Bob Sturm's NFL draft series: Demand for pass rushers greater than supply

Bob Sturm's NFL draft series: Demand for pass rushers greater than supply, but Cowboys likely will have shot at the best

By Bob Sturm , Special contributor Contact Bob Sturm on Twitter: @SportsSturm
Editor's note: First in an eight-part series by special contributor Bob Sturm breaking down the top NFL draft prospects, position-by-position.
INSTALLMENT ONE: PASS RUSHERS

After the playoffs, the NFL was once again ready to invest heavily in pass rushers at the top of the draft. Unfortunately, the supply will not meet the demand. This is probably no better than an average group in the edge rusher position, whether that be the defensive ends in the 4-3 or the outside linebackers in the 3-4. Teams need sacks more than ever, but there just aren't very many who earn clear first-round grades in this crop.









Spotlight player




Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky

There are no more complicated cases in Round 1 than this former five-star recruit to Ohio State who was banned from the Big Ten for repeated violations of the conference's drug policy. He transferred to Eastern Kentucky, where he continues to be drug-tested repeatedly and seems to have put his life in order. In his lone season at that level, Spence was beyond dominant with 111/2 sacks and 221/2 tackles for loss.

He is as "twitched up" as an edge rusher can be with an explosive get-off and a fantastic bend around the corner in which he dips and gets the edge with a minimum of wasted motion or distance. He then closes on a quarterback from either side with violence upon his arrival. He is devastating.

But, with the baggage and some strong questions about his run defense, where he will end up is a bit of a mystery. It is fair to believe that certain young men get scared straight from an incident in college and never wander off course again, but with so much money at stake, one can assume his past will be what keeps him from being a top pick. If all things were equal he might be the best in this group, but they certainly are not equal. So, while there are players with higher floors than Spence, there are no players with a potentially higher ceiling.
The best


Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Bosa is a legitimate game wrecker at just 20 years old. He has everything you look for in a first-rounder at DE. The questions surround his status as a top-five pick: Does he have eight- to 10-sack potential in the NFL? Yes. Does he also answer the bell on running plays? Absolutely. Does he compete at maximum levels whether the play involves him or not? No doubt. But the question is whether he is very good or elite at the next level. That is the difference in expectations when choosing between No. 1 overall and No. 20.
Sleeper


Ronald Blair, Appalachian State
Blair is the rare no-star recruit who slipped through the cracks five years ago and went on to dominate at a high level. He is a player who lives in the backfield and has a motor that jumps out, but as the season went along he seemed to transform from a bad-body producer to a more athletic-looking force from the edge. He can also move inside. His signature performance was a day when Clemson simply could not block him no matter what they tried. He has a chance to be something special.


Best of Texas




Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
Houston's Ogbah has been projected all over the board. He is an athletic and productive player and at times can be seen closing down plays around the pocket with a ferocity that resembles that of DeMarcus Ware. I am not suggesting he is ever going to get 100 NFL sacks as Ware did, but I do like the traits of a guy like Ogbah in a draft that isn't exactly loaded with pass rushers from DE. At the same time, there are many who wonder about his technique flaws and body stiffness.
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