STRENGTHS
Charles has the size, speed, quickness and length to be an excellent edge rusher
for the team that selects him in the NFL. He has the ability to go low to the
ground and turn the corner to make a sack. He has maybe the quickest and also
the best technique spin move that I have ever seen coming out of the college
level. He has quick feet and excellent change of direction skills to be more
than just a pass rusher and with his length and long arms he should be a good
run stuffer also able to play one gap or two gap defenses. Charles has the
athletic talent to play as an OLB/DE in a 3/4 defense or as a DE in a 4/3
defense.
CONCERNS
There is one big issue with Charles that has nothing to do with his ability or
talent. Charles just doesn’t have any “interest” in doing the dirty work of
stopping the run. He has the talent to be considered as a top pick but this run
stopping issue is a problem for me. Although I know most teams are not
interested in if there edge rusher can play stout against the run I feel it is
the main reason most teams lose big games. Edge Rushers who struggle stopping
the run are just specialty players and not starting impact players until they
decide to do the dirty work that’s is required in stopping the run.
BOTTOM LINE
Drew’s Draft Rule number 14 – “Pass Rushing is not a specialty. It
should be included in the evaluation of a DE or LB position in its totality”.
That’s how I feel and it’s hard for me to give a player who may have 1st round
talent in one part of his game and doesn’t bring that talent to the rest of his
game. The truth is I’m in the minority in this thinking because year after year
players with Charles size and specialty pass rushing talents are selected in the
first round. Some have made it and become excellent players and some have failed
miserably. The failure is only because of expectations of being selected in the
first round and not because they don’t bring their special talents with them to
the NFL level. The expectation of selecting a player in the first round is that
he will become a starting player for your team. If that player only becomes a
specialty player like a nickel/back or just a pass rusher they can become a good
player but not an impact player because they are not on the field enough to
impact. Charles for me is a perfect example of this situation. You select him in
the first round and he doesn’t develop and learn to stop the run than he is not
on the field enough to impact like a 1st round selection and he is considered a
bust and the GM and coach wind up losing their jobs. You selected him in the 2nd
round and if he still doesn’t develop it’s not a big deal, if he does develop
you have a steal and you’re considered a genius in selecting players in the
draft. Here’s the catch someone else selects him in the first round and he DOES
develop and you missed out on selecting a great pass rusher. This draft thing is
tough. Still I know Charles can be a good run stuffer but I see on film a player
with that talent who doesn’t bother to apply that talent and that sends up the
red flag for me personally. That to me is big issue; it’s like a tight end that
has the talent to block but doesn’t bother. It’s a character flaw more than a
talent flaw and Drew’s Draft Rule number 4 says “Character is as important as
Talent”.
Drew Boylhart
FEB.2017
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