Scouting Combine – Defense

Posted: March 4th, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor 

DL

Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox might be headed elsewhere. If that happens, the Eagles might be looking for a couple of DL. We don’t know what kind of players Sean Desai might be looking for on the DL. He was the DC for a season in Chicago and had bigger DL. Most of them were already in place. They did add one DT/DE and he was 6-4, 315. It will be interesting to see what Desai is looking for this time around.

If he wants pass rushers, there are two players who stood out and could be good fits.

Calijah Kancey is 6-1, 281 and had a great career at Pitt. He could be in play for pick 30. He ran a 4.67 and you could see that speed on his game tape. Really good player. Very disruptive. Kancey is undersized, but there is a role for him in the league because of his playmaking ability. There is a big concern, so to speak. His arm length is only 30 5/8 inches. DTs with arms that short have not succeeded in the NFL.

To be fair, those guys who failed probably also didn’t have Kancey’s athleticism or talent. But taking him is still a risk because he’s an outlier. Kancey gets compared to Aaron Donald a lot because both were undersized star DTs at Pitt. Donald has long arms and they help him to be so dominant a the NFL level.

Adetomiwa Adebawore measured in at 6-2, 282. He has big hands (10.5 inches) and long arms (33 7/8 inches). Northwestern had him play different roles. Some NFL teams might see him as an edge. I think he could also play DT. Adebawore had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and then looked great at the Combine.

40 – 4.49
10 – 1.61
Bench – 27 reps
Vertical – 37.5 inches
Broad – 10 feet, 5 inches

You see speed, strength and explosion. That’s on his game tape as well as workouts. Because of his size and tweener build, some people had Adebawore in the 3rd to 4th round range. I think he could go in the 2nd round.

Jalen Redmond is a pass rusher that surprised me with his workout. The Oklahoma DL measured in at 6-2, 291. He looked terrific in the workouts. His testing numbers were impressive.

40 – 4.81
10 – 1.71
Bench – 27 reps
Vertical – 34.5
Broad – 9’8″

I need to watch more tape of him. Redmond is more of a mid-round target.

Maybe Desai wants bigger DL.

Bryan Bresee is 6’6, 298. He was up and down at Clemson, but talent was never the issue. He had injuries, sickness and other issues that hampered him. Bresee was the number one recruit coming out of high school and flashed that ability at Clemson. He had a good workout in Indy and that might make teams more comfortable with spending a 1st round on him. He seems more likely to go in the 20 to 40 range.

Keeanu Benton is 6-4, 309. He played NT at Wisconsin, but could play DT for the Eagles. Benton is not special athletically, but he is a plus run defender. His testing numbers were solid and he looked good in the on-field drills.

There are several other DL who could be of interest. The Eagles will have good options.

*****

If the Eagles re-sign TJ Edwards, they’ll be okay at LB.

They could look to add a better backup to Haason Reddick. There are some good options there.

Nick Hampton was a stud pass rusher for Appalachian State. He’s 6-2, 236. Hampton had a good workout. He’s more pass rusher than space player, but is athletic enough to drop back at times and be effective. He has a good burst off the ball and is skilled at getting by OTs. Mid-round target.

Jose Ramirez was a star for Eastern Michigan. The 6-2, 242 DE looked really good in Indy, following up on a strong senior year. Daniel Jeremiah said Ramirez is liked by a lot of teams and could go as high as the 3rd round.

The Eagles might prefer to go with bigger DEs (like Josh Sweat). We’ll see if they want a SAM type or DE.

*****

Pick 10 could go for a CB. Devon Witherspoon is coming off a hamstring injury so he didn’t work out. He measured in at 6-0, 181. That’s a bit on the small side, but Witherspoon plays big. He is my priority target at pick 10.

Christian Gonzalez is the most atheltic of the top corners and that showed on Friday. He’s 6-1, 197 and put up good numbers.

40 – 4.38
10 – 1.54
Bench – 14 reps
Vertical – 41.5
Broad – 11’1″

That is one heck of a workout. Gonzalez also looked smooth in the field drills. He is incredibly talented and had a ton of upside. I’m sure more than a few teams will have him as CB1.

Joey Porter Jr had a terrific season at Penn State so expectations were high. He posted good numbers, but not great ones. He never looked special atheltically to me so this is what I expected.

40 – 4.46
10 – 1.50
Bench – 17 reps
Vertical – 35 inches
Broad – 10’9″

Porter measured in at 6-2 1/2 and 193 pounds. He’s got 34-inch arms, which is crazy for a CB. That length will make some teams covet Porter. He is the guy you want if you’re a press coverage team. We didn’t see Porter in the field drills.

If the Eagles go OL/DL at 10, they’ll have other good options at CB. I won’t go into all those guys now, but there are some impressive CB prospects. One mid-round guy who stood out was Cameron Mitchell of Northwestern. I hadn’t paid much attention to him prior to this.

Mitchell is 5-11, 191. He looked really good in the field drills. He was fluid and caught the ball well. His testing numbers were also good.

40 – 4.47
10 – 1.48
Bench – 15 reps
Vertical – 35

Mitchell definitely helped himself.

*****

It feels like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will leave in free agency. I’m sure the Eagles will try to keep him, but CGJ wasn’t shy in talking about wanting to get paid. No discounts for him. The Eagles do have Reed Blankenship and I think you can pencil him in as a starter. They could bring back Marcus Epps if the price is right. K’Von Wallace has one more year under contract and showed progress. He could be a good backup.

The Eagles still might want to add a safety to the mix. There are some good options this year. The safeties didn’t post great testing numbers, but they looked good in the drills. And safety is one position where athleticism isn’t as important as instincts and knowledge.

Brian Branch will be a 1st round pick. He can play slot or safety. I don’t think the Eagles would spend pick 10 on him and he’ll be gone by 30. I don’t know if the Eagles would go for a safety in the 1st round unless it was a special player. Branch is good, but not special.

Sydney Brown had a terrific season for Illinois, stood out at the Senior Bowl and then was great in Indy. What a year for him. He’s 5-11, 211 and is chiseled. Brown posted some great numbers.

40 – 4.47
10 – 1.51
Bench – 23 reps
Vertical – 40.5
Broad – 10’10”

Wow. That is one athletic dude. He can hit/tackle. Good cover skills. Good hands. He’s looked at as a mid-round guy by some. I see a guy who shouldn’t make it out of the 3rd round and could go in the 2nd.

Daniel Scott from Cal is 6-1, 208. He’s looked at as a mid-round player. He’s another one who impressed during the season, in Mobile and in Indy.

40 – 4.45
10 – 1.55
Bench – 22 reps
Vertical – 39.5
Broad – 10’8″
3-cone – 6.75
SS – 4.17

Scott looked good in the drills. He has terrific range and good ball skills. Could go in the 3rd round.

*****

The Eagles have plenty of good options to choose from. They need to move down to add some mid-round picks at some point, but they can add a lot of youth to the defense and be in good shape for the future.

http://igglesblitz.com/2023/03/scouting-combine-defense/