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Scouting Report: The first thing I think about when I watch Dareus play is just how quick his feet are for a man so big. I dare not speak the words but he reminds me a lot of Ndamukong Suh. No, he's not the disruptor Suh is, but I certainly consider them peers in terms of a pass rush. Dareus fires out hard and keeps his pads low, getting up and under bigger lpayers. But don't think this kid is strictly a bull rush type of player. He shows nice lateral movement and can work well on twists and stunts and uses his hands very well.
Another part of Dareus game that I love is just how quick he gets into his man, and then gets back off of them. That is a tough skill to teach a player, much less a player this big if they don't have some serious God given quickness in his hands and feet. The bad new is, as great as Dareus is as a pass rusher he does struggle in run support at times. He's not bad in run support so don't misunderstand me. His quickness and speed certainly benefit him in the run game, as he can diagnose the play, get loose from the lineman and chase down the man. As a finisher Dareus does a job tackling, wrapping hard and working straight through the man, driving them to the ground.
Draft Status: For my money there's not a more complete defensive lineman in the draft. With so many teams playing a 3-4, and with the flexibility that Dareus offers in terms of being either a 4-3 DT or a 3-4 DE, there is no team in this draft that couldn't benefit from his skills. While I think Dareus could play DE in a 3-4 I'd hate to see all that speed and athleticism in such a huge package wasted as a space eater. I expect to see him in the mix as one of the top 2 or 3 DL off the board, and almost certainly a Top 15 pick.
Final Analysis: There is so much to like about how Dareus plays. Huge athletic players like him are rare. If there's something to hate about his game it's that his effort does waver at times. This is acceptable to me. And with any giant man, conditioning will be a concern. But he's got a squatty powerful frame that can stand up against bigger players and I still just shake my head at his anticipation and quickness. He is an immediate starter for whichever team drafts him, and especially in passing situations will be impossible to block one on one and should be finding his way to the quarterback early and often.
Reminds me of: Sedrick Ellis DT New Orleans Saints. It took a while for Ellis to start playing up to his potential but this year you really saw it, and that's the kind of player I see Dareus being right out of the gate.
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Scouting Report written by Curt Popejoy |
