Turner: Could the Cowboys get the draft's third-best pass rusher at #50? Meet Kemoko Turay

Cotton

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[h=1]Could the Cowboys get the draft's third-best pass rusher at #50? Meet Kemoko Turay

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By Kevin Turner Feb 26, 2018




(Recommended music options for this reading are Rococo by Arcade Fire or My Coco by Stellastarr, because each of these songs rhymes with the first name of the article's subject)

Kemoko Turay – EDGE Rutgers
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 252
Estimated 40 time: 4.69
Games Watched: Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Indiana (2017)

Even though you have to dig a little further than last year, there’s some quality pass rush material in this year’s draft. Last week, I profiled Harold Landry from Boston College, who I see as the second-best pass rusher in the draft.


This week, I thought I’d take a look at Rutgers pass rusher Kemoko Turay, my third-best pass rusher in the draft, and a player who could be on the Cowboys' radar at pick number 50.


As my friend Bob Sturm pointed out in his positional value article last week, teams are always in dire need of pass rushing. Even if you think you have enough in that department, it’s such a premium position that you must always continue to look for potential impact players.


I must admit that Kemoko Turay wasn’t on my radar until the Senior Bowl, where he had an incredible week of practice. This isn’t going to be a scouting report full of roses, which is something that you might expect from a second-round target.


Turay had 7.5 sacks in his freshman year, but just 7 total sacks in his final three at Rutgers. His junior season was limited to just three games as he recovered from multiple offseason shoulder surgeries. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com notes that Turay only has two years of high school football experience, so he's not exactly a seasoned player. Make no mistake about it, Turay will need to be coached up and is very much a work in progress.


Turay is not a very good run player at this point in his career. He was blocked up pretty easily on a consistent basis. The positive that he shows in the run game is that he’s well above-average in pursuit, using his speed to take good angles and make plays on the backside.


Before we get to the clips, I want to just take a second to elaborate on why I think Turay should be in the mix for the Cowboys, whether it be at pick 50 or #81 if he’s still on the board. The Cowboys have been notorious over the last few years for taking chances in the second round. Obviously, we know about the Jaylon Smith pick – but think back to Randy Gregory. This was a team who knew the red flags involved but chose to select Gregory at pick 60 in the second round because the value was too good. I have no way of confirming this, but I firmly believe Gregory would have been the pick at 27 had Byron Jones not been on the board.


While the red flags on Turay’s game are different than Gregory's, he’s the type of player I want this team to take a chance on. Turay has more than just physical traits, he’s shown legitimate ability to be a force off the edge. He's not as consistent as you’d like, but when it comes to pass rushing, how picky can you be? Carl Lawson fell to the 116th pick last year just because he’s 6’2”. I think I’ll just let his 8.5 sacks last year in his rookie season speak for themselves. (Personal pat on my back, he was a first-round grade on my board last year).


There could be other players I like more on the board at the time of the Cowboys selection, but Turay is a player that should have Top-50 consideration. Let’s get to the clip show!!!


In this clip against Michigan, we’re just taking a look at Turay’s speed and length. He has an incredible first step, and the ability to really go beyond the tackle’s blocking radius.





This one is not as pretty. Turay lacks play strength. I’m sure teams will have their issues with this and there’s a chance that it pushes him down the board to the third round, if not deeper. Is he just a one-down player? Can you trust him on the field on running downs? In this clip, the Michigan offensive line enjoys the tasty snack that is Kemoko Turay at the point of attack. Yikes.




If you’re experiencing a sour taste in your mouth from that last clip, let me try to save the day a little bit. Think about it being 3rd and 10. The Green Bay Packers are driving down the field on you in a close playoff game. You need a big stop. DeMarcus Lawrence is at right defensive end. Tyrone Crawford bumps inside next to David Irving, and rookie Kemoko Turay, pass-rushing specialist takes the field at left defensive end. And then this happens…




Rutgers vs. Illinois is the quality of game that would make a good bet payoff. As in, upon losing this bet you have to watch an entire Rutgers vs. Illinois game. That’s not exactly the definition of good football, but my point is that Turay has the pass-rushing qualities the NFL so covets.


No disrespect to the Rutgers coaching staff, but an NFL staff will really help Turay. There were times at Rutgers when he was asked to drop into coverage. I’m sure that’s partially because he’s fluid enough to do it, but let's consider getting back to basics and letting the pass rusher rush the passer, right?


A team's training staff also factors into this discussion. Turay has medical red flags from the shoulder injury, but also the frame to add some strength. I hate to go back to the Randy Gregory well, but all negative notions you have about him aside – the Cowboys training staff did an excellent job of turning him into a stronger player.

On this play against Michigan State, Turay goes up against the left tackle, but notice that the tackle has a tight end helping as well. Turay is fast and quick, but where the real elite pass rushers win is by taking that speed and turning it into force. While he doesn’t seal the deal because of the quick release, notice how Turay puts pressure on the quarterback by creating power from his speed.





STRENGTHS
  • SPEED: Turay flashes incredible explosion off the line, not only blowing around the corner to rush the passer but also in pursuit of plays on the other side of the field.
  • JUICE: Turay is a non-stop effort train who always gives 100%.
  • UNTAPPED POTENTIAL: At 250 pounds, when Turay gets going around the edge and converts his speed into power, he shows that he can develop into way more than just a speed rusher. I'm interested to see what an NFL coaching staff can get out of this player.
WEAKNESSES
  • EXPERIENCE: Turay doesn’t have much experience putting his hand on the ground and rushing from a three-point stance. This is something we know the Cowboys will take into consideration, after taking Taco over T.J. Watt and admitting that they had concerns about Watt’s lack of experience rushing from a three-point stance.
  • INJURY HISTORY: Has undergone multiple shoulder surgeries.
  • PASS RUSH MOVES: Turay mostly focuses on trying to win with speed around the corner. You rarely see him incorporate other pass rush moves.
  • PLAY STRENGTH: Right now, Turay cannot be depended on to help on running downs. He’s specifically a passing down player.

SUMMARY
Obviously, if Turay ends up with a star on his helmet, the preferred spot is at pick 81 in the third round. At this point in the draft process, I have Turay ranked as the 3rd -best pass rushing prospect in this draft, with Marcus Davenport of UTSA trailing closely behind. (Davenport is the better overall player, though)


There are questions and concerns, but there is also an elite-level ceiling. There are sacks to be had, and it’s all about uncorking this potential and turning it into pass-rushing glory.


I have a 2nd-round grade on Turay. While not my highest-ranked player in the round, he is someone who will likely be in consideration for the Cowboys on the second day of the draft.
 

UncleMilti

This seemed like a good idea at the time.
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Ummmmmm.......No.
 

Simpleton

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Anybody who thinks Turay is the 3rd best pass-rusher in this draft is a literal fucking idiot.

Chubb, Davenport, Hubbard, Landry, Ejiofor, Okoronkwo, all clearly better and then there's more from there if you want to go on.

Just another case of some cockboi who watched a few games on YouTube and wants to be edgy be pretending he's a fucking scout.
 

boozeman

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Anybody who thinks Turay is the 3rd best pass-rusher in this draft is a literal fucking idiot.

Chubb, Davenport, Hubbard, Landry, Ejiofor, Okoronkwo, all clearly better and then there's more from there if you want to go on.

Just another case of some cockboi who watched a few games on YouTube and wants to be edgy be pretending he's a fucking scout.
He is better than Ejiofor, but that is only because he is injured. He is another Terrell Basham or something.
 
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