OMG... A.J. Epenesa. Sheeeit.
 

Just getting around to watching video on some first round guys I haven't checked out yet.

How...how is this guy not a top-10 pick? He looks like *prime* JJ Watt in these highlights.

He's destroying Saquad...by destroying his quads...

He's batting passes. He's playing read-options perfectly. He's crushing dudes. He's got a nasty attitude.

Like, is there any chance he's available when we pick?

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He had a shitty Combine, so there’s that....

Just reading up. Sounds like he was slow/sluggish, but not disastrous. I'm not sure how an edge talent (on film) like that drops to the bottom of the 1st though.

Epenesa’s 40 wasn’t ideal, but his 10 was more on par with the other big edge rushers and his vertical and broad jump were solid.

I think the athleticism angle is overblown with him.

This!!! Iowa players never put up good bench press numbers because they don't do that lift in college. His level of performance has been top 15 and I would be floored if he drops below 20. I think he has 10-15 pick talent. Seems like teams are spreading false negatives hoping he will fall to them.

almost the total player

Seriously, though.... what are the odds he's there at 32.

0%? 10%? 50%?

Spend a calling to 32 would put a smile on my face

Stupid spell check!

Epenesa falling to 32....

I’d say close to 50/50.

0

:)

I laughed...

Really?

I’d say slim to none, even if his testing was pedestrian...

I’m basing this on all of the current noise that he’s going to fall out of round 1. There’s a lot of smoke.

I think it's bend that gets him knocked a bit.

He can show a little stiff at times. Sort of a rich man's Eric Hicks in a way - Hicks could be damn productive at times but if you could force him out wide, he wasn't gonna bend the edge and dip a shoulder to cut around you.

I think Epenesa is better at EVERYTHING than Hicks, but ol' Hicks gets a bit of a bad rap as a pass rusher because how often that bootleg ate his ass alive. He was a quality player for most of his career.

Make that 2002 version of Hicks a premier run defender as well and you have something similar to what Epenesa will be. Take the average of that 5 year run from 99 through 2003, add another 25% to it and I think you get something really similar to Epenesa.

Oh I totally get the lack of bend thing. That’s why I thought he was overrated at the beginning of the process, but that’s also always been known. It seems as if it’s the combine/testing that’s pushed him even further down the board (if he really goes late 1st to early 2nd, if so that’s silly).

He’s easily a top 20-25 prospect in this class IMO.

Vikings, Seahawks and Patriots all have legit needs at DE, and Miami to a lesser degree (I think all of the Dolphins first round picks will be dedicated to offense).

I can’t see him getting past New England, with the need they have and him being an Iowa product as Belichick and Ferentz are tight. The only way New England steers away from Epenesa is if they feel there is a bigger need in their aging secondary and links to McKinney/Alabama have been rumoured.

If AJ is still around at 32, Chiefs needs be damned and they best snatch him up

I'm inclined to agree.

But I think he'll slip a bit because he lacks versatility. I don't think 3-4 teams will be eager to put him out there as a 5-tech and he's not a stand up backer.

So as a 1st round prospect, he's strictly a 4-3 possibility. And so that takes a few teams off the board.

Then when he's a real possibility in the early late teens, early 20s, it will only take 2-3 guys who see someone they like just a little more to keep him falling.

It won't be because of a mediocre combine (I just don't think teams take those as seriously as we do), but it might be because he's just a little less dynamic and a little less versatile than what teams look for in pass-rushers in the 1st round.

But yeah, he's a great pick for KC if he gets to us.

I’d be happy with him.

Nice. Was working on my final 2020 mock and had him fall to KC where I mocked him. I'd put it at relatively probable he's there. Obviously there's teams out there with needs, but he doesn't particularly fit some teams as a 4-3 base end type. I think he'd be a great fit with Clark on the other side.

By the way Northman, everything in Minnesota points to them starting Odenigbo opposite Hunter this year from his production last year to his coach saying it's likely. I'd guess they stick to their norm and take a pass rusher late day 2 or some time day 3 and keep churning them out.

As for Seattle, they took Collier in round 1 last year to develop as their base end. They need a Leo because Irvin isn't a long-term solution. I don't think they look as hard at Epenesa as they would a guy like Baun or Lewis.

I was watching film on him the other day and then pulled up some mocks . they pretty much all have him going before 25. NE came up several times.

I don't think he's Veaches type.

He has very long arms.

I'd love AJ to be a Chiefs, but he screams Patriots or Seahawks to me.

Dude will be a steal. I've seen these analysts pulling out tape from his first game as a true freshmen and having problems with it. No shit.

If you have watched this guy play, he's the real deal.

I dont think hes there, but if he is he feels like one of those guys you just cant let get away.

He is a guy that in a 4-3 is not ideal as en edge rusher so on early downs he does his job and holds the edge.

Then on passing downs you move him inside and let him beat up a guard.

That's more Patriots stuff then what we are probably looking for.

Yep, less than ideal. Just 22 sacks and 30.5 tackles for a loss the past 2 seasons in the BIG10... Considering Young had 27 sacks and 35.5 tackles for a loss the past 2 seasons, effectively blowing Epenesa out of the water, I'd suppose he's not a guy you want pushing the pocket from the edge in the NFL.

I will piss on the grave of whoever invented spell check

So did Jared Allen...

Again, and I'm not a GM, but I think there are >32 first round talents this year. That means, necessarily, some of those talents will fall out of the first round. That's great news for Chiefs fans.

I think his ceiling is Tamba Hali.

That's not bad.

I don't agree that he can't do damage as a pure 4-3 DE.

He's not a speed rusher, but again - this is your strong-side DE. You NEED a guy who can hold the point of attack over there. And if you have that guy, his first move will rarely be to try to beat the RT out wide, so he'll need to be able to win with power and technique.

Epenesa excels in exactly that. Very good hands and seems to always have a plan.

He's not a slug out there at all. He's just not a first step guy.

Yea I don’t agree that you have to move him inside to get a pass rush out of him. He can do both.

If he was on KC that's what I would want. Move him inside next to Jones on passing downs.