Dontari Poe 2012 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Player Name: Dontari Poe
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Memphis
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 346 lbs.
40-Time: 4.98
Poe vaulted up draft boards with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine, as he ran a 4.98 second 40-yard dash and put up 44 bench press reps. He is now expected to be one of the first defensive tackles, if not the first, off the board despite fairly lackluster production in college. It would be a fairly big upset if Poe made it out of the top half of the first round later this month, but he should be a first round pick regardless.
Strengths
- Has outstanding size and strength
- Shows surprising lateral agility and athleticism for his size
- Plays with good natural balance
- Flashes excellent burst off the snap and is able to effectively attack gaps
- Is heavy-handed and a strong tackler
Weaknesses
- Has shorter than ideal arms (31 and 5/8″) for a player his height
- Plays with a high pad level at times, particularly at contact, which eliminates his natural strength and causes lost leverage
- Has a limited pass-rush arsenal, too often relies on a simple bull rush
- Struggles to disengage from blockers that are smaller and weaker than him at times
- Could play with more of an edge and be more of an aggressor
Overall
Poe has the attention of NFL scouts based on his Combine performance, but he still seems to have a fairly big downside if his weaknesses get magnified at the next level. His overall tools could allow him to be effective in a 3-4 or 4-3 defensive scheme, so plenty of teams stand to have at least some interest in him in the first round. Teams that could consider taking Poe include the Carolina Panthers (No.9 overall), Kansas City Chiefs (No.11), Dallas Cowboys (No.14), Pittsburgh Steelers (No.24) and Denver Broncos (No.25). Poe’s lack of production in college is a concern, especially considering he played against lower level competition, and he qualifies as one of the bigger boom or bust picks in this year’s draft.
NFL Comparison: Haloti Ngata
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