Know your Chiefs draft crush Part 2: defensive line methodology and Adetomiwa Adebawore
We continue our draft crush series, this time diving into an athletic and versatile defensive lineman.
Draft season is officially here.
Well, for many people, it’s been here for a while. Dane Brugler (the undisputed king of draft coverage) has issued a bit of a preview of his annual “Beast” draft guide. Danny Kelly with The Ringer (one of my favorite analysts) has got his own interactive guide up and running. And our friends at the are about to drop their now-annual Chiefs-centric draft guide (a must-have I’d urge anyone to order).
But for guys like me, who don’t follow college football (or the draft) year-round? It’s just getting started. Which means it’s time for one of my favorite yearly traditions.
That’s right, “know your Chiefs draft crush” is back!
In part 1 of our series, I explained the methodology I’d be using to look at wide receivers and examined the film of TCU’s Quentin Johnston. Today, we’ll start our defensive lineman group with Adetomiwa Adebawore, a player wo has been mocked to the Chiefs a few times and has some interesting traits.
Let’s talk about the methodology we’ll use for defensive linemen, then talk about Adebawore’s film.
We’ll start with a look at the player’s height/weight and college attended, along with perhaps a few relevant measurements. Then I’ll take a look at every snap in multiple games, then write up about the same traits for each defensive linemen I examine. Those traits are as follows, with a kinda/sorta summary of the information we’re looking for in each trait:
First step/explosion - What sort of ability does he have to get off the line? What about his acceleration after that first step? Is he someone who wins here and creates an advantage, or does he need to compensate in other ways?
Agility/bend/athleticism - How is his change of direction? Does he operate well in the phone booth in terms of being able to move/react quickly? Does he have that ever-important ability to bend around the edge and maintain balance?
Power - Does he show the ability to overpower opponents? Hold his ground against the run? Are his hands heavy or does he rarely jar opposing blockers?
Pass Rush Chops - Where does he win as a pass rusher? Where does he lose? Is he someone with a plan or is he reliant on winning physically with natural gifts? What’s the ceiling look like as a handfighter? Does he have a go-to move?
Run defense - Can he set the edge? Hold up against double teams? Manhandle tight ends? Does he seem to understand run fits?
Awareness - How often is he out of position? Does he locate the ball well? How does he handle play action, RPO’s, etc? Can he be trusted in space a bit?
Versatility - You KNOW Spagnuolo loves guys who can line up all over. Where does he fit in, and how many different roles can he play?
Overall Takeaway - What’s the final verdict? This is where I’ll give a “grade” of sorts by saying where I’d be willing to draft the player.
All right, let’s get to it.