Tackle, Safety, Cornerback, Pass-rusher. When asked what position the Ravens would draft at #6 overall in a best case scenario during Thursday’s Season Review press conference, those were the four positions that were mentioned. To be fair, it was a bit of a light-hearted response from Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie chimed in only to re-affirm pass-rusher. The answer was also somewhat obvious. Anyone who watched the Ravens this year would point out poor OT play (I’m looking at you James Hurst), lack of pass-rush, and bad secondary play as the biggest flaws on the team.

Do you think the Ravens should invest in the defensive line with their top pick in the draft? Discuss in the BSL forums here

Perhaps I am reading too much into this brief comment, but I find it somewhat interesting that the phrase pass-rusher and not outside linebacker, the traditional pass-rusher position in a 3-4 defense, was used. Of course the pass-rush doesn’t have to come from the OLB position.  J.J. Watt has been amongst the league leaders in sacks since he came into the NFL and his primary position is 3-4 DE, and just this past season some impressive sack totals came from 3-4 DE Muhammad Wilkerson (12) and DTs Geno Atkins, Kawann Short, and Aaron Donald (11 each). The Ravens as a team have not experienced those kind of sack numbers from a non-OLB since Trevor Pryce notched 13 sacks in 2006. Are there players at the top end of the 2016 Draft that could provide that kind of pass-rush from a Defensive Line position? In my opinion, the answer to that question is yes, and the two players the Ravens will likely be taking a long look at are DT Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss and DE DeForest Buckner of Oregon.

While Nkemdiche and Buckner play different positions on paper, their actual utilization on the field is not that different. Buckner plays more 5T (lined up on outside shoulder of the OT, normal alignment of a 3-4 DE) and Nkemdiche plays more 3T (lined up on outside shoulder of the OG, normal alignment of a 4-3 DT), but both take a lot of snaps at both positions in addition to playing some NT as well.

Both prospects have excellent size, Nkemdiche is listed at 6’4”, 296 lbs. and Buckner at 6’7”, 300 lbs, and both possess elite athleticism for their size. Buckner had the more productive season on paper, notching 10.5 sacks and 17 TFLs while Nkemdiche registered only 3 sacks and 7 TFLs. However, taking a look at the tape reveals some elite pass-rushing prowess and a lot of QB pressures from Nkemdiche, and as Rotoworld’s draft writer Josh Norris would say, “Disruption is production.”

Here, Nkemdiche is lined up in his 3T position, and the first thing that pops off the screen when watching him is his explosive first step. Nkemdiche consistently demonstrates explosive traits as an interior pass-rusher. In the two clips below you can see how his quickness off the snap translates into a powerful bull-rush, where he puts the offensive linemen on skates.

DeForest Buckner is also a skilled pass-rusher, and similar to Nkemdiche, Buckner does his best work when lined up as a 3T. However, instead of winning with explosive speed to power, Buckner uses his length and pure strength to dominate linemen. In the first clip below, Buckner gains impressive leverage on the lineman and drives him back into the QB with pure strength. In the next clip, Buckner beats his man with more of a finesse move, first using his long stride to quickly gain ground and then swatting the outside arm before quickly closing in on the QB for the sack.

 

If there is a negative to Buckner’s game, it would be his pass-rush ability when lined up at the 5T position. He occasionally gets pressure with his bull-rush, but he does not have the quickness or ability to bend the edge at his size. He will play too high at times and it renders him ineffectual when he cannot overpower the lineman blocking him.

In contrast, Nkemdiche can use his initial quickness to gain advantage off the edge or from the interior.  Here, Nkemdiche is lined up as a DE and shows impressive speed to power combined with strong hand usage and impressive bend.

 

Considering that Nkemdiche started out his career as a DE, it makes sense that he can be a productive pass-rusher aligned as a 5T or even further outside. This background as an edge rusher also shows up in his impressive footwork and agility on twists and stunts with a nifty and effective spin move seen as well.

This athleticism and agility, combined with his explosive get-off are what separate him from other defensive lineman as a pass-rusher. While Buckner possesses greater size and length, he can appear cumbersome when asked to stunt. He does not possess the agility and footwork of the more nimble Nkemdiche.

While Buckner may not possess elite pass-rusher traits when lined up over the OT, he more than makes up for it in run defense. This is where Buckner’s length really shows up on a consistent basis. He uses his long arms exceptionally well to lock out offensive lineman and is hard to move backwards. He sheds blocks well, and finds the ball carrier quickly.

Not surprisingly, run defense is not Nkemdiche’s strongest asset. His technique is inconsistent, often trying to take on blockers with his inside shoulder instead of locking them out with his arms. This makes it easier for offensive linemen to drive Nkemdiche back at the point of attack, although at times he will use his quickness to penetrate into the backfield to blow up a play.

Nkemdiche and Buckner are different players with different strengths and weaknesses. Buckner is a very stout run defender who can be an effective pass-rusher when lined up as DT. Nkemdiche is a more dynamic pass-rusher who will need to work on his technique in run defense. All things being equal, I think Nkemdiche is the superior prospect mostly because of the pure pass-rush ability and elite explosiveness. That said, Buckner is no slouch, and I consider both to be top 10 prospects in this class, and would not be opposed to either one as the Ravens selection at #6. I think they could both effectively play DE in the Ravens base package and slide into the DT position in sub-packages alongside Timmy Jernigan. A 4 man rush of Suggs, Jernigan, Nkemdiche or Buckner, and Dumervil could be devastating.

Adding a DT/DE with a high pick does not mean that OLB should not also be addressed in the draft. Suggs is coming back from a major injury and while Dumervil had a strong season, his sack total was down and he is not getting any younger. But the top Edge-rusher in this class, Joey Bosa, whom my colleague Shawn Brubaker highlighted in this article, is almost certainly a lock to go in the top 3 of the draft, and there may not be another OLB worthy of selection at #6. It would make a lot of sense for the Ravens to draft an impact pass-rusher even if that player provides his pass-rush from the interior of the defensive line.

Gabe Ferguson
Gabe Ferguson

Ravens Analyst

Gabe is an avid fan of the NFL and Ravens football. He grew up in Westminster, MD, and attended college at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and now works as a R&D Scientist developing Transplant Diagnostics assays. Gabe has appeared as a guest on 105.7 The Fan.

X