View attachment 104558
Hmm. PFF slight jabbing us for misusing Will this year?
I think it goes without question that Will would absolutely smash if we played a 4-down front defense, as most NFL teams do. If our DL was attacking 5 with 4, Will would get a lot more chances at 1:1 matchups and just having another dude there next to him to twist with and confuse the OL would put him on the QB a lot more often.
I don't think lining up Will inside is a tactical mistake, as with our 3-down look, the coaches are just trying to get the OL to worry about how to block him where they don't expect him to line up. Frankly that quote is a little bit lazy in analysis. It's not like the coaches think Will is a pass-rush DT.
His role in our 3-down front is a lot more hybrid because with one less dude next to him, he has a lot more responsibility in the run game, or even in coverage depending upon the specific play call. In the NFL his size will dictate that he's a pure rush end, and frankly I am sure it frustrates a Draft scout to watch his tape and wait for the relatively low percentage of snaps he gets to pin his ears back and rush the QB.
There are more than a few highly successful rush ends at his size, however being under the prototypical ~250-265 lbs is going to cross him off the draft board for more than a few NFL teams who draft to a specific profile for their scheme.
He reminds me a lot of Dee Ford, who used to play for the Chiefs before they hired Spagnuolo as their DC.