Every NFL team wants a dominant force to build their defensive line around; the kind of vocal leader and physical playmaker who can take over games all by themselves.
If your favorite team is looking for that kind of difference-maker in the 2020 NFL draft, LSU’s Rashard Lawrence is their man.
Fresh off a national championship and an impressive career for the Bayou Bengals, Lawrence recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about life since winning the title, how facing top competition has prepared him for the NFL, and what kind of impact he’ll make at the next level.
JM: National Champion Rashard Lawrence. Has a nice ring to it, no?
RL: Yeah, that sounds great to me. It’s been everything that I thought it would be. The full experience and the aftermath has been crazy. They could never take that away from us. I’ve definitely been enjoying it. It’s something that I’ll carry with me forever.
JM: You’re probably more humble than I am. I’d make everyone address me with “National Champion” in front of it. My own mother would have to say “National Champion” before saying my name.
RL: Yeah (laughs). I’m ready to get those rings. I can’t wait to put it on and then put it away on display somewhere.
JM: You were a senior this past year, and a captain on a championship team. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
RL: As I prepare to go to the next level, the NFL is looking for leaders. They’re looking for great people on and off the field. Being a team captain on that team will be a lifelong memory for me. It’s something that’s gonna serve me well at the next level. I feel like when you combine the player that I think that I am with my leadership ability, any team can use a guy like that. It should definitely help me as a rookie. Having somebody that can come in and be a leader at a young age, be that voice for his fellow rookies and put their head down and go to work, that’s always gonna be viewed as a positive.
JM: What’s it like playing for coach Ed Orgeron?
RL: Coach O is a great guy. He’s a big-time competitor and he’s a leader as well. He’s an even better coach. If you look at his track record at LSU over the past few years, he just gets better and better every year. He finished this year off with a National Championship. He’s a great man. We loved playing for him. He always kept us aloof and upbeat. We were always ready for the challenge. He built us that way. I think that this year’s team and every team going forward is gonna enjoy playing for him. Wherever the game is, he’ll always have you prepared and ready to play.
JM: Playing at LSU means that you played against the best of the best on a weekly basis. Who are some of the best offensive linemen you’ve gone up against?
RL: I look back at my sophomore year and I went up against a couple of first round guys at Notre Dame in Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. I was just a young guy then. That same year, I played against Cam Robinson who’s with the Jacksonville Jaguars now. Jonah Williams at Alabama was another one. This year, I’d have to mention Andrew Thomas from Georgia. I saw some of the best offensive linemen on a weekly basis. That’s life in the SEC. I think that’s gonna help me going forward.
JM: Geez, talk about having to grow up fast. You’re just a sophomore and you’re playing against Quenton Nelson, one of the best guards you’ll find anywhere.
RL: Right. I remember watching the film going into that game. It was crazy. Him and Mike McGlinchey were just mauling guys right off the line of scrimmage. At the time, I had coach Pete Jenkins as my defensive line coach who’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for in terms of teaching technique. I thought I had a pretty decent game against them. They had their wins and I had my wins. I actually missed a pretty big sack in that game. It would have felt good to get that sack (laughs). It was a hard fought game. Quenton Nelson is a star in the NFL. I told him after the game that he was the best player I’d ever played against. Both of those guys are doing well in the NFL. They’re two first rounders and two great players.
JM: I love that that game was so many years ago, you’ve gone on to win a National Championship, and yet that missed sack is still haunting you (laughs).
RL: Yeah, that one still gets to me from time to time (laughs).
JM: How would you describe your pass rush arsenal?
RL: My pass rush arsenal is pretty simple to describe. I’m more of a power rusher with some finesse to my game as well. My favorite move is the long-arm stab. That’s my go-to move right there. It allows me to push the pocket and create some pressure on the quarterback. My double-hand swipe lead to a couple of sacks for me. Those moves have lead to some good hurries and pressures. Another move I’m still working on is the cross-chop club. I’ve watched guys like Aaron Donald and Calais Campbell have great success with that. Those are some of the best guys in the NFL and they’ve perfected that move. That’s something that I’m really working on.
As far as counters go, I’m always trying to set up offensive linemen for something they won’t expect. I think catching them off guard is the most important thing when it comes to counters. Anytime you rush a guard or a tackle, you have to do so with a vision in mind. Obviously they wanna get their hands on you fast. You have some guys that keep their hands low, you have others that keep their hands high. It just really depends on what the film study tells you. That week of preparing for the game should tell you what each offensive linemen could give you.
JM: What do you enjoy more, rushing the passer or stuffing the run?
RL: I enjoy rushing the passer more. I feel like I’m very strong in the run game. I have great hands and I’m very physical. Anytime you can get a sack or a big hit on the quarterback, that’s always a great feeling. As defensive linemen, we live to rush the quarterback. That’s what we enjoy doing.
JM: You’ve had so many great teammates throughout your time at LSU, but I’m gonna put you on the spot a little. If you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
RL: I’d have to go with Lloyd Cushenberry III. I think he’s extremely underrated. He impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl both on and off the field. He’s soft spoken but man, he’ll really get after you in the run game. He doesn’t miss practices. He’s very fluid and very agile with his movements. He’s incredibly dependable. He was there day in, day out for us. He’s just a hell of player. It starts in the trenches so I’d have to bring a big guy with me. I got to square off with him every day in practice. I’m going with Lloyd Cushenberry III.
JM: Is Joe Burrow the best quarterback in the draft?
RL: Without a shadow of a doubt. Without a shadow of a doubt.
JM: How did practicing against him make you a better player?
RL: He killed us so much in practice (laughs). That was tough. We never got the upper hand on him. We couldn’t touch him in practice. Joe has all of the intangibles. He would see us in a certain coverage and just pick us apart. Whether we were only rushing three guys or bringing a five or six man pressure, he always had a feel for it. It definitely made us better. We knew that we were going up against one of the best players, if not the best player in LSU history. He definitely made me a better player. He’s the ultimate competitor.
JM: What kind of impact is Rashard Lawrence gonna make at the next level?
RL: I think Rashard Lawrence is gonna bring the ability to stop the run and the ability to push the pocket on all three downs. More importantly, Rashard Lawrence is gonna be a hard worker and bring some great leadership to the table. I’m gonna prove that I belong wherever I go. Whether I get drafted early or late, I’m gonna bring my intangibles with me and work extremely hard to reward the organization that decides to pick me. I’ve won a State Championship and I’ve now won a National Championship as well. I wanna pick up that Lombardi trophy next. I have to keep the streak going. I need to be a Super Bowl champion. I’m gonna come in and work my butt off to make that happen.
[vertical-gallery id=613316]