PFF scouting report: Dylan Bradley, Edge, Southern Mississippi

Name: Dylan Bradley

School: Southern Mississippi

Position fit: Defensive end

Stats to know: Generated 37 QB pressures on 350 pass-rush snaps in 2016.

What he does best:

Can win with quickness into gaps.
Explodes into blockers and can disrupt plays.
Played at multiple spots along the defensive line.
Can break-out a secondary move during his pass rush.
Will chase plays down from the back side.
Was able to win with quickness or with power when lined-up inside.
Plays at a very high pace, stays with his rush and will make plays late.
Played both with his hand in the dirt as well as standing up in ghost fronts.
Uses his natural leverage advantage to get under blockers.
Identifies and disrupts screen passes.
Played 91.4 percent of defensive snaps in 2016.

Biggest concern:

At 265 pounds, he lacks the ideal size to play inside.
Not quite a DI, not quite an edge, might not have a true position.
Can get pushed around by blockers. Moved off the ball against double teams.
Struggles to shed blockers once engaged.
Shut out as a pass-rusher against LSU.

Player comparison: Darryl Tapp, New Orleans Saints

Brantley is going to be playing a new position, which makes his player comparison difficult. His size and production is reminiscent of Tapp when he was coming out of Virginia Tech.

Bottom line: At only 265 pounds, Bradley is too small to play inside at defensive tackle in the NFL even though he often lined up there in college. Oddly he had his best success lined up at zero technique nose tackle but he won’t be able to play there in the NFL as he would be the league’s smallest nose tackle by a wide margin. Much of Bradley’s college production came from just being quicker than other linemen because he weighs 265 pounds. NFL production will not come in the same fashion so he will have to produce in entirely different way than he has been asked to in the past. He will be forced to make the switch from defensive tackle to defensive end at the NFL level. Bradley can win with quickness or with power when he is lined up inside but his best fit is to provide rotational snaps at defensive end.