This is the first in what I’m hoping will be a series of posts on players I like in the upcoming draft. I’m not going to get into what round these players should be drafted in. I’m more interested in analyzing their skills and traits to see how they project to the NFL and more specifically the Baltimore Ravens.
To put it mildly, this has been a down year for the Ravens. They’ve been hit hard by injuries and have generally not played well. The Ravens are not in playoff contention and Coach Harbaugh has recently talked about the last three games of this season being the “jumping off” point for the 2016 season.
As we look towards the 2016 draft, the Ravens have a ton of needs. You can make a case for several position groups including: wide receiver, defensive back, and offensive line. But in my opinion, upgrading the pass rush should be the top off season priority.
One of the most intriguing pass rushers in this years draft is Noah Spence of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Spence was recently named an FCS All-America after a tremendous season in which he registered 22.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 63 tackles (31 solo). You can read more about his All-America selection and other season stats here: http://www.wkyt.com/sports/headlines/Noah-Spence-picks-up–362959131.html
Spence began his college football career at Ohio State but transferred to Eastern Kentucky after his sophomore season. If you haven’t read about his off-field issues, they’ve been well documented. This FoxSports.com report is a very revealing look into Spence’s off-field struggles: http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/ohio-state-buckeyes-noah-spence-dl-eastern-kentucky-colonels-ecstasy-addiction-comeback-102015
I can’t speak to his character, but I do believe in second chances. What I can speak to is his play on the field, so let’s dive into it. Thanks to the amazing work of the team at draftbreakdown.com, I was able to watch 7 of Spence’s games (4 from 2013 while he was at OSU and 3 from this year’s EKU team).
Where Spence wins
Spence (# 9 for EKU and # 8 for OSU) shows the ability to explode off the edge.
Here’s a still shot that shows just how low Spence can get when bending the corner around an offensive tackle.
Notice how he’s almost on one knee and his shoulders are square to the QB? When Spence gets in this position, theres nothing the tackle can do.
In the next post, I’ll look at the insider counter move Spence uses as a compliment to his outside speed rush.
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