WaterfallJumper
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
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@BobDigital As promised, a long-form review of the redoubtable Carl Lawson.
Carl Lawson
Power. The best way to describe Lawson is that he’s short, but not small. He’s put in some serious time in the weight room, and the investment has paid of — one of the best physiques in the entire draft class. Alpha dog demeanor on the field. Always looking to dominate the competition. Film junkie. Highly motivated individual who firmly believes that he is a first round talent, and wants to prove it, based on his interviews. When his technique is right, he looks like a future all pro against both run and pass.
As a mover, Lawson has some growth potential. He’s very good in one direction, but he’s a prime example of the classic “stiff hips” pass rusher. He had a poor 3-cone time despite a very solid short shuttle time, which shows up on tape: Lawson can change direction forward and backward or side to side with relative ease, but if forced to redirect multiple times or at any sort of angle or curve, he struggles. His game is about straight-line power and good hands. He beats blockers with leverage and force, but isn’t going to drop into coverage any time soon.
Overall, his market value is a little too rich for me (will probably go in the 20 - 40 range), given that he’s strictly a DE at the next level, despite frequently rushing from a two-point stance. He doesn’t operate well enough in space, based on the games I’ve seen, to warrant LB duties, and he doesn’t have the length that the Patriots generally look for in more pure DE prospects. Still, he’s a very good player and should have a long and productive NFL career.
31 1/2” arms
10 3/8” hands
Height: 6015
Weight: 261
40 Yrd Dash: 4.67
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 35
Vertical Jump: 33
Broad Jump: 09'05"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.19
3-Cone Drill: 7.46
+ Significantly more disruptive than stats indicate; high pressure ratio but only 9 sacks
+ Powerful player who routinely wins leverage battle
+ Knocks offensive linemen to the ground on a fairly regular basis
+ Physical, nasty edge to his game
+ Explosive burst off the ball
+ Active hands; seeks contact and looks to shed immediately (to varying degrees of success)
+ Experience rushing from two-point stance on right and left
+ Never gets washed out against the run; can step right in against downhill schemes
+ Always gives max effort
+ Advanced array of pass rushing moves
+ Crashes down the line effectively as a standup LB against inside run plays
+ Pro-ready strength and mentality to become an immediate starter
+ Some experience as an interior rusher; complete speed mismatch for guards
- Linear player; explosive in a straight line, but ineffective when required to redirect
- Lack of bend hampers his ability to finish plays
- Relatively short arms (31” ) for the position
- Lack of length often inhibits him from cleanly disengaging from blocks (good effort though)
- Gets swallowed up by long-armed, physical tackles
- Ridden past the pocket fairly easily by athletic blockers
- Takes a ton of unnecessary off-sides penalties due to over-aggressiveness
- Susceptible to cut blocks
- Loses track of the ball on screens, zone reads, and end arounds
- Looks to get upfield even against run, and doesn’t string plays out to the sideline
- Routinely beaten by speed backs on outside runs
- Looks lost in space the few times he was asked to drop
- Injury history (ACL, hip, etc) and will need to be cleared medically; only one full season of football in his college career
Lawson at his best, beating a tackle with great hands and overwhelming burst. This is the type of play he’s capable of when his technique is right, but he needs to deliver on a more consistent basis.This kind of rush is how he’ll make his money at the next level.
Although it was play-action, Lawson’s burst into the backfield is remarkable. He recognizes that the RB doesn’t have the ball, and almost gets his hands on the QB to disrupt the pass.
Killer inside to outside move. Lawson sells the fake well and then uses quick, coordinated hands to win the edge. Tons of positives in this sequence.
Beautiful stack and shed technique against the TE. As I mentioned, when Lawson uses proper extension, stays square to the line, and plays off the block to make the tackle, he’s extremely good and shows all pro potential. I’d like to see good technique more consistently, however.
Shoutout to the Steelers Depot for their sack compilation video for Lawson. They might root for a rival team, but when it comes to draft content, they do a fantastic job: in-depth breakdowns, player evaluations, and useful video content (although I wish it were HD).
Carl Lawson
Power. The best way to describe Lawson is that he’s short, but not small. He’s put in some serious time in the weight room, and the investment has paid of — one of the best physiques in the entire draft class. Alpha dog demeanor on the field. Always looking to dominate the competition. Film junkie. Highly motivated individual who firmly believes that he is a first round talent, and wants to prove it, based on his interviews. When his technique is right, he looks like a future all pro against both run and pass.
As a mover, Lawson has some growth potential. He’s very good in one direction, but he’s a prime example of the classic “stiff hips” pass rusher. He had a poor 3-cone time despite a very solid short shuttle time, which shows up on tape: Lawson can change direction forward and backward or side to side with relative ease, but if forced to redirect multiple times or at any sort of angle or curve, he struggles. His game is about straight-line power and good hands. He beats blockers with leverage and force, but isn’t going to drop into coverage any time soon.
Overall, his market value is a little too rich for me (will probably go in the 20 - 40 range), given that he’s strictly a DE at the next level, despite frequently rushing from a two-point stance. He doesn’t operate well enough in space, based on the games I’ve seen, to warrant LB duties, and he doesn’t have the length that the Patriots generally look for in more pure DE prospects. Still, he’s a very good player and should have a long and productive NFL career.
31 1/2” arms
10 3/8” hands
Height: 6015
Weight: 261
40 Yrd Dash: 4.67
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 35
Vertical Jump: 33
Broad Jump: 09'05"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.19
3-Cone Drill: 7.46
+ Significantly more disruptive than stats indicate; high pressure ratio but only 9 sacks
+ Powerful player who routinely wins leverage battle
+ Knocks offensive linemen to the ground on a fairly regular basis
+ Physical, nasty edge to his game
+ Explosive burst off the ball
+ Active hands; seeks contact and looks to shed immediately (to varying degrees of success)
+ Experience rushing from two-point stance on right and left
+ Never gets washed out against the run; can step right in against downhill schemes
+ Always gives max effort
+ Advanced array of pass rushing moves
+ Crashes down the line effectively as a standup LB against inside run plays
+ Pro-ready strength and mentality to become an immediate starter
+ Some experience as an interior rusher; complete speed mismatch for guards
- Linear player; explosive in a straight line, but ineffective when required to redirect
- Lack of bend hampers his ability to finish plays
- Relatively short arms (31” ) for the position
- Lack of length often inhibits him from cleanly disengaging from blocks (good effort though)
- Gets swallowed up by long-armed, physical tackles
- Ridden past the pocket fairly easily by athletic blockers
- Takes a ton of unnecessary off-sides penalties due to over-aggressiveness
- Susceptible to cut blocks
- Loses track of the ball on screens, zone reads, and end arounds
- Looks to get upfield even against run, and doesn’t string plays out to the sideline
- Routinely beaten by speed backs on outside runs
- Looks lost in space the few times he was asked to drop
- Injury history (ACL, hip, etc) and will need to be cleared medically; only one full season of football in his college career
Lawson at his best, beating a tackle with great hands and overwhelming burst. This is the type of play he’s capable of when his technique is right, but he needs to deliver on a more consistent basis.This kind of rush is how he’ll make his money at the next level.
Although it was play-action, Lawson’s burst into the backfield is remarkable. He recognizes that the RB doesn’t have the ball, and almost gets his hands on the QB to disrupt the pass.
Killer inside to outside move. Lawson sells the fake well and then uses quick, coordinated hands to win the edge. Tons of positives in this sequence.
Beautiful stack and shed technique against the TE. As I mentioned, when Lawson uses proper extension, stays square to the line, and plays off the block to make the tackle, he’s extremely good and shows all pro potential. I’d like to see good technique more consistently, however.
Shoutout to the Steelers Depot for their sack compilation video for Lawson. They might root for a rival team, but when it comes to draft content, they do a fantastic job: in-depth breakdowns, player evaluations, and useful video content (although I wish it were HD).
