Tag: Interior defensive lineman

Sooners’ Jalen Redmond in Pro Football Focus’ top 10 returning Interior Defensive Linemen for 2022

With a lot of turnover coming along the defensive front, the Oklahoma Sooners have one of PFF’s 10 best returning defensive linemen.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ strength on defense in 2021 was their defensive front. Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Jalen Redmond made a fearsome foursome, especially when teams dropped back to pass.

One of the biggest questions heading into the 2022 offseason is how Brent Venables and his defensive staff replaces Bonitto, Thomas, and Winfrey, who have each declared for the 2022 NFL draft. While there’s confidence in the new coaching staff’s ability to retool the defensive line, it’s hard to lose that much talent and production off of your defensive front without experiencing a bit of a drop-off.

The good news is that the Sooners have one of the best interior defensive linemen in college football returning for the 2022 season in Jalen Redmond. According to Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, Redmond is one of the 10 best interior defensive linemen coming back this year. Redmond comes in at No. 8.

Redmond showed no rust in his return to the field in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season. He earned an 82.6 PFF grade as a key reserve in 2018 and a 78.4 mark across eight games in 2021, most of which he started. Redmond did miss some time midway through the season due to injury, but after his return in Week 9, his top-tier pass-rush production remained. His 19.6% pass-rush win rate and 18.3% pressure ranked tied for first and first, respectively, among Power Five interior defensive linemen in 2021. – Treash, PFF

Redmond’s experience and production will be huge for the Sooners defense in 2022. As they integrate younger guys getting more snaps and transfers like Jeffrey Johnson and Jonah Laulu coming into the fold, Redmond will be the anchor that carries the Oklahoma Sooners into the 2022 season.

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2020 NFL Combine winners: Interior defensive lineman

Examining and identifying the top on-field interior defensive linemen performances from the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine continued their on-field drills on Saturday night, this time featuring interior defensive lineman, EDGE rushers, and linebackers. As always, the workouts begin with the 40-yard-dash, and when they shifted into position drills, we got to see a handful of new drills.

The Lions appear to be overhauling their interior defensive line and that typically means investing in a high draft pick. If they double-dip at a position in the draft, it’ll be here. Let’s take a look at those who earned positive marks today.

Derrick Brown, Auburn

6-5, 326, 10 y/s: 1.73

In on-field drills, Brown looked sharp in his steps, smooth through his hips, bend around the edge, the ability to work in small places, showed power in hands, and the ability to learn quickly when introduced to new drills — something some of the other prospects struggled with.

It’s clear there were some issues with some of his agility times, but as far as the measurables the Lions will be interested in, he hit most of the marks.

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Jordan Elliot, Missouri

6-4, 302, 10 y/s: 1.71, Short shuttle: 4.73

If the Lions add a run-stuffing nose tackle in free agency, and pass on Brown in the first, Elliot would be a nice consolation prize in round two if he lasts that long. His arms (32 5/8″) are under the preferred 34″ mark, but he hits the Lions preferred thresholds in the 10-y/s and short shuttle.

Jason Strowbridge, North Carolina

6-4, 275, 10 y/s: 1.72, Short shuttle: 4.37

Maybe I am cheating a bit here including Strowbridge with the interior defensive line after he worked out with the EDGE rushers at the Combine, but the fact of the matter is, he played on the interior for the Tar Heels, my NFL comparison for him is Kevin Strong, and I’m not sure he has the 3-cone to live on the edge on a regular basis. What he does have is the ability to contribute in a variety of ways similar to Strong (and Da’Shawn Hand), and his short shuttle is a great indicator of how he would add speed to the defensive line.

Davon Hamilton, Ohio State

6-3.5, 320, 10 y/s: 1.8, bench: 33 reps

Hamilton’s game is power based and his position group leading 33 reps on the bench press backed that up. His 1.8 second 10-yard-split and on-field performance in drills, helped his cause for showing he’s more than just a run-stuffing interior plugger. Both he and Strowbridge were on the Lions coached North roster at the Senior Bowl, which could go a long way towards the Lions feeling comfortable with either of them.

Notes:

  • Khalil Davis (6-1, 308, Nebraska) had the fastest 10 y/s of the interior defensive linemen with an impressive 1.66 seconds. His twin brother Carlos (6-2, 313, Nebraska) had the second-fastest 10 y/s at 1.67 seconds.
  • Malcolm Roach (6-2, 297, Texas) looked nice in last nights combine drills and would be nice depth at the Lions Big DE position (Da’Shawn Hand’s role) but he has gone on record saying he didn’t like Texas’ 3-3-5 scheme last season which may take him off the Lions board.