Turner:Could Harold Landry elevate the Cowboys' D-Line to the next level?

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Could Harold Landry elevate the Cowboys' D-Line to the next level?





By Kevin Turner Feb 21, 2018


Harold Landry – EDGE – Boston College
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 250
Estimated 40 Time: 4.74

It’s safe to say the 2017 NFL Draft class is going to dunk on the 2018 group in terms of top-end talent. Last year six pass rushers were taken in the first round.

Myles Garrett – 1st
Derek Barnett – 14th
Charles Harris – 22nd
Takkarist McKinley – 26th
Taco Charlton – 28th
T.J. Watt – 30th

This year, it’s almost guaranteed that NC State’s Bradley Chubb will be the first edge rusher selected. After that, I'd go with Harold Landry from Boston College.

Landry had 16.5 sacks in 2016 but decided to return for his senior season. 2017 didn’t go as planned, as he only recorded five sacks, missing the final five games of the year with an ankle injury. The ankle injury appeared to linger, as you can tell on his 2017 tape that he’s not 100%.

Landry has experience rushing as an OLB in a 3-4 as well as playing DE in a 4-3. There are some functional strength issues, as sometimes he will get blocked pretty easily, but he plays with great effort and is really good in pursuit to chase down ball carriers. From a pass-rushing standpoint, he’s locked and loaded, showing the burst and bend to get to the quarterback. Let’s get to the clip show!

Watch here as Landry's explosive first step carries him off the line of scrimmage. You’ll also get a good look at his bend, as he’s able to get around the corner and then flatten out and get to the quarterback. I’d also like to note that this is against Clemson but in the year 2016.



There’s no denying Landry's 2016 tape is better than his 2017 game film. Assuming his ankle is fully healed and his medicals check out at the combine, we should expect the 2016 version of Harold Landry to immediately impact an NFL team.

The next clip takes us to another game from 2016, this time against Maryland. Notice how Landry use his arm length to disengage from the tackle and then show his ability to finish in space. There aren’t too many defensive ends who make it look this easy in space.



Again his long arms and instincts come into play as he gets credit for batting down the pass at the line of scrimmage. He’s so good at it that I’ll show you two clips back to back.






PROS​

  • SPEED: Exhibits immediate burst and closing speed.
  • BEND: Shows flexibility off the edge.
  • GET OFF: Consistently the first guy off the line of scrimmage, using his quickness to gain an edge over the offensive lineman.
  • LONG ARMS: Landry always gets his arms up in passing lanes for knockdowns.

CONS

  • STRENGTH: There are times when he gets manhandled in the run game.
  • DISCIPLINE: Will sometimes rush too deep, opening up a running lane for the quarterback
  • PASS RUSH MOVES: Hasn’t developed a large menu of pass rush moves.
  • INJURY: Despite an incredible 2016, there has to be concern about his production in 2017 due to his ankle injury.


Overall, I have a late 1st/early 2nd round grade on Landry. I think he’s the second-best pass-rusher in the draft and given the premium of that position, it’s not out of this world to think that he’s off the board by the time the Cowboys pick at 19. While fairly instinctual, Landry is still a developing player and will need to really hone in on his craft in terms of adding some pass rush moves. He has some really outstanding traits, and this draft isn’t exactly overflowing with incredible pass rushers, so I do expect him to go in the Top 20.

The questions are if he will be able to be relied on as a run player on early downs, and also if his ankle is okay. If he clears the medicals at the combine, then I expect we’ll see him as a riser as we continue to gravitate towards the draft.

HOT ROUTES

  • As I said in this article, Bradley Chubb is the best pass rusher in this draft followed by Harold Landry. My third best pass rusher is Kemoko Turay from Rutgers. Maybe I’ll do a report on him next week.
  • I know there’s a lot of chatter about trading up, but with each passing day, I feel better about the players that should be available at 50 and 81. I wouldn't move up just for the sake of moving up.
  • I’ve always felt like the NBA should move its All-Star weekend to the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. The league shutting down for ten days right after the NFL season ends just seems like a poor business plan.
  • I’m so fascinated by the Kirk Cousins saga. The Jets make a lot of sense, given the ties he has with their offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates. Especially if they are going to front-load and fully guarantee a contract.
  • I miss baseball.
 

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Draft chatter thread?
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
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Draft chatter thread?
These are hard enough to format as it is. To do so in a reply is next to impossible.
 
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