STRENGTHS
Joe has the talent, size, and length to be an impact Defensive End for the team that selects him. He has the talent to change the line of scrimmage in his favor on every down. He has those long arms and legs that make it easy for him to get into the backfield and be disruptive in two strides. Joe has the athletic talent and size to be used at multiple positions in a team defensive front seven. He can drop off the line into zone coverage as well as be used inside on the goal line because of his strength and ability to take on blocks and shed quickly to make tackles on the line. Joe shows on film, good overall effort on every play and the ability to improve in every aspect of his game, to be the impact player his talents suggest that he can become.
CONCERNS
Because Joe has played multiple positions he is reacting to what is happening on the field instead of making his opponents react to what he is doing on the field. Basically…he is thinking too much and it’s affecting his ability to impact. Thinking too much is also affecting his ability to be consistent at any one position with the correct techniques. Joe has a lot of bad habits that are covered up by his athleticism that will be magnified at the next level. He struggles in his pass rush to stay on his line and when he gets stopped on his initial move he lacks second moves to get himself free. He doesn’t finish because he is trying to out-think his opponent instead of using his god-given talents to defeat his opponent.
BOTTOM LINE 2.56
Joe has to decide for himself what position he wants to play…Linebacker or defensive line. Once that happens, he has to convince teams that are interested, that he is coachable, that he will take what he learns in practice into the game and use those techniques consistently. Then he has to learn and understand down and distance and how he is supposed to make an offensive lineman react to what he is doing and not the other way around. He has excellent talent and when he uses the correct techniques he easily defeats his opponent. Joe reminds me a lot of Vikings LB Anthony Barr and Bills LB Tremaine Edmonds. Now I know I’m in the minority but I feel that Anthony has never truly had the impact at the next level as a pass rusher because he has played out of position for his whole career. I also feel Edmonds would be more impacting if he was allowed to attack the line of scrimmage instead of being used most of the time in coverage. Sometimes having talent like Joe, Anthony and Tremaine have, is a gift, and sometimes it’s a curse. Of course, that depends on the Head Coach and your own opinion.
