Big name knocked out of first round contention.
Let’s go ahead and get the negativity out of the way first and talk about the big name in the 2020 NFL Draft that probably lost millions of dollars this past week: A.J. Epenesa.
These are currently my EDGE rushers on my "Do Not Draft" list as they lack above average production and athleticism. pic.twitter.com/2pZCYL4guR
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 5, 2020
Not only were Epenesa’s TFL numbers not great by the standard of other “safe” first round picks at EDGE, but his agility and explosion drills also pointed out some issues that you could see on tape.
Epenesa generally wins with power and heavy hands rather than great bend or speed off the line. That is fine for an EDGE at the college level, but usually that limits the upside of a player going into the NFL.
A move inside could be possible, but now you have to add another layer of projection to Epenesa’s scouting report and this will likely lead to him being considered a 5-tech rather than a true EDGE and will lower his grade.
Another sad note is that Utah EDGE Bradlee Anae is also on this list and while Anae wins with technique and hand use, there are some issues where it looks like he is trying to jump the snap rather than winning with a first step naturally.