One or possibly all of these players will be available when the Cowboys are on the clock with the 17th pick in the 2020 NFL draft. This, in my opinion, is a blessing because all 4 of these guys have massive potential to be very good NFL players. So... who do we take?
K'Lavon Chaisson
Edge/LSU
6'4" 250lbs
First Step Explosiveness - Folks. This dude has rocket shoes, a jet pack or something else strapped on him. Explosiveness is top shelf and on reps where he's pressing for the edge he'll command length and clean feet to challenge him. He's sudden in space, too. Upfield drive step out of his 2 or 3 pt. stance gains a ton of ground.
Hand Technique/Length - His hand fits setting the edge against the run are excellent. Shows ability to lock out and get a firm stab on the numbers. He's coming along nicely in his ability to play with finesse as well. There's plenty of room to grow but the arrow points up for execution — got better here throughout the season.
Pass Rush Counters - Long arm, speed to power, double sweep and rip and dip are where he's most effective off the edge. Needs to develop another counter pre-contact and would love to see some more versatility to work inside. He has successfully flashed inside spin and came on strong with it throughout 2019 season to icepick and seal OTs.
Flexibility - Surreal body control, both in space and around the edge. Surface reduction/lower body tilt can get damn near parallel to ground. He's very loose through the hips and lower half to plant/drive with quickness or open against momentum. Still working on getting inside foot to catch at steep angles on outside.
Run Defending - His awareness is really strong and he pairs it with good gap discipline. Doesn't give up the edge with leverage. Sense to filter through traffic and use his hands to work through bodies to find the football are strong. Good balance to play off of contact and challenge as a tackler. He's super technical challenging pullers or turnout blocks.
Competitive Toughness - This. Motor. Runs. HOT. Love his competitive spirit and effort to work back into plays on the back side. Peels back into the pocket if the QB flushes and has found second effort production. He's stout with angles — not a true boomer in in-line alignments but he's also got some room to grow on his frame too, which is a scary thought.
Tackling - Explosive closing burst and a violent finisher. He'll hunt the football too when he's afforded the opportunity. Shows good length and good consistency as a wrap up tackler. Will make some plays he has no business making with his tackle radius and range thanks to short area agility.
Lateral Mobility - He's got to be a little cleaner when he's put in a bind on the edge, he can be a little ambitious to work upfield in space before flipping to open to the boundary. His inside stunts are elite and offer plenty of fluidity, contact balance and burst to crash through A-gaps. His mirror skills or range to drive inside are A+.
Stand Up Ability - How many guys of this stature do you know that successfully play jam in the slot or man up on TEs in the red zone? He's one of them. Pretty rare athlete with the versatility he brings to the table based on formations and personnel. Explosive burst out of a two-point stance as a rusher off the edge.
Football IQ - Despite less than 30 games played, he's impressive with how much was put on his plate in 2019. He's coming along with his hand counters and rush consistency to set up OTs for successful first challenges at contact. Run defending IQ is through the roof and he's a natural/comfortable mover when flexed out of the POA.
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Best Trait - Explosiveness
Worst Trait - Production
Best Film - Alabama (2019)
Worst Film - Utah State (2019)
Red Flags - 2018 ACL tear
Player Summary - K'Lavon Chaisson is a dynamic threat off the edge — he possesses elite versatility, explosiveness and a prototypical build to play a hybrid EDGE. Chaisson is still developing as a pass rusher but his effectiveness in speed rushes and inside stunts will afford him a pathway to early disruption. Chaisson is a high end run defender with length and heavy hands — a true natural in that regard. The sky is the limit. Chaisson, with more rush versatility, can be a cornerstone defender.
Javon Kinlaw
DT/South Carolina
6'5" 315lbs
Explosiveness: Dude's a rocket. Regularly times the snap well, especially when aligned over the center, and comes low and hot out of the chute when he's tasked with penetration. Leads with his shoulders over his toes and uncoils his hips to generate immediate displacement; resets the line of scrimmage with excellent bench press power. Wish he was better at carrying his feet with him through contact; frequently pops up after initial push and gives opponent an opportunity to re-anchor. Will get too far over his toes at times which leads to balance issues, but that's an acceptable consequence of his insane get off
Lateral Agility: Has some surprising quicks in him for such a big dude. Does well to work across face as a head-up pass rusher and has decent hip mobility to get into a gap and wrench his way around a half-man. Ankle bend helps him here. Does not have good hip sink, which leads to some laborious changes of direction in space, but at his size, you expect much of that. Has some solid reps working with flow as a run defender, but is generally guilty of turning his shoulders into the line of scrimmage and surrendering his back as he works for penetration.
Pass Rush Technique: All the tools in the toolbox. Generally wins with a bull-rush/push-pull profile: strong hands to grip, great upper body power to lock out, and then has the necessary power and quickness profile to rip opponent down and clear his hips into space. Tries to work a cross-chop and swim but is poorly served by his elite length here -- struggles to win hand fights in a tight area and ends up off-target with his strikes. Understands what to do when he wins a gap off the snap and has the flexibility and rip strength to turn corners against pressure and present in the defensive backfield. Learning how to maximize his length will lead to better one-on-one wins in the NFL.
Leverage: Good up until the third step. Such a long and tall player who simply struggles to stay coiled for a consistent period of time throughout a rep. Pops up as a two-gapper and relies on his upper-body power and length to solve the problem for him, which is a winning strategy in the SEC but may not be so in the NFL. Will often lose his pad level after his initial surge and bull rush and does not have the desired sled drive at this stage, though that's likely something you can teach up into him. Struggles with poor natural leverage are most obvious when he's double-teamed or down-blocked in a gap.
Block Deconstruction: Rare to see a square block on this cat in the first place. Is simply too long, quick, and powerful to be engaged one-on-one in space by guards and centers -- invariably gets to a half-man relationship and compromises pocket integrity, and the very least forcing the QB to move off his spot. When engaged, has the upper body strength and understanding of leverage to break free; regularly makes tackles at the line of scrimmage with a freed shoulder accordingly. With that said, is up-and-down against slide protection and will surrender his back to his opponent, limiting his ability to defeat the block. Same issues pop up against double teams.
Lower-Body Power: Could stonewall a charging bull. Ridiculous posterior chain power who shocks opponents backwards in head-up trench play without fail. Uses explosiveness to win interior gaps as a result of hip power when he uncoils. Shows a formidable anchor as well when he gets his hips low and plays with bent knees and a wide base, though these reps are frustratingly rare given his upright play style. Would like to see a better ability to reset his feet and sustain his leg drive when working his bull-rush, though this is more a leverage issue than anything else.
Upper-Body Strength: Bench presses everyone he faces. Has the ability to rip opponents away from his frame with one arm and can long-arm and sustain leverage against the biggest offensive linemen he faces. Ragdoll ability when he centers his hands on the chest plate. When his hands are located correctly as a pass-rusher, regularly breaks his opponents grip and can yank himself into the backfield with a violent and unstoppable push-pull. Is lacking for nothing here; blue-chip trait.
Mental Processing: Has some tunnel vision to his game which leads to some disappointing results to great process reps. Regularly resets the line of scrimmage as a run defender but will fail to diagnose backfield action concurrent with his penetration and accordingly lets possible TFLs run right by him. Smarter at the line of scrimmage when he's two-gapping, does well to break late into gaps while maintaining control of his opponent. Can feel down blocks coming quickly with spotty frequency -- at times gets too oriented on penetration and will turn his shoulders into gaps. Sees and feels screens mighty quick and will disrupt them. Does not feel double teams coming and loses leverage and balance accordingly -- must ID them quicker.
Motor: Has the juice early but definitely wanes as the game goes on. Willing to make pursuit plays across the line of scrimmage and has some solid clean-up reps against cutback reps, but doesn't have a ton of hustle into boundary plays or when re-tracing screens that he feels are out of his reach. The longer the game gets the more willing he is to sit on blocks, pop up at the line of scrimmage, or jog in pursuit.
Round Grade: Incomplete
Best Trait: Upper-Body Strength
Worst Trait: Mental Processing
NFL Comparison: Leonard Williams
Summary: Javon Kinlaw is a Day 1 target for any team looking to add a starter on the defensive line, and will be a high priority add for teams looking to increase their disruption up front. A hugely powerful athlete with a wicked first step, Kinlaw demolishes blocking schemes and pocket integrity with regularly. Kinlaw can 1-gap or 2-gap with equal success at the NFL level given his elite toolkit, and his potential as a pass-rusher is sky-high. Inconsistencies regarding Kinlaw's leverage and pass rush moves limit his ceiling as a one-on-one winner as an interior pass rusher, but by moving him around the line and sticking him in gaps, you'll get quality pass rush ability in Year 1. Kinlaw is a candidate for Pro Bowl bids the moment he steps on the field, and has the physical tools of the top defensive tackles in the league if he continues to grow.
Grant Delpit
S/LSU
6'3" 201lbs
PROS: He’s an animal playing forward. Confidently drives on the football in click and close situations and he has a quick trigger when attacking downhill against the run, especially when lined up in the box. Incredibly versatile with upside in man and zone coverage. Has strong pattern mirroring skills from the slot and his length really shows up when closing on the ball against quick game. Definitely checks the box with his ball skills - he’s sound a securing takeaways and disrupting at the catch point. Always punching/raking at the football to try and separate it from the ball carrier. Showcases good range to cover ground and close down distances. Has proven to be an effective blitzer with good timing, physicality and effort. Very intelligent player who processes quickly and always finds himself around the football. Became a much more consistent tackler in 2019, arriving under better control, aiming low and wrapping up. Hitting power and contact balance are excellent. Love his ability to navigate through tight quarters and knife through traffic in pursuit. Quick feet, smooth and athletic for his size. Can lineup virtually anywhere in the back seven.
CONS: While 2019 was better, it’s still difficult to forget about all the whiffs in 2018 that carried over a bit although much improved. Can be a touch loose with zone coverage spacing and he needs to be more consistent trusting his landmarks.
BEST TRAIT - Trigger, Physicality
WORST TRAIT - Tackling
RED FLAGS - None
NFL COMP - Eric Berry
Grant Delpit was one of the SEC’s most dynamic defensive playmakers across his final two seasons in Baton Rouge, earning First-Team All-SEC recognition in consecutive seasons, unanimous All-American honors and claiming the Jim Thorpe Award in 2019 as the nation’s best defensive back. Delpit brings a lot to the table and he projects favorably to becoming a high-impact safety in the NFL. He’s versatile, physical, urgent, smart, athletic and his skill set is perfect for matching up against the pace and space present in today’s NFL offenses. Tackling has been a notable wart in Delpit’s film but he improved considerably in 2019, playing with more control and wrapping up with more consistency. Delpit’s presence will make an NFL scheme more multiple and there just isn’t anything he can’t do on the field. He has the upside to become one of the best players at his position by Year Three with the upside to start right away.
Xavier McKinney
S/Alabama
6'1" 200lbs
PROS: Love the versatility and variety of roles he can fill. Alabama had him playing man from the slot, deep zone as a safety (split and one-high) and down near the line of scrimmage. Has the physical traits to win all of those roles. Has a quick trigger attacking downhill as a run defender or tackling in quick game. Attacks the football in the air with great confidence, particularly when driving forward on it. Generally a good tackler. Love his short area burst both linear and lateral. Plays with great urgency and I love how often he gets through traffic to finish. Contact balance and hitting power are good. He can mirror and match steps in man coverage and make plays on the football. Showcases a natural feel for route anticipation and plays fast. Smooth when reading the backfield and working into throwing lanes to move the quarterback off his read. Takes tight, aggressive angles in pursuit. Rangy with excellent football IQ.
CONS: Had a few reps where he came in a bit high as a tackler and took the worst of some 1v1 situations in space. Has some issues coming to balance and squaring up the ball carrier. Angles can be a touch overly-aggressive at times and shiftier ball handlers make him pay. More effective in run support playing down near the line of scrimmage as opposed to when there is more space for him to cover.
BEST TRAIT - Versatility
WORST TRAIT - Tackling
RED FLAGS - None
NFL COMP - Jimmie Ward
Xavier McKinney is a versatile defensive back that can fill multiple roles at a high level for an NFL defense, just like he showcased at Alabama. Whether it’s deep zones, man coverage from the slot or lining up close to the line of scrimmage, McKinney can execute. He showcases good processing speed, functional athleticism and the size needed to perform. There are times his angles can be too flat which impacts his tackling results. For a defense that likes to be matchup-specific with its defensive backs, McKinney’s presence should lend itself to more scheme multiplicity. His blend of size, range and processing skills are a strong foundation for him to build upon at the next level and he’s already experienced functioning in a variety of roles for a Nick Saban defense.
