round.
An athletic freak. During football testing his vertical jump was higher than the device used to measure it. A quick pass rusher, Manny Lawson has great size and speed. A sack machine, he is physically gifted and does a great job of using that athleticism to blow through the line. Lawson has great experience and has faced very talented offensive lines. He has a very long reach and elusive, quick frame. Lawson also is very effective blocking kicks and punts. Manny is a terrific natural athlete. Is tall and has the frame to continue to add bulk. He has good upper body power and is a "weight-room warrior". Has explosive strength and speed. Has rare speed for his size. Shows explosive initial burst and acceleration when turning the corner as a pass rusher. He has good recognition skills and natural instincts vs. the run. He has great closing burst to the QB and is a powerful tackler. He has a nose for the ball and makes a lot of big plays. He is at his best in pursuit vs. the run. Has great speed and will track down ball carriers from behind. Takes good angles and is a solid open-field tackler. He is a big-time playmaker on special teams, as well. Is a 'tweener DE/OLB. Is vastly undersized at the DE position. Needs to continue to add bulk. Is powerful in the upper body for his size, but he lacks overall mass and brute strength. Should consider the switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense where he can rush the passer and use his athleticism to drop back in coverage. Will be a perfect fit at outside linebacker in the 3-4. Can come to an NFL team and make an immediate contribution on special teams. An outstanding athlete with the instincts and motor to be a very good NFL starter. Similar professional players include Rosevelt Colvin and a poor man's Jason Taylor. If he bulks up and adds muscle he could be very similar to a Demarcus Ware type player. Lawson has all the tools that can't be taught, but needs to mature and become more polished to become a better pure player. If the Bills felt they could address needs later in the draft- specifically offensive line- he just might slip to their second round selection- but don't hold your breath. He's got New England and Bill Belichick written all over him.
Darryl Tapp has one of the best bursts off the snap of any DE in college football. His pass-rushing has become steadily better as his career with VT has advanced, and that's always a good thing to see. He plays bigger than his size, using his smallish height to gain leverage, and has a huge motor that never shuts off. Also, Tapp is a tremendous special-teams player, a trait becoming more and more common of VT's stars. He lacks ideal size for the defensive end position, but he got where he is today by a work ethic that is unmatched. He was always a top performer not only in games, but in practice as well and he is always striving for continuous improvement. He has a quick first step, which allows him to beat most offensive linemen off the snap and he always seems to be around the football. Has shown the ability to rush the QB from the outside and as an interior penetrator. He has good body control and balance. He doesn't always matchup well physically against larger offensive tackles, but he is a smart player who uses leverage to his advantage. Lacks ideal NFL measurables. Is short and possesses just adequate top-end speed. Speed, quickness and natural athleticism are only average. Doesn't do a great job versus the run. Can be overwhelmed by larger offensive linemen. Needs to hit the weights and get stronger.. If he were 3 or 4 inches taller his name would be being mentioned with the likes of Mario Williams, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Tamba Hali. He projects to a second or third round draft pick and has the potential to be one of the quieter steals in the 2006 NFL Draft- and may be available for Buffalo's 3rd pick.
Edwards has big time upside at the next level. He has the size and natural athleticism that teams covet in the draft. He displays a quick burst off the line, and the agility to slip past tackles to get into the backfield. He has a lot of pass rush upside. He also has the size to hold at the point in the running game, and has the frame to pack on more weight. A player that seems to make the stop behind the line or quarterback sack, then you may not hear from him for good portion of the game, he is a inconsistent player . He has good size, speed and athletic combination, but his consistency on a every down play concerns scouts- he gives a good rush off the edge who can be a load to stop. There are a couple problems in Edwards' game. For as talented as he is, he does not dominate the way he should. Edwards also seems to play upright a bit to much when making his initial contact off the line with his opponent, which hurts his support against the run. He also seems to be a bit stiff and upright when running in pursuit, he just does not seem like a every down player. Is a decent open-field tackler. Shows the ability to chase down the run from behind when he's giving good effort. The team that drafts Edwards will need to be patient with him in order to give him the necessary time to improve his bulk, get stronger and polish his technique. Regardless, Edwards' upside is great enough to warrant late second-round consideration in the 2006 draft.
A very productive pass rusher, Kamerion Wimbley's impressive senior season accelerated his draft stock to be a potential top five defensive end. Wimbley has as much pass rush potential as any player in this draft. He combines excellent athleticism, with great game speed and quickness. He shows an impressive burst on the line, the ability to change direction with ease, and the closing speed to close on the ball. He has a few good pass rushing moves that he uses but could use some a few more as well as some refinement on the ones he has. Wimbley lacks a great deal of experience as a starter, having only started three games prior to his senior season. He really has no bull rushing capability right now. Like most speed rushers in college they struggle with play recognition because their goal is to get as deep in the backfield as they can right off the snap. Wimbley could max out as a situational edge rusher as a wide-RDE and/or OLB in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. He needs to continue to bulk up and he has a good frame to work with. Due to his lack of size, Wimbley doesn't hold up well at the point of attack. He has problems shedding blocks of larger offensive linemen. However, Wimbley has decent size potential to go along with his very good speed and athletic ability. Will be a 3rd or 4th round selection.
McClover is an undersized DE who possesses tremendous quickness and speed and can wreak havoc as an edge rusher. He also plays with good strength and leverage (it helps that he is 6' 3" and is generally going up against 6' 6"+ offensive tackles). Is an athletically gifted pass rushing specialist as a wide-DE/OLB 'tweener prospect. Shows explosive initial quickness and very good anticipation skills. Is one of the fastest edge rushers in this year's draft class. He also is a sure tackler and can really stop the run. He plays with a lot of emotion and has a great motor. From his defensive end position he brings a consistent pass rush off the edge, who is alert to plays all over the field, active & consistently in motion, and is very good in pursuit of the ball. With a possible change to the outside linebacker position he could flourish in open space, at using his athletic ability, freeing him up to run down plays more often, he already posses good pursuit to the ball and this would do nothing but enhance his skill level, also on known passing downs he could be used as a rush linebacker / defensive end, with his past history as a defensive end, his versatility brings more of an advantage to the defense. 
Elvis Dumervil is a two-year starter from Louisville who emerged as the most productive defensive end in the nation this past season. He has a quick first step which allows him to beat most offensive linemen off the snap of the football. He is an outstanding pass rusher (20 sacks in 2005), with excellent closing speed getting to the quarterback. He has long arms which allow him to force a good deal of fumbles (11 in 2005). He is a hard worker with a non-stop motor and he always seems to be around the football. He does a good job of shedding blocks for an end his size and he is a fundamentally sound tackler. Elvis is a wonderful football player and a superior college DE who just doesn't appear to have a steady home in the NFL. Elvis was the toast of Louisville all season, but he was worn down by the end of the year and did relatively little in the final couple of games. Possesses marginal height. Will get engulfed by bigger OT's. Is unable to consistently hold his ground when teams run at him and will struggle even more in that facet of the NFL game. Shows just decent recognition skills versus the run. He will get too far upfield at times and will struggle to redirect quickly enough to get back into the play. He played in a weak Big East conference and wasn't challenged by many of the tougher offensive lines in other conferences such as the ACC or SEC. Dumervil will be criticized by scouts at the next level because of his small stature and lack of true experience.
Shows good agility and plays with good leverage. He is an average tackler that lacks strength and won't make a big hit. As a pass rusher he lacks top speed to the corner and doesn't have the strength or hand use to get around bigger players. He has the potential to develop into a disruptive up-the-field run defender if kept wide and on the move as a RDE type in the right scheme. Will have a terrible time holding his ground when teams run at him at the next level. Plays with a narrow base and gets washed out too easily by bigger OT's when they lock on him. He has to stay on the move in order to be productive vs. the run. Haralson has quieted some critics by proving that he could hold up over four full seasons of playing against huge SEC offensive tackles and facing constant double teams. Haralson also showed that he could be an effective run stopper by using good hands and strength to get off blocks and get after the ball carrier. Some experts claim that Haralson is too small to play DE in the NFL and will have to move to OLB. There also is a possibility that Haralson proves capable of transitioning to a rush linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or even a SLB in a 4-3. He just lacks bulk and strength to hold the point of attack. though. Keeps contain. Average hand use and lacks rush moves and has a poor bull rush. Regardless, Haralson lacks the ideal overall physical tools of a Day 1 pick. Will go early to mid day 2 of the draft. QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S
