Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College
6 ft 3 in, 250 lbs
Strengths: Elite bender. Think Von Miller in that regard. Consistently plays with tremendous get off and low pad level. Has the best flatten ability of all edge rushers in the draft. Once he’s got the corner, it’s over. Loose, fluid athlete that can drop into coverage and make plays in space.
Weaknesses: Slightly undersized and can be overwhelmed in run defense. Needs to get bigger and stronger. Overly dependent on his speed rush. Needs to develop an inside counter to complement the outside rush.
NFL Comparison: Vic Beasley
Fit: Harold Landry is a seamless fit at SAM LB. We desperately need edge rushers, and Landry would give us that speed-rushing element that would force quarterbacks up into the pocket into Deforest Buckner. Landry is going in the first round, likely top 10, so he'd be a primary target if we trade back.
Film breakdown:
Chops the low hand, dips, flattens and sacks.
Nice hip and ankle pliability. Once he turns that corner, his hips point to the QB. Stays balanced through contact.
Elite bender.
His outside rush is so good that it sets this up. Crosses the tackles face and gets skinny thru the B gap.
His ability to flatten once he's got the corner is his best trait. He's so damn consistent at that.
Shows he can work with his hands as well. The threat of previous sack leads to this one. Gets hands inside and beats the tackle with the beautiful push-pull move.
