Scouting Combine – Defense
Posted: March 4th, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 10 Comments »The first two days of the NFL Scouting Combine focused on defense. The DL and LBs worked out on Thursday. Friday was for CBs and safeties. The Eagles could lose a lot of defensive players in free agency so they could be adding some of the players we saw work out. The Eagles had plenty to be happy about with what they saw.
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.
Adetomiwa Adebawore,6’2 280lb DL that was used as an edge at northwestern but he will be a 3T in the nfl. This guy has ridiculous power and explosiveness to go with long arms which is a deadly combo for a 3T. He showed out at the senior bowl and will light up the combine. pic.twitter.com/XKkaYHIidz
— K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021) February 25, 2023
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.
Had some fun watching the tape of App State OLB Nick Hampton vs UNC. Long arms
Burst
Power pic.twitter.com/cw8DqqPIxA— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) September 6, 2022
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.
One of Cameron Mitchell's defining traits is his willingness to play downhill (against the run and pass) and attack blockers. This is a fun clip, but if you want more you should go watch the 2022 Northwestern vs. Penn State game. #NFLDraft #NFLCombine2023 https://t.co/OkFbP1eaLe pic.twitter.com/Lvl0ezqyHH
— Sam Teets (@Sam_Teets33) March 2, 2023
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.
#Illinois safety Sydney Brown…
5-foot-10, 211.
4.47 speed. Explosive traits (40.5 vertical).
Saw the coverage skills in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.
Plays with a tone-setting demeanor on the tape. pic.twitter.com/fNBOrMqj9X
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 4, 2023
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.
_
[…] Scouts – Protection – Eagles BlitzKalija Kansi is 6-1, 281 years outdated and has had a really perfect profession at Pete. He might be in play for select 30. He ran 4.67 and you’ll be able to see that pace at the recreation bar. In reality just right participant. very stressful. Kansi is small in dimension, however there’s a position for him within the league on account of his playmaking skill. There may be nice fear, with the intention to talk. His arm is simplest 30 5/8 inches lengthy. DTs with quick palms have not made it within the NFL. To be honest, the ones guys who failed most probably additionally did not have Kansei’s athleticism or skill. However taking it’s nonetheless a chance as a result of it is bizarre. Kansi will get in comparison to Aaron Donald so much as a result of either one of them had been minor stars in Pete’s DTs. Donald has lengthy palms and that is helping him be dominant on the NFL degree. […]
[…] Scouts – Protection – Eagles BlitzKalija Kansi is 6-1, 281 years outdated and has had a super profession at Pete. He may well be in play for pick out 30. He ran 4.67 and you’ll see that velocity at the recreation bar. Truly just right participant. very nerve-racking. Kansi is small in dimension, however there’s a position for him within the league as a result of his playmaking skill. There’s nice fear, as a way to discuss. His arm is best 30 5/8 inches lengthy. DTs with brief fingers have not made it within the NFL. To be honest, the ones guys who failed more than likely additionally did not have Kansei’s athleticism or skill. However taking it’s nonetheless a possibility as a result of it is bizarre. Kansi will get in comparison to Aaron Donald so much as a result of either one of them had been minor stars in Pete’s DTs. Donald has lengthy fingers and that is helping him be dominant on the NFL stage. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah Kancey is 6-1, 281 and had an incredible profession at Pitt. He could possibly be in play for choose 30. He ran a 4.67 and you might see that velocity on his sport tape. Actually good participant. Very disruptive. Kancey is undersized, however there’s a function for him within the league due to his playmaking capability. There’s a large concern, so to talk. His arm size is barely 30 5/8 inches. DTs with arms that brief haven’t succeeded within the NFL. To be truthful, these guys who failed in all probability additionally didn’t have Kancey’s athleticism or expertise. However taking him continues to be a threat as a result of he’s an outlier. Kancey will get in comparison with Aaron Donald so much as a result of each had been undersized star DTs at Pitt. Donald has lengthy arms they usually assist him to be so dominant a the NFL stage. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah 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. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah 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 at the NFL level. […]
[…] Scouts – Protection – Eagles BlitzKalija Kansi is 6-1, 281 years previous and has had an excellent profession at Pete. He may well be in play for pick out 30. He ran 4.67 and you’ll be able to see that velocity at the sport bar. Truly just right participant. very tense. Kansi is small in dimension, however there’s a function for him within the league on account of his playmaking talent. There may be nice worry, with the intention to discuss. His arm is simplest 30 5/8 inches lengthy. DTs with quick hands have not made it within the NFL. To be honest, the ones guys who failed most definitely additionally did not have Kansei’s athleticism or skill. However taking it’s nonetheless a possibility as a result of it is bizarre. Kansi will get in comparison to Aaron Donald so much as a result of either one of them have been minor stars in Pete’s DTs. Donald has lengthy hands and that is helping him be dominant on the NFL degree. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah Kancey is 6-1, 281 and had an important profession at Pitt. He may very well be in play for decide 30. He ran a 4.67 and you would see that velocity on his sport tape. Actually good participant. Very disruptive. Kancey is undersized, however there’s a position for him within the league due to his playmaking means. There’s a huge concern, so to talk. His arm size is simply 30 5/8 inches. DTs with arms that brief haven’t succeeded within the NFL. To be truthful, these guys who failed in all probability additionally didn’t have Kancey’s athleticism or expertise. However taking him continues to be a threat as a result of he’s an outlier. Kancey will get in comparison with Aaron Donald quite a bit as a result of each have been undersized star DTs at Pitt. Donald has lengthy arms they usually assist him to be so dominant a the NFL stage. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah 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 great 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. […]
[…] Scouting Combine – Defense – Iggles BlitzCalijah 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. […]
[…] Scouts – Defense – Eagles BlitzKalija Kansi is 6-1, 281 years old and has had a great career at Pete. He could be in play for pick 30. He ran 4.67 and you can see that speed on the game bar. Really good player. very annoying. Kansi is small in size, but there is a role for him in the league because of his playmaking ability. There is great concern, so to speak. His arm is only 30 5/8 inches long. DTs with short arms haven’t made it in the NFL. To be fair, those guys who failed probably also didn’t have Kansei’s athleticism or talent. But taking it is still a risk because it’s weird. Kansi gets compared to Aaron Donald a lot because both of them were minor stars in Pete’s DTs. Donald has long arms and that helps him be dominant at the NFL level. […]