PFF scouting report: Deatrich Wise, Edge, Arkansas

Name: Deatrich Wise

School: Arkansas

Position fit: 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive end

Stats to know: Eight total pressures was the most of anyone in the Shrine game.

What he does best:

• Tall and long-limbed with and understands how to use that in his favor. Times up his strike well to take advantage of his near perpetual length advantage.
• Is in control of almost every interaction. Fantastic hand placement.
• Played up and down the line of scrimmage. Can rush the passer effectively from 0-tech all the way to outside the tackle.
• So much pop on first contact. Should be a consistent bull-rush threat at next level.
• Incredible production in 2015 with 10 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 21 hurries on only 259 rushes.

Biggest concern:

• Very little juice coming out of his stance. Only wins with hands and never with speed/quickness.
• Even when he separates off blocks it takes him a while to close on ball carriers/QBs. Will win but allow linemen to recover.
• Gives up so much ground against the run. Crushed by double teams and even one-on-one blocks can take him multiple yards off the ball.
• Gets caught looking through his block to make plays on run plays and can get caught out of his gap.
• Will have to bulk up to play inside full-time at next level.
• Finished the season on a low note with only two hurries in his last four games.

Player comparison: Corey Wootton, retired

Wootton always felt miscast inside in a 4-3 and his run defense suffered accordingly. Wise feels the same way as a 3-technique with his best position likely coming over the tackle somewhere.

Bottom line: Wise played fewer than 500 snaps each of the past two seasons, but few defensive linemen played at a higher level when on the field. He has ideal traits for a 3-4 defensive end to play both run and pass though it’s worth wondering why he didn’t see the field more at Arkansas.