2011 NFL Draft Player Profile | Jerrell Powe 

What’s not to love about Jerrell Powe who has been a key component to the defensive line success of the Ole Miss Rebels?

The Wayne County High School graduate was once ranked as high as the #4 defensive lineman in the nation, and a five star recruit by Scout.com. Powe played in a handful of games as a sophomore before starting in each of his last two positions at nose tackle.

Player Name: Jerrell Powe

Position: Defensive Tackle

School: Mississippi (Ole Miss)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 335

Arm: 33 1/4

Strengths

Powe was one of the strongest players on the entire Ole Miss football team. He is a big body who gets an excellent push up the middle and has an uncanny ability to take up his space. He gets off of the ball quickly, and has a great initial punch on the offensive lineman. He fills gaps with ease, and his mix of size and strength forces double teams upon him. Powe does a nice job of getting his hands up to deflect passes and uses his hands well, not allowing much separation between himself the offensive lineman.

Weaknesses

His overall athleticism is somewhat lacking. He doesn’t move very well laterally, and doesn’t have very quick feet. Powe isn’t much of a penetrator or pass rusher. He doesn’t have great instincts and doesn’t fare very well when attempting to stunt. Potential weight issues are a bit of a concern as Powe was once over 380 pounds. Ole Miss got him down to the 325-330 range, but it’s always a concern to try and keep weight problems down in the NFL.

Draft Range

Powe’s value lies as a nose tackle in a 4-3 and he could make the 3-4 nose tackle transition as well. Because nearly half of the league is running a 3-4 base front, Powe’s value could increase come NFL Draft time. Powe would be a nice candidate to groom behind Antonio Garay in San Diego. He could also be grabbed by either New York club, as well as the Patriots or Bears in the latter part of round three.

NFL Comparison: Ahtyba Rubin