Todd McShay does too
Along with Pro Football Focus, there was one national analyst that still backed Epenesa as the draft approached. ESPN NFL Draft guru Todd McShay, one of the big-hitters in the draft game, was huge on Epenesa prior to the draft.
Here was McShay’s breakdown on Epenesa during a pre-draft conference call:
A.J. Epenesa, the defensive end from Iowa, is probably in that range. He didn’t have a great workout at the combine, but he’s a better football player than tester,” McShay said Tuesday during a conference call. “We knew that going in. He reminds me of Trey Flowers, the former pass rusher out of Arkansas. Epenesa has strong hands. He can move around a little bit and do different things.
Side note: McShay is not part of the draft’s coverage because he’s battling the coronavirus. He announced that prior to the selection process. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.