Every year, players at the collegiate ranks wait to hear their name called at the NFL draft and witness dreams become reality. Former players, family members, and alumni watch as household favorites are added to NFL rosters.
Not every elite college player has a successful career in the pros with the speed of the game and ever-evolving schemes. There is immense pressure for a young player to produce given the high expectations. Oklahoma product, Neville Gallimore was projected to be a second-round draft pick and the Dallas Cowboys snagged him in the third. He impressed in his rookie season and took advantage when his number was called.
Gallimore was drafted to be developed into the team’s hybrid system under Mike Nolan and to meet a need at defensive tackle with the interior of Dallas’ line exposed. With injuries to Gerald McCoy and Trysten Hill, along with the release of free agent acquisition Dontari Poe, Gallimore was thrust into action midway through the 2020 season. He helped elevate the squad’s struggling run defense.
The 24-year-old played in 14 games (nine starts) in his first year totaling 28 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and one pass defended. Quite the resume considering he played only 36 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2020 and stats do not tell the whole story.
In a recent interview with former Sooner Tony Casillas during the season, he lit up talking about Gallimore.
“Neville [Gallimore] gets his chance, his opportunity to play, and I think he is showing some of the signs and things he did at Oklahoma. He’s disruptive, very quick, and agile for a guy his size, and I think once he gets confidence under his belt- the sky is the limit for him. He has so much potential. “
“Experience is everything and I think for him, being able to get the reps and it is all about confidence. You create confidence and you make plays, realizing that ‘every play is going to be different but I can do it’ – there is a lot of growth to that.”
Going up against top guards in the league and out leveraging blockers to collapse the pocket or clog holes to stop rushers is a challenging task. As expected, there was a learning curve throughout the young DT’s transition and lack of offseason due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
As the season wore on and his trust in himself and his abilities increased, his performance on the field thrived. The 6-2, 300 pounder showcased solid pass rush moves, explosive hands, and quick one-step maneuver. Gallimore penetrated gaps from the interior and got upfield.
His most notable performance came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week nine. The Cowboys limited Pittsburgh to 46 rushing yards, a team that was averaging 118 yards-per-game on the ground. He did a tremendous job plugging holes, which only boosted the play of teammates DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, and Randy Gregory.
Neville Gallimore continues to absolutely bring it against the Steelers.#OUDNA | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/AAOG1Divi3
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) November 8, 2020
“I think the main thing for Nev [Neville Gallimore] was just trusting himself,” DeMarcus Lawrence remarked via conference call on No.96’s growth.
“Coming into the league as a rookie, there’s a lot of pressure being great right now, instead of working on the basics and the fundamentals of this game. I feel like he had that type of pressure on him, once he started loosening up, started having fun with it and also knowing his plays and stuff, he started attacking more.”
After a successful rookie season, Gallimore will likely have a starting role in 2021. The defensive tackle spot is unknown for the team. Tyrone Crawford is a free agent and Antwaun Woods is a restricted free agent. Trysten Hill will be returning from knee surgery after a promising start to his 2020 campaign but regardless, Gallimore is certainly a defensive player to watch for in 2021. Grab the popcorn, he is just getting warmed up.