Since I didn't do a lot of gifs for Willis, I figured I'd cut a few more after his impressive Combine performance. He definitely has potential, but I'll try to outline some of my concerns. His play speed never matches his timed speed, and it usually comes down to indecision. I think with proper coaching, he can be a pro bowl caliber player; he's simply not there yet, however, which is why I have a tough time giving him anything better than 2nd round grade.
Draftbreakdown just put up a new cut of one of his games. You can see the burst off the edge, but also some troubling tendencies with his technique. I'll go through a few examples and try to explain. On the plus side, he's young and still learning. His coaches love him, so I have no doubt he'd do whatever asked of him if he ended up here. Let's dive in.
Pursuit in the open field looks tentative. He has the speed to get out there and blow up this play, but as is often the case, he's hesitant and overly careful. I like the discipline to play the run first (although I'd prefer him to stay square and squeeze the line, instead of getting upfield), but once he realized it's a pass and moved toward the flat, I don't know why he started to change his angle and break down to make the tackle before he was in range. He ends up leaning and reaching for the runner, and while he makes the tackle, they give up the first down. Is he overthinking? He has all the tools to make a great play. This might sound harsh, but a more decisive player with lesser speed will make a tackle for no gain in this scenario.
This next clip is so disheartening to watch. He labors to disengage. It's helpful to slow the clip down to half speed (click on the gear and adjust speed). He gets a good jump on the snap, and is a full step farther upfield than his linemates. He then gets his hands up, but because of his odd stance he has no power from his lower half in his punch. Instead of extending, and controlling, he just makes contact and keeps running the arc. Notice how many steps he takes after contact: 5 - 6 steps before he ducks under the block and makes his way to the quarterback. By the time he's in the backfield, the QB (Mahomes) has plenty of time to step up and make the throw.
Why am I being so nitpicky? Compare his rush to Derek Barnett working against Cam Robinson, who is a legitimate 1st round pick and should be a starting tackle for a long time in the league. Watch him bend, dip and rip, and keep his feet moving through contact. He takes 3 steps from first contact to beating the block, and then he flattens his angle and is now running parallel to the line of scrimmage toward the quarterback, reducing the distance he needs to cover for the sack. (I'd love to see Barnett fall to our range. Great player. Probably my favorite edge in this draft, other than Walker.)
Another rush, another struggle to disengage. With his testing numbers, he should be threatening the edge a lot harder, and then he should have the quickness and explosion to make a hard inside move. Instead, it's like he's velcroed to the OT. His hands and feet don't work in sync. He doesn't gather his base before contact. He just reaches with his hands and gets pushed backward. His feet go nearly dead on contact. He needs to get low, extend his arms, and then violently come back the other way on this move.
Note: I don't care if players make or don't make the play in college football. I do care, however, if they show transferrable traits. Despite all of his impressive speed, agility testing, and jumping prowess, Willis is a mess on the field who takes himself out of the play more than the blocker does. With the right coach, he can be an absolute force, but he's 1 - 2 years away from a breakout season. I'd like to have him here, but he would be a long-term understudy, not an instant super star like his numbers might indicate.
