Ra’Shede Hageman, Minnesota, #99, 6-6, 310 RS SR
College Position: DT in 4-3
Position on Cowboys: 1T or 3T DT
2014 NFL Draft Projection Round: 1
Arm Length: 33 3/4
Ra’Shede Hageman might be best as a 3-4 DE, but he certainly offers some upside as a pass rushing DT. He is very long and athletic. He was recruited as a TE and led his high school basketball team to a championship. He reportedly has a 36 inch vertical and can 360 dunk. Hageman exhibits great strength, often pushing offensive linemen into the backfield. He uses his height to his advantage (8 PD and 2 blocked kicks in 2013) while maintaining decent pad level when required. While he “only” had 2 sacks in 2013, he had 6 sacks in 2012 and 11 TFL in 2013. He also has a great short-area burst. For example, against UNLV in 2013, the QB faked the zone read handoff to the RB, who Hageman hit, yet Hageman was able to react quickly and move on to the QB, tackling him shortly thereafter.
Hageman is often described as “raw” but is a polished player in the run game. He needs to play with more consistent technique. Minnesota also subs him out frequently, which raises questions about his conditioning. This may also explain his “lack” of stats. NFL scouts will definitely investigate and check with the Minnesota coaching staff. Nevertheless, it’s odd that Minnesota doesn’t put its best player out on the field more often. Don’t get me wrong, Minnesota is a good program (8-4 regular season), but they don’t have the defensive line depth that typically accompanies schools that rotate defensive linemen frequently.
Hageman would be a great fit for the Cowboys. If they draft Hageman in the 1st round, they could still draft a prototypical 3T in another round and then move Hageman to the 1T spot. If they don’t add another quality DT, then Hageman has enough athleticism to play the 3T. Not saying he's an ideal fit there, just that he'd be an asset in the short-term if needed.
2013: 34 tackles, 2 sacks, 11 TFL, 8 PD, 1 QBH, 2 blk kicks, 1 INT
2012: 35 tackles, 6 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF
2011: 13 tackles, 2 sacks, 3.5 TFL, 1 FF
Positives: Strength; Length; Athleticism; Short-area burst
Negatives: Conditioning? (subbed out frequently); Could use more pass rushing moves; Inconsistent technique
Kareem Martin, North Carolina, #95, 6-6, 272, SR
College Position: DE in 4-3
Position on Cowboys: DE in 4-3
2014 Draft Projection Round: 2-3
Arm Length: 34 3/8
Kareem Martin has prototypical size, length, and athleticism for DE in a 4-3. He's been productive, but some scouts and draft enthusiasts aren't as high on him as others and view Martin as a 3rd to 4th round prospect. There are some valid reasons. Martin sometimes flashes a good initial step, but isn't consistent in anticipating the snap or exploding off the line. He gets overpowered in the run game too frequently and lacks the "pop" to challenge blockers if they successfully meet his rush. Martin lacks variety in his pass rush moves.
Martin needs to develop more strength, which might come in an NFL strength and conditioning program. What separates Martin, however, is his dip move. Something special happens when he lowers his inside shoulder and goes after the QB or crashes down on a run play. He appears to be very flexible and agile and looks a good deal more athletic than other plays (and he's an athletic player to begin with). His dip move is very natural and it's not hard to envision him developing a swim move, speed rush, rip move, and outside-in counter with more fine tuning. He's also an aware player and moves well laterally, so he should be able to help in the run game.
Martin's physical attributes and dip move indicate upside. He might only show "flashes" and be a little inconsistent to begin with, but should develop into a solid starting DE. He could be a double digit sack guy, but that's a gamble on potential. I grade him as a round 2-3 prospect, but I could easily see a team falling in love with him in the 2nd, so I wouldn't count on him dropping to the Cowboys in the 3rd.
2013: 82 tackles, 21.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 14 QBH, 3 PD, 3 FF
2012: 40 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 8 QBH, 3 PD, 1 FF
2011: 40 tackles, 7 TFL, 4 sacks, 5 QBH, 6 PD, 1 FR
Positives: Length/Size; Athleticism; Dip move; Upside
Negatives: Repertoire of pass rush moves; Snap anticipation; Inconsistent explosion off the line
