The Jaguars' have a huge problem on the interior of their defensive line, and it is becoming apparent that a changing of the guards will have to occur sooner rather than later in regards to John Henderson. I would get what I could for the disgruntled vet now, and as such, I thought now would be a good time to introduce you to the future of the Jaguars' line. I was able to find video on two of the new DT's for the Jags. Third round selection Terrence Knighton, a man whom the Jags feel should be a potential fixture at the position, is first. I also found video on an undrafted free agent whom I've been touting since we signed, Nader Abdallah. I almost expect him to make the final roster, seriously, the kid has got game.
Here's the Jags 3rd round pick, Terrance Knighton.
Terrance displays an above average bull rush ability, as seen in the video. On top of that, we also see some nice disengagement skill. His active hands and his arm strength enable him to shed some of the hands thrown at him in the blocking drill. The potential is there, and his bull rush and overall strength can be further improved under an NFL workout regime. I think that Terrance benefits largely from his size and would expect him to be a big contributor in stopping the run.
Next we move to relative unknown, but a guy I'm personally very high on, Nader Abdallah. Watch and you'll see why I've mentioned this young man more than once on this site. It is a travesty he wasn't selected in the draft. It would not surprise me one bit to see Nader make the final 53, I like the kid that much.
So, now you all know why I love this kid. He's got a decent pass rush ability, and he's clearly as strong as a mule, as evidenced by the way he tosses aside grown men like dolls. He can also recover quickly if taken down, a rare ability for men his size. Finally, when we look at his body type, it is clear he can still grow into an every down DT. He's got very long arms, enabling him to wrap up tacklers and make plays with one arm while engaging a blocker with the other arm. He doesn't have a lot of definition in his arms yet, but that is due in part to their length. The longer the arm, the longer the muscle, and consequently the stronger and bigger it can get. That is why long arms on linemen (offensive and defensive) are so important, from a physical standpoint. Length equals potential strength.
Next time, I'll follow with a video series on the new WR's.
-Collin Streetman