From now until the 2021 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#9 Hamilcar Rashed Jr. / EDGE/ Oregon St. – 6’3 1/8″, 254lb
The Good
-Good athlete that has the ability to play on his feet or with his hand in the dirt
-Can be moved all over the defensive front, playing either side of line on the edge
-Can be split out into the slot on occasion and will drop into the flats or the middle of the field for zone coverage duties
-Great arm length (33 3/4”) that he uses to hands up in passing lanes to deflect passes
-Plays with a lot of effort and a hot motor as a run-and-chase player on the backside of run plays and when rushing the QB
-Has a variety of pass rush moves (two-hand swipe, swim, drip/rip, chop/rip) to beat blockers and get to the QB
-Can win as a pass rusher on extended plays, showing the ability to adjust back to the ball when initial move fails
-Opportunistic pass rusher that will go for the strip sack and rip at the ball when he arrives to the ball carrier
-Does a pretty good job of keeping his outside leg and arm free on the edge against the run
-Will win with a quick inside move against slower tackles and can displace TEs hoping to seal him off in the run game
-Does a great job getting his hands up in passing lanes to knock down passes
-Athletic profile gives good sense to contribute on special teams coverage units at the next level
The Bad
-Has added size from junior to senior seasons but can stand to get stronger
-Can be inconsistent at times with his hand placement and usage on his rush
-Will win on effort play more often than with clean hand usage as a pass rusher
-Can be a little tight when bending the arc around the edge
-Only one year of impact production in five seasons on campus
-Thin lower-half that limits his finishing ability on tackles and can be an issue when anchoring against the run against larger blockers
-Needs to play with more urgency in disengaging blocks against the run
-Normally a wrap-up tackler but needs to play with more leg drive when bringing ball carriers to the ground
-Will leave his feet too often when trying to make a tackle instead of running through the ball carrier
Bio
-Redshirt Senior prospect from Phoenix, AZ
-Played outside linebacker, defensive end, wide receiver and tight end in high school
-Once had 10 sacks in a single game as a junior as a prep athlete
-Did not play in a game, using his redshirt season in 2016
-Appeared in 12 games as a redshirt freshman, recording six tackles, including five solo
-Played in all 12 games, making 10 starts his sophomore campaign and tallied 58 tackles (30 solo) with 11.