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Even after the addition of Tyson Alualu and D'Anthony Smith with the first two picks of the draft, the Jaguars could still use depth at the position after the releases of John Henderson, Derek Landri and Montavious Stanley. However, the place amongst the DTs that is in the most need of depth is behind Terrance Knighton. Alualu and Smith both compliment the nose tackle-esque Knighton as the pass rushing counterparts to his run stopping ability.
Undrafted free agent Ko Quaye could provide depth as a run blocker for the Jaguars. In 2009, the Jaguars went into the season with a 6 player rotation at the defensive tackle spot. As of now, Quaye is one of only 6 DTs currently on the roster and has a very legitimate chance at making the squad.
As a nose tackle at South Dakota, If Quaye were to make the final roster he would do so as a run stopping presence. Although he would be one that is starkly different than the former Jaguars Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. Stroud is 6'6, Henderson is 6'7, while Quaye is hardly 6'1. However, Quaye is a solid 307 pounds at this height and very strong. The 35 bench reps he put up at his pro day would have ranked in the top 5 of all the participants at the combine if he had been invited.
When he first came to South Dakota, Quaye was 255 pounds and had to redshirt. After two more years on the bench, Quaye earned a full time starting role in his junior year at just under 300 pounds. He was a 2nd Team All-Great West selection in his junior year and a 1st Team All-Great West selection in his senior year. The fact that he was able to gain that much weight while still maintaining 4.93 speed as well as grow as a player is an encouraging sign for his future.
Video Killed the Scouting Report
Ko Quaye: By the Numbers
| Ko Quaye | |||||
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Position 1: Defensive Tackle |
Height: 6'1 | ||||
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Position 2: N/A |
Weight: 307 | ||||
| Class: Senior | Age: 21 | ||||
| Bench Reps: 35 |
40 Time: 4.54 |
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According to the Experts:
Quaye is your typical fireplug defensive tackle: his quickness and low center of gravity make it tough for blockers to get a hold of and drive off the line. He is a good athlete and shows the ability to control the line and get penetration to disrupt the action in the backfield. The obvious questions about Quaye stem from the level of compeition and how well he will stack up at the point of attack against bigger, stronger lineman on a consistent basis. He will likely only carry a late round grade, but he’s a player that could provide solid depth along a defensive line at the next level.