Drafted by Cowboys Cowboys Select Jay Toia, DT UCLA

I've only gone back and watched a few drives of his so far, but it would seem that this guy is exactly what you'd think from his measurables. Plays with great strength, but does not move well laterally....going to be true of nearly any human being that is close to 350lbs though. I'm seeing zero pass rush aside from a straight burst & bullrush. Gonna be a straight run down rotational player, but he also doesn't seem to create separation with the OL to get off blocks either. That could be very bad news on stretch/zone runs.

I wouldnt be surprised at all if they tried to slim him down a bit. He actually looks to be quite athletic for his size, but I dont see him translating very well to the NFL if hes going to play at 340+. I would imagine if he can play at 325 or so he wont see a dramatic loss in strength and may have the ability to move at NFL speed which I think he will need in order to compensate for his short arms and inconsistent hand work.

He is a guy I'll try to find more film on too. Interesting prospect.
 
thunderpimp91 said:
I've only gone back and watched a few drives of his so far, but it would seem that this guy is exactly what you'd think from his measurables. Plays with great strength, but does not move well laterally....going to be true of nearly any human being that is close to 350lbs though. I'm seeing zero pass rush aside from a straight burst & bullrush. Gonna be a straight run down rotational player, but he also doesn't seem to create separation with the OL to get off blocks either. That could be very bad news on stretch/zone runs.

I wouldnt be surprised at all if they tried to slim him down a bit. He actually looks to be quite athletic for his size, but I dont see him translating very well to the NFL if hes going to play at 340+. I would imagine if he can play at 325 or so he wont see a dramatic loss in strength and may have the ability to move at NFL speed which I think he will need in order to compensate for his short arms and inconsistent hand work.

He is a guy I'll try to find more film on too. Interesting prospect.
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For his size he's very quick. Saw him run down a few guys almost Larry Allen speed for his size. At least the first 10 yards:laugh:
 
I like the big fat body in the middle of the defense to take up space. That helps the run defense.
 
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Fatties ONLY-Baby! Going to be a guy I root for this training camp.
 
IceStar-D7 said:
For his size he's very quick. Saw him run down a few guys almost Larry Allen speed for his size. At least the first 10 yards:laugh:
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I've only gone back and watched a few drives as I mentioned so dont take my words there as the gospel by any means. That said though I'm really referencing more what I'm seeing on zone runs and stretch plays than I am straight line speed. As mentioned I think the guy looks like an amazing athlete for his size, and that obviously shows up on highlight clips, but i'm talking more about the challenges hes going to actually have play to play. Seems like his margin of error in reading blocks is slim due to some limitations in his lateral movements...especially when you look at how close he plays to the OL. I'm guessing this is due to his shorter arms. Could means struggles if they ever want him to be a two gap defender, also could be a red flag on those stretch plays as mentioned.

Need to dive in deeper before I truly form an opinion though, this is just what I'm seeing in 20ish snaps.
 
big dog cowboy said:

Overview​

Three-year starter with the build and mentality to play nose tackle in odd or even fronts. Toia carries a girthy base and is heavy into first contact. He has the power to give good resistance against all forms of blocks that come his way but a lack of length makes him more of a space eater than a block beater. He pummels single-block protection with violent club moves for sporadic pressures but is unlikely to get home. He’ll need to improve his block recognition and fine-tune his take-on to be his best version of a two-down run defender.

Strengths​

  • Brings nose tackle thickness to the field.
  • Good aggression and effort level on each snap.
  • Battles double-teams with a wide base and strong back leg.
  • Drive power to penetrate the line versus finesse blocks.
  • Opens rush edge with violent slaps and club moves.

Weaknesses​

  • Average hand quickness getting into first contact.
  • Lack of length allows blocks to crowd his chest.
  • Could struggle with shed quickness as an NFL two-gapper.
  • Unlikely to maintain gap integrity against stretch plays.
  • Tethered to his starting point, limiting his production.
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Bohanna 2.0

Hopefully this version is more productive.
 
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