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Ndamukong Suh
6-4/302
Nebraska Senior

Pros: Has good quickness and strength. Uses a good first step to get leverage vs. the run at the point of attack. Does a good job getting off blocks at the point of attack. Does a good job making stops in the backfield but can also make plays in pursuit and has good closing burst to chase down ballcarriers or hit the quarterback. Has a good bull rush when he lines up over the center, but also has a really good swim and slap move. Does a good job fighting off and through double teams. Has good hands use to beat blockers and slip blocks. Will bat down passes and athletic enough to pluck a pass out of the air when he fills throwing lanes. Has a good motor and works well in space, able to make tackles in the open field.
Cons: Not a dominant pass rusher because he lacks a killer instinct as a pass rsuher. Will seemingly take plays off, looking to sit back and bat down passes rather than working to get to the quarterback.
Overview: He plays mostly the nose in Nebraska's 4-man front, but can also play the 3-technique as well as working as an end in a 3-man front. Has the frame really that could support another 15 or so pounds of bulk and still really not lose a beat. Works as a lead blocker in short-yardage situations and is effective there. He was so dominant that he had to be double teamed almost every player because he beat even the top quality blockers when he worked one on one.
NFL Forecast: Suh is a run stopper first, and a pass rusher second. But you see flashes of dominant pass rushing potential, but he seemingly doesn't seem all that interested in that. I think it's because he is allowing his teammates (whom he apparently is very fond of) to get opportunities to make plays. Because honestly if he went 100% every snap, then he probably would have ended up with two or three times as many sacks as he did this past year. He'll fit best in a 4-3 at the nose tackle position, but can also play the under tackle/3-technique, as well as would be a good fit as a DE in a 3-4 scheme. Because he was so dominant a player in college, many think he'll come into the league right away and be a very good player. Most defensive tackles don't. I think Suh will come in and be a solid player, but I don't think he'll quite live up to his potential right away. His technique is good for a college player, but I think his coaches are going to have to make sure he doesn't take plays off like he did at Nebraska. But playing in a rotation rather than practically every snap like he did this past year should help there. He's a player that I'd draft to solidify my run defense, but a bonus will be if he ever does develop that killer instinct as a pass rusher. I think he'll average 3-5 sacks each year, but has the potential to get 8-10 in a given year, particularly if he goes to a team that already has talent up front.
ATL Forecast: Suh would be a great fit in Atlanta because he can play both tackle positions and excel at either. He'd be a starter right away since he'd be an upgrade over Peria Jerry, which would allow Jerry to be more effective coming off the bench more on passing downs. Suh's presence would likely give the Falcons one of the best defensive lines, and at the very least to match the Vikings as having the best interior pairs in the league. He would be a great fit in Atlanta and within two years would probably be a Pro Bowler.
Value: Suh is as talented a defensive prospect as you may see in a generation. He's not great at just one thing, but great at most things. He is well worth the No. 1 pick, and a definitely franchise-caliber player to take in the first three picks.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 5.0
POINT OF ATTACK: 5.0
QUICKNESS: 4.0
PASS RUSH: 3.5
MOTOR: 4.0

He's the guy in this draft I'd most like to see on Atlanta, but I can't come up with any logical ideas of how it would happen

Pros: Great size, great strength, impressive quickness and burst, phenomenal hand usage, great at getting his hands in passing lanes to knock down passes, good tackler, virtually unblockable this year without a double team, very good athlete, good motor, good/great work ethic and character, great versus the run and when he wants to he can rush the passer but is still developing as a pass rusher.

Cons: Does not always fly off the ball like I think he could. I imagine that has something to do with scheme, but with his quickness he could be off the ball and into the offensive lineman's pads as soon as the ball is snapped. Will occasionally slow his pass rush as if to play for the pass deflection instead of going for a quarterback hit. Sometimes will jog from the backside of plays and almost looks like he takes plays off every once in a while. It is my belief that playing in a rotation in the NFL will prevent him from taking plays off as he is in on almost every snap at Nebraska. Not a great pass rusher and needs to develop better pass rush moves.

Overall: Suh is a great prospect and is almost certainly going to be a top 2-3 pick which is rare to say for a DT. He demands to be double teamed or else he will dominate his man and blow up the play in the backfield. He has great burst, great footwork, plays with good leverage to maximize his power, has amazing hand usage for a college player and is a good tackler. He has a good motor and should be even more effective once used in a rotation in the NFL. He is also versatile and could project to a 3-4 DE, 4-3 UT as well as 4-3 NT which is what he played at Nebraska. It is difficult to say that any DT will come in as a rookie and contribute immediately, but I believe Suh could contribute to a rotation immediately as a rookie. He will require some development as far as his pass rushing ability (mostly developing better moves, such as a spin move) but as a run stopper/disruptor he will be able to contribute positively, especially if he adds some more weight to his frame without losing any quickness.

Projection: Top 3: I can’t fathom him sliding past the Buccaneers at #3 if he makes it past the Lions at #2. He is almost certainly the best prospect in this draft and if he slides past #3 he is the obvious BPA for any team on the clock.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 5.0
POINT OF ATTACK: 5.0
QUICKNESS: 4.0
PASS RUSH: 3.5
MOTOR: 3.5
NASTINESS: 2.5