2020 NFL Draft: A.J. Epenesa Scouting Report

AJ Epenesa|EDGE|Iowa

Weight|280

Class|Junior

College Bio Page

College Career Stats

Strengths

A.J. Epenesa is one of the country’s top players, he looks to be a top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Epenesa has excellent hand usage, and very strong hands at the point of attack at the line of scrimmage. He is a very powerful rusher, he knocks offensive tackles on the ground with ease. He plays with great leverage at the point of attack.

The three main moves you will see Epenesa use will be the push-pull, bull rush, and has shown the ability to use the ‘club’. He also has a “tireless motor” on every play, he goes 100% on every single play. What really sets himself apart from other EDGE-rushers is his closing speed in pursuit of the ball carrier.

Epenesa shows great leadership on and off the field, which is really hard to find in a very young player. He will be a franchise player for anyone’s defense.

Weakness

A.J. Epenesa is a great pass-rusher, but he has a few things that he will have to work on to get to the next level. He has good timing off the snap, but he is not very explosive. He wins at the line with his technique. At the line of scrimmage, he has good bend, but not great bend trying to get around the edge.

He is a very talented pass-rusher, but his overall speed is just isn’t there, which could be a concern. He lacks elite athleticism, which can also be a bit of a concern for teams in the future.

A.J, Epenesa is such a dominant pass-rusher, when his first move is stopped, he can never find his counter-move, which could be quite concerning for most teams. If you get a coach to help him with his second and third options at the line of scrimmage, he could become one of the most dominant pass-rushers in this 2020 NFL Class.

Projection

A.J. Epenesa is easily one of the most talented EDGE-Rushers coming out of this class. Whichever team drafts him is going to find immediate success with him. My projection is that he is going to get drafted in the top-15 in this year’s NFL Draft.

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