The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for a defensive end to bolster their pass rush either in free agency or in the NFL draft. One player in particular who could fit the Jaguars in the draft is North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, who's often mocked to the Jaguars at at seventh overall. Coples has drawn a lot of praise and a lot of criticism, even having some people compare him to New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul because of his overall potential. Coples isn't as raw as Pierre-Paul was coming out of college, but there are some flaws in his game that will need to be corrected at the next level to unlock that potential.
Luckily, Coples flaws are something that's coachable and can be corrected by drilling it. So what's his biggest flaw? Football Guys Jene Bramel explains after the jump.
While he flashed dominant pass rushing skills in the pit during Senior Bowl practices, it will be critical for Coples to maintain that pad level to achieve success as a rusher in the NFL. The swim move he prizes will have little chance if he stands up and invites an NFL offensive lineman into his chest. Proper pad level will also help him achieve a better lean and angle to flatten his edge rush move. When he gets too tall off the ball, he winds up too far up field.
Inconsistent pad level seemed to be an issue for Coples during his tenure at North Carolina, but if he can work at it and become consistent at the NFL level, he should turn into a dominant defensive end. He's got everything else that you can't coach.
I highly suggest reading the rest of Bramel's article here.