Demarcus Lawrence... Sneaky #16 pick

[NorthwestDallas40]

Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State DE, is climbing up draft charts. Rob Rang of CBS moved him to #20 in his mock. I watched him play live here for a couple of years and he is an edge rusher/playmaker who is very athletic and has upside. He is not that big yet, 6'3 255, but seems bigger and thicker than Dee Ford with room to add to his frame. I would be OK taking him in a trade-down to 18-19 if Donald and Barr are gone. Do not want Jernigan. Here is Rang's writeup:

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS: Possesses broad shoulders, long arms and a lanky frame, overall, which appears capable of adding another 10 pounds of muscle. Highly versatile defender asked to play a variety of roles with the Broncos.


Shows good (not great) initial quickness off the snap to penetrate off the edge or between gaps. Quick, active hands. Varied pass rush technique, including an over-arm swim, rip, club and even an occasional spin move.



Surprisingly strong at the point of attack. Plays with good leverage and anchors well, slipping off blocks effectively to make tackles near the line of scrimmage. Good effort laterally and downfield in pursuit.



Rarely asked to drop into coverage but appears to possess the quickness, fluidity and awareness to potentially convert to outside linebacker.



WEAKNESSES: While quick, does not appear to have the preferred straight-line speed for linebacker and does not possess the bulk normally associated with defensive linemen, making him a potential 'tweener in the eyes of some teams. Struggles to break free once blockers grab hold of his chest plate.



Only average balance. Too often gets tripped up and knocked to the ground. Moved around a lot in Boise's scheme, presenting him with advantageous matchups.



COMPARES TO: Jason Babin, Jacksonville Jaguars - Like Babin, Lawrence projects nicely as a LEO defensive end due to his burst, length, tenacity and surprising strength. Impressive collegiate production is mitigated by the level of competition faced, as well as size limitations.



--Rob Rang (12/28/13)

 

[Szczepanik]

I dont know about trading down to snag this guy. I would much rather trade down and snag one of Jerny/Ford or even Shazier depending on how far we move down then take Lawrence this high.

 

[Macnalty]

Wow what a big jump he was third round material last I checked. IMO I think there are better choices in both the first and second rounds of the draft for the Boys.

 

[AmishCowboy]

I thinking the best for him is bottom of 1st round or early 2nd

 

[JoeyBoy718]

With all these guys moving up, someone good is bound to drop. As much as we need DE help, I'd rather not spend premium picks on guys who would be 3rd rounders any other year. Give me the best player at a position of need. I still think the best players available at #16 will be either DT (Donald 1A, Jernigan 1B) or OT (Lewan 1A, Martin 1B). I think the DEs who will be available in rounds 2 and 3 will be just as good as whichever DEs are around at #16.

 

[Nirvana]

Easy to fall in love with this player but anybody who thinks he is worthy of the 16 pick needs to tap the brakes. Watch the Nevada game again where Bitonio dominates him. Compare his measurables again: 6'2.7" , 251, 4.8 40 at combine. Barr is 2 inches taller, 4 pds heavier, .14 faster, and so has the freaky athlete aspect much more than Lawrence. He's a 2nd round guy for me - at best a trade down in 1st and get him with a late 1st pick. But he's not the guy I want at 16.

 

[tm1119]

Nope. He'd be a decent pick at 47 but there's no way you could convince me he's a top 25 talent in this draft. The description in the OP pretty much describes him as an undersized DE with only an above average burst. How is that #16 pick worthy?

 

[Alexander]

Wow what a big jump he was third round material last I checked. IMO I think there are better choices in both the first and second rounds of the draft for the Boys.

Or as some have been saying in recent days, the DE class is not very good and teams will take the better ones earlier than once thought.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Nope. He'd be a decent pick at 47 but there's no way you could convince me he's a top 25 talent in this draft. The description in the OP pretty much describes him as an undersized DE with only an above average burst. How is that #16 pick worthy?

Because this draft is epically bad in DEs. OP is predicting people will overdraft to get edge rushers. I'm fine with that. Let other teams make that mistake.

 

[AsthmaField]

Not at 16. No way.

Maybe in the 2nd, but I'm not even a big fan of taking him there. I would rather wait until the 3rd and if he's gone then, oh well.

 

[Gaede]

I'm actually not a very big fan of Lawrence. I just don't see 'it'.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Or as some have been saying in recent days, the DE class is not very good and teams will take the better ones earlier than once thought.

Yep. Scary thing is the smaller number of traditional 4-3 top end DEs in this class. It seems it is a better class for 3-4 pass rushing OLBs due to the number of more tweener types this year.

 

[Risen Star]

Yep. Scary thing is the smaller number of traditional 4-3 top end DEs in this class. It seems it is a better class for 3-4 pass rushing OLBs due to the number of more tweener types this year.

There are always more 3-4 OLBs prospects than 4-3 ends. It's one of the reasons why it's a better defense.

Lawrence is a top 40 talent. I'm not surprised at all that he's a late riser.

 

[BigStar]

So, so sneaky, sir

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

I don't understand the love for him lately. The guy looks like a 3rd maybe late 2nd guy to me. He just looks awfully slow at times, doesn't disengage.... I just am not that high on him.

 

[bodi]

Jeremiah Attaochu, DE, 6-3 #255 George Tech

that is all

 

[JoeyBoy718]

There are always more 3-4 OLBs prospects than 4-3 ends. It's one of the reasons why it's a better defense.

Lawrence is a top 40 talent. I'm not surprised at all that he's a late riser.

I remember for years people were saying 4-3 DEs were so much easier to find. Even when we switched back to the 4-3 people were saying it was a good idea because it would make finding pass rushers easier.

 

[Risen Star]

I remember for years people were saying 4-3 DEs were so much easier to find. Even when we switched back to the 4-3 people were saying it was a good idea because it would make finding pass rushers easier.

Yeah, those people were wrong.

 

[Alexander]

I'm actually not a very big fan of Lawrence. I just don't see 'it'.

If his pass rush versus say Barr's, you notice he actually has the ability to counter once the opponent gets their hands on him and he has an advanced set of pass rush moves. He is not as fast as some, but there is a good bit to work with.

 

[Alexander]

I remember for years people were saying 4-3 DEs were so much easier to find. Even when we switched back to the 4-3 people were saying it was a good idea because it would make finding pass rushers easier.

If we were running the 3-4, we would all drooling over what there is to choose from. Barr is tailor-made impact in a 3-4. Now, we have to hope he is a situatonal rusher. There would be other options like Marcus Smith, Jackson Jeffcoat, Chris Smith and James Gayle later on.

Since we run the 4-3 (and this special version of it), it reduces the options way down to the point a player like Kony Ealy gets elevated because of the shortage of options.

If anyone thinks 4-3 rushers are easy to find, I just have to chuckle and mention Marcellus Wiley, Ebenezer Ekuban, Peppi Zellner and Shante Carver.