A.J. Epenasa

darthseinfeld

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What are your thoughts on this player.

I like him, but I dont know if I love him

He has great production and size. If we run a hybrid style defense he can play a 7T and a 5T which would be very valuable. Excellent bull rusher, but he needs to add alot more to his arsenal to beat NFL OT's. He does have good bend so he could develope into a rounded rusher

As far as value goes, some places have him in the top 10. Some places have him BPA at our pick.

Like him or not, I think this is a name to know. Unless he has a great combine and will be clearly out of range, then I think this is a name that will get attached to the Cowboys alot during the predraft
 

Beaker42

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What are your thoughts on this player.

I like him, but I dont know if I love him

He has great production and size. If we run a hybrid style defense he can play a 7T and a 5T which would be very valuable. Excellent bull rusher, but he needs to add alot more to his arsenal to beat NFL OT's. He does have good bend so he could develope into a rounded rusher

As far as value goes, some places have him in the top 10. Some places have him BPA at our pick.

Like him or not, I think this is a name to know. Unless he has a great combine and will be clearly out of range, then I think this is a name that will get attached to the Cowboys alot during the predraft
I wouldn’t hate the pick but the only Iowa kids who seem to do well in the NFL are LB’s, secondary guys and OL.
 

Daygoboy6191

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I discussed this in a different thread, but I see him more of a LE but the problem is Lawrence is significantly better at LE than RE so that is my issue with drafting Espenesa.
 

cnuball21

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What are your thoughts on this player.

I like him, but I dont know if I love him

He has great production and size. If we run a hybrid style defense he can play a 7T and a 5T which would be very valuable. Excellent bull rusher, but he needs to add alot more to his arsenal to beat NFL OT's. He does have good bend so he could develope into a rounded rusher

As far as value goes, some places have him in the top 10. Some places have him BPA at our pick.

Like him or not, I think this is a name to know. Unless he has a great combine and will be clearly out of range, then I think this is a name that will get attached to the Cowboys alot during the predraft

Love him. He’s a much better version of Tyrone Crawford. Great size, length and power and awesome production against good competition 2 years in a row.

I think he could bring Michael Bennett in his prime type value. Ability to play in and out and impact the pass and run.
 

darthseinfeld

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Love him. He’s a much better version of Tyrone Crawford. Great size, length and power and awesome production against good competition 2 years in a row.

I think he could bring Michael Bennett in his prime type value. Ability to play in and out and impact the pass and run.
One thing that really appeals to me is that if we do run multiple fronts, he projects to be able to play both a 5T and a 7T at a high level. Not something every DE can do
 

Bigdog

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I have read where some scouts don’t think he is as good as the media says he is and where others have compared him to Joey Bosa. I have not seen him play but if he is anything like Joey Bosa I would take him. Just don’t think he will be there when we pick unless some of these teams start to pick qbs before is that don’t belong in the top 15 like Love.
 

Floatyworm

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What are your thoughts on this player.

I like him, but I dont know if I love him

He has great production and size. If we run a hybrid style defense he can play a 7T and a 5T which would be very valuable. Excellent bull rusher, but he needs to add alot more to his arsenal to beat NFL OT's. He does have good bend so he could develope into a rounded rusher

As far as value goes, some places have him in the top 10. Some places have him BPA at our pick.

Like him or not, I think this is a name to know. Unless he has a great combine and will be clearly out of range, then I think this is a name that will get attached to the Cowboys alot during the predraft

Yup....agree

Checks all the boxes for a Cowboys pick....

Tweener.....check
Position flex....check
Ugly tattoos....check

Has Hotboyz written all over him. :rolleyes:

And I hate the pick.....:banghead:

Mark it in stone.....A.J. Epenesa DE Iowa to the Cowboys w/ the 17th pick.

Would seem like a McCarthy type pick too....Corn feed over achiever...limited athletically.
 

morasp

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Reminds me a little of Joe Jackson. Strong like bull and productive but not quick twitch.
 

Carson

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I’m not in love with the pick. Reminds me of the non flashy picks.

But that worked well with Smith, Fredrick and Martin
 

Oz-of-Cowboy-Country

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This guy won't be there when we pick, but I like him a lot. Who doesn't want a big and physical front four that can control the line of scrimmage? That's what this guy brings to the table.
 

cnuball21

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I have read where some scouts don’t think he is as good as the media says he is and where others have compared him to Joey Bosa. I have not seen him play but if he is anything like Joey Bosa I would take him. Just don’t think he will be there when we pick unless some of these teams start to pick qbs before is that don’t belong in the top 15 like Love.

The more I watch him the more I wonder if he’s a 1st round talent.

I do think he can be a very solid player in the league but I think the team HAS to use him correctly.

Can’t wait to see how he tests at the combine.
 

cowboyec

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didnt watch any Iowa games so only watched him in hi-lite reels...and what i've read.
love his size...and I like Coach Ferentz...so you know he is tough and smart.
from the little i've seen...there is alot to like.
i got a feelin he'll be a top 15 pick.
if he's there at 17....if Kinlaw is gone....you almost gotta take him.
 

Sydla

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Yup....agree

Checks all the boxes for a Cowboys pick....

Tweener.....check
Position flex....check
Ugly tattoos....check

Has Hotboyz written all over him. :rolleyes:

And I hate the pick.....:banghead:

Mark it in stone.....A.J. Epenesa DE Iowa to the Cowboys w/ the 17th pick.

Would seem like a McCarthy type pick too....Corn feed over achiever...limited athletically.

I am a self professed pyscho with edge players. I want to grab as many as I can. It's an obsession. Elite DEs rule the world.

I would not be happy with this pick. Kid strikes me as a good player with a ceiling in the NFL that is below elite or even great.
 

J-man

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I can't make up my mind on him. He's seems to be a tweener that may or not fit what they want to do. He may end up being the pick and I may or may not like it.
 

beware_d-ware

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Ehhhh, I'll wait to see the Combine. I'm not that high on him, honestly. Dude has some booming power in his hands, but he doesn't have the size to handle full-time 3 tech and doesn't have the speed to beat NFL tackles to the edge at DE. He could definitely be useful in a Crawford role playing somewhere between the two, but how high of a pick do you spend on a guy who's decent at 2 positions but not great at one. Not enough for me to pass on a potential game changer like say Chaisson or Fulton, and I'm really liking Xavier McKinney as a high-floor guy.

Now that being said, what gives me pause with Epenesa is my previous whiff on Joey Bosa. I thought he was a big power end with mehhh speed who couldn't turn the corner, but at the Combine, he showed elite change of direction ability. The dude has proved me wrong, because has had no problem getting around the corner in the pros; he's up to 40 sacks in his first four years. Then his little brother comes into the pros with the exact same measurable and exact same game, and he destroys pro tackles too. Epenesa occasionally shows some good bend on the edge, so I'll be watching his agility drills at the Combine. With top notch power + hands + bend, here's potential for him to be another Bosa-brother type.
 

cnuball21

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Ehhhh, I'll wait to see the Combine. I'm not that high on him, honestly. Dude has some booming power in his hands, but he doesn't have the size to handle full-time 3 tech and doesn't have the speed to beat NFL tackles to the edge at DE. He could definitely be useful in a Crawford role playing somewhere between the two, but how high of a pick do you spend on a guy who's decent at 2 positions but not great at one. Not enough for me to pass on a potential game changer like say Chaisson or Fulton, and I'm really liking Xavier McKinney as a high-floor guy.

Now that being said, what gives me pause with Epenesa is my previous whiff on Joey Bosa. I thought he was a big power end with mehhh speed who couldn't turn the corner, but at the Combine, he showed elite change of direction ability. The dude has proved me wrong, because has had no problem getting around the corner in the pros; he's up to 40 sacks in his first four years. Then his little brother comes into the pros with the exact same measurable and exact same game, and he destroys pro tackles too. Epenesa occasionally shows some good bend on the edge, so I'll be watching his agility drills at the Combine. With top notch power + hands + bend, here's potential for him to be another Bosa-brother type.

I just read something starting there's a very high coorelation for pass rush success by looking at college rushers who average 1.5 TFL's per game and have a sub 4.8 40. I'm big on 10 yard split and 3 cone, but Marcus Mosher posted some cool graphics behind it.

Chaisson is way too much risk for me in the top 20, but I agree with you on waiting to see Epenesa at the combine. If he runs a 4.75ish at the combine with a 7 second 3 cone sign me up.
 
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