Williams tops a list of
defensive ends who could be named in the top two rounds,
overall a decent class although after the top three or four
the drop off is significant.
Top Defensive Ends
1. Mario
Williams, 6-6, 289, NC State (Jr.):
Williams has
outstanding speed off the edge. The best pass
rushing end coming out, he has been a starter since
he stepped on campus as a freshman. At 6'7 and 280
pounds Williams can play on the end or on the inside
as a tackle. Although with his quickness he most
likely will be an end in the NFL. Williams is considered
by some to be the second coming of Carolina's Julius
Peppers. His rare combination of height, strength
and overall athleticism is unheard of in someone 20
years old. Mario has been a starter in Raleigh since
his freshman year starting every game of his career
although he is still raw. The idea of him developing
technique to go along with his physical gifts is
scary.
ESPN/Scout:
Possesses a rare combination of size, athletic
ability and speed. A powerful defender and fantastic
athlete whose speed belies his size. Has continued
upside potential.
FoxSports:
North Carolina State pass-rushing defensive end
MarioWilliams is being viewed as an
immediate impact prospect whose value may be better
than that of Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw
Ferguson.
2. Tamba
Hali, 6-2, 267, Penn State
Hali has a very impressive repertoire of moves he
uses on the line. Hali has started since his
freshman year, so he could be the most polished DE
in the entire draft with his experience. Hali
finished the 2005 season with 11 sacks and 17 TFL.
He is a natural athlete with good size and speed to match up at the next level.
The Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the
Year and a consensus first-round choice. Tamba lacks traditional height for the
position, but plays with hustle and determination.
ESPN/Scout: He
has enough quickness, speed, power, athletic ability
and toughness to eventually compete for a starting
DE position in the NFL. Making Hali even more
attractive are his rare motor and instincts, which
will help him to contribute quicker than most
rookies in 2006
FoxSports: Penn
State defensive end Tamba Hali also has a size
problem -- in this case it's the lack of enough of
it. After measuring in at 275 pounds, prototypical
of the position, Hali weighed in twelve pounds
lighter at the Penn State Pro Day, leaving some to
question how well he'll maintain his weight.
3. Kamerion Wimbley, 6-4, 245, Florida
State
Classic speed rusher whose production against elite competition has scouts
intrigued. Excellent Senior Bowl week. Did well in the regular season against
two top-ranked offensive tackles — D'Brickashaw Ferguson (4 tackles, including
two sacks) and Eric Winston (5 tackles, 4 pressures, 1 sack). Came back from
sprained knee to play in the postseason
Wimbley has decent size potential to go
along with his very good speed and athletic ability.
He has flashed explosive playmaking skills and it
looked as if the light was finally coming on prior
to his knee injury as a senior. After checking out
physically and putting on an impressive showing at
the combine, Wimbley's draft value is very much on
the rise.
FoxSports:
Florida State Classic speed rusher whose
production against elite competition has scouts
intrigued. Excellent Senior Bowl week...
4. Mathias Kiwanuka, 6-5, 252, Boston
College
Draws comparisons to Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse for his explosive burst and
ability to instantly close on a quarterback.
Maybe the best pure pass rusher in the draft.
Physical freak who runs a 4.6 40. Kiwanuka's
strength is his ability to get to the quarterback.
Kiwi finished the 2005 season with 49 tackles while
leading BC with 9.5 quarterback sacks and 15.5 TFL.
He set a BC school record with 37.5 career sacks.
Late grand-father, Benedicto Kiwanuka, was elected Uganda's first prime minister
in 1961 and assassinated in 1972.
He is a tall DE prospect with great size
potential, but his inability to add extra bulk and
to play with consistent leverage is concerning. In
order to maximize his physical skills in the NFL,
Kiwanuka will need to get bigger and stronger, while
also improving his overall technique. However,
Kiwanuka possesses outstanding athletic ability and
good speed for his frame, and his production at the
collegiate level was exceptional. That's why,
despite understandable concerns, Kiwanuka is still
expected to come off the 2006 draft board by the end
of the first round.
FoxSports:
Draws comparisons to Philadelphia's
Jevon Kearse for his explosive burst and ability to
instantly close on a quarterback.
5. Darryl Tapp, 6-1, 257, Virginia Tech
Blessed with good, but not great speed off the edge, Tapp emerged as a must-see
performer who uses a little of everything to beat offensive tackles —
determination, quickness, strength and technique. Lacks bulk at the point of
attack and is too often ridden out of the way against the run.
He may lack the NFL "measurables" of a
first round draft pick, but Tapp should find a way
to overcome his physical limitations in order to
make a significant contribution in the NFL, which is
why we believe he's worth the second-round money.
FoxSports:
Virginia Tech defensive end DarrylTapp is getting more interest from teams with
a need at his position, despite lacking preferred
size at 6-feet-2 and 255 pounds. He has good burst
off the snap and plays with the intensity teams
like.
The rest of the best
Ray Edwards, 6-6, 270, Purdue (Jr.)
Mark Anderson, 6-4, 254, Alabama
Stanley McClover, 6-3, 258, Auburn
Victor Adeyanju, 6-4, 268, Indiana
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