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Overview:
HT: 6’6″ WT: 280
A.J. Epenesa is a high end NFL prospect mostly due to the raw gifts he was born with. He profiles as an every day starter in the NFL, but will need to further develop his game if he wants to be elite. He played very well against tough BIG 10 competition, but questions about his get-off and speed prevent him from being a top 5 pick or a bona fide day 1 star.
Critical Factors:
- Athletic Ability/Lateral Agility (5)
- The athletic ability that he has for his size is rare, most players with the arm length and height of Epenesa are slow interior defensive lineman.
- As a bigger player he does lack some of the lower body flexibility that the elite rushers display.
- He has very good lateral movement for a player of his size, and even has dropped into coverage for Iowa on multiple occasions, another rarity for a player his size.
- Mental Processing/Key and Diagnose (5)
- Epenesa is generally good at diagnosing the play and where it is going, even he has his lapses but those should go away with more experience.
- On read options/option plays, Epenesa tends to follow the quarterback, not the football.
- Competitive Toughness (4)
- He competes on every down, but his motor is inconsistent and he gives up on plays on occasion.
- For a player of his physical profile, I would like to see more consistent dominance, but the desire to make a play does not always show up on tape.
- Play Speed (4)
- Epenesa has solid speed, he does a good job of getting upfield once he gets by or around the offensive lineman.
- Speed is not his strength, but his game is not built on speed so that is expected.
- The biggest disappointment with him is his speed/explosion off the line of scrimmage, he struggles to have that burst that separates elite rushers from good ones.
- Play Strength (6)
- A very strong player, Epenesa primarily beats his blocks by pushing through or by them.
- Because he can overpower most lineman at the college level, he is often double-teamed.
- The only thing that hold back his strength is his get-off or lack thereof. He does not explode off the line which give lineman a chance to set before taking on his pressure.
- Against better competition, or more talented offensive tackles, he can struggle early in games but his motor allows him to have his way with them by the end of the game.
Check out Epenesa’s tape from the Michigan game!
Position Specific Traits:
- Tackling/Pursuit (5)
- Epenesa is a good tackler, he uses his long arms to wrap players and stop their progress.
- He can use his reach and strength to make tackles while still engaged with a lineman.
- He does a good job of getting off his block if a runner is approaching his area.
- Hand Use/Technique (4)
- His hand technique is above average. He has a variety of pass rush moves.
- He has great wiggle in his hips which allows him to blow by offensive lineman that do not engage with him fast enough.
- He boasts a variety of functional rush moves, some with his hands some using the good wiggle in his hips.
- Run Stopping/Inside and Outside (4)
- He diagnoses run plays well and plays inside runs extremely well.
- He seals the edge effectively on outside plays, but players with speed are able to get by him.
- Power Rush (7)
- This is where Epenesa is elite. He does such a good job of wearing down offensive tackles with his consistent power and his unrelenting motor.
- His reach and strength allows him to push down on the arms of lineman and then use the leverage to blow by.
- In the Holiday Bowl against USC, Epenesa went against fellow top prospect LT Austin Jackson. Jackson did a great job most of the game but by the fourth quarter it was clear that Epenesa had worn him down and he began having his way with Jackson.
- Speed Rush (3)
- Epenesa doesn’t have the speed to blow by bigger, more talented tackles. However, he does have the speed to blow through gaps when you move him around the line.
Scheme/Fit: Epenesa would fit best as a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. He is best utilized as a pure rusher getting looks off the edge and inside. He could be used as an end on a 4-3 team who can be kicked inside on passing downs, but some teams may view him as too slow and prefer to play him as a pass rushing DT in the DeForest Buckner mold. While he has dropped into coverage on occasion in college, and could be seen as a linebacker in a 3-4, his weight and lack of overall mobility make that less than an ideal fit.
Negatives: The biggest negative for Epenesa is his lack of an explosive/elite get off. Against more adept and bigger offensive lineman in the NFL, not to mention better; more mobile; quicker release quarterbacks, Epenesa could struggle to adjust to the next level initially, but should evolve into a premier defensive player.
Combine Report:
Relevant Numbers: 40 Yard Dash – 5.04; Vertical – 32.5; Broad – 117; 20 Yard Shuttle – 4.46; 3-Cone Drill – 7.34; Bench – 17
I would put Epenesa up there as one of the most disappointing on field workouts. The 5.04 second 40 is approaching red flag territory. The bench press for a player of Epenesa’s size is approaching red flag territory. He salvaged his day by jumping well, particularly the broad jump. His on field drills weren’t eye opening, but he didn’t look bad either. All in all, this is a player who’s stock was trending down before the combine and then his performance at the combine may have knocked him down even more.
NFL Player Comparison/Projected Round: Yannick Ngakoue/Michael Bennett — Round 1-2 (Post Combine)
Epenesa is an extremely hard player to compare to the current slew of NFL talent. While not light by any definition of the word, he does not have the same rotund figure that the other 6’6″ and taller defensive lineman usually have. My favorite comparison for him from skills alone is Yannick Ngakoue of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ngakoue was a wrecking ball at Maryland and has only gotten better since entering the league. He is one of the more dominant pass rushers in the NFL and Epenesa has similar potential.
Another comparison I like is Michael Bennett, a heavier defensive end who can line up anywhere and has been used inside on passing downs throughout his career. A bonus comparison is Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like Epenesa in college, Heyward has made an accomplished career in the pros off of disrupting the play, stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback even if not a sack master.
Epenesa who’s tape made him appear to be a clear cut first round pick has fallen in a lot of decision-makers’ eyes. He will need to show up in a big way at his pro day and in interviews to lock himself into the first round. Lucky for him, pass rushers are a premium and good ones are pushed up draft boards. I originally saw him as the second EDGE player taken to Ohio State’s Chase Young; now I see him as likely the 4th behind Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson. I still think Epenesa can creep his way into first round but now is looking to go in the 22-32 range with second round potential.
As always, we end on a high note, check out Epenesa’s highlights!
Jesse Shuter 