I've said it again and again: you cannot replace Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. They're the best defensive end tandem we've ever had, and they're already proving it in the pros. Nobody on this roster right now is at that level.
But that doesn't mean they can't get there. I think we might have the best defensive end room in the country anyway.
Here's why:
Damon Wilson II is a serious player once the pads go on, and pairing him with Jason Taylor's coaching is going to add real tools to his game. As a pass rusher, Wilson brings impressive speed on the edge, evident in the film of his nine sacks in the SEC last season.
I've got him projected for double-digit sacks. He only played about 250-260 snaps last year but produced close to the same numbers as Bain, who played nearly twice as many snaps. That tells you what kind of pure speed we're talking about.
Marquise Lightfoot is the guy I want to talk about the most. Off the field, he's about as easy as it gets. He's a great teammate, added weight the right way, up around 240 now. On the field, he's a different animal, and I mean that literally.
He plays with a wild edge where you can't predict what he's gonna do. He's spinning off blocks, chasing plays from across the field, tipping passes and getting interceptions.
Last year, he had the speed and instincts to be right there for six or seven sacks and just couldn't finish.
I watched him get home on Texas A&M's Marcel Reed on that final drive and not wrap up, and I watched him chase Fernando Mendoza out of the pocket in the national title game and just miss the finish. This year, with more experience and a sharper spin move, I think those turn into actual sacks instead of near-misses.
Armondo Blount has the pure power part of Bain's game.
He's still only 19 years old, so what looks like his third year of eligibility is really more like a true sophomore's body of work.
Off the field, he might be the smartest guy on the team. On it, he's violent. Always playing up to and even through the whistle sometimes.
Behind that top three, there's real depth.
Third Scroggins was banged up but was playing full speed by the end of camp and is ready to be a factor early. Booker Pickett, now entering his third year, is a natural finisher who gets the quarterback hit consistently when he's in the game. Asharri Charles, as a true freshman, might have the best shot of any of the young defensive linemen to see real snaps and get after the quarterback right away.
Keona Davis, the Nebraska transfer, adds another wrinkle. He can spell at end or kick inside to tackle, giving us more flexibility up front.
The bigger-picture point is this: last year, defenses knew exactly what we were doing and could dial in on our edge rush. Chip Bain and Mesidor, chop-block them, get the ball out fast in the quick game. At the end of games, you could see the fatigue that put on the pair.
Expect rotation in this edge room to keep bodies fresh.
This year, with the room more balanced across the board with Justin Scott and Ahmad Moten pushing the pocket from the interior, teams can't scheme around one matchup anymore. They have to actually solve us.
That's a real problem for opposing offensive coordinators, and I think it's the difference between good production and great production up front this season.
Watch the full breakdown below:
But that doesn't mean they can't get there. I think we might have the best defensive end room in the country anyway.
Here's why:
Damon Wilson II is a serious player once the pads go on, and pairing him with Jason Taylor's coaching is going to add real tools to his game. As a pass rusher, Wilson brings impressive speed on the edge, evident in the film of his nine sacks in the SEC last season.
I've got him projected for double-digit sacks. He only played about 250-260 snaps last year but produced close to the same numbers as Bain, who played nearly twice as many snaps. That tells you what kind of pure speed we're talking about.
Marquise Lightfoot is the guy I want to talk about the most. Off the field, he's about as easy as it gets. He's a great teammate, added weight the right way, up around 240 now. On the field, he's a different animal, and I mean that literally.
He plays with a wild edge where you can't predict what he's gonna do. He's spinning off blocks, chasing plays from across the field, tipping passes and getting interceptions.
Last year, he had the speed and instincts to be right there for six or seven sacks and just couldn't finish.
I watched him get home on Texas A&M's Marcel Reed on that final drive and not wrap up, and I watched him chase Fernando Mendoza out of the pocket in the national title game and just miss the finish. This year, with more experience and a sharper spin move, I think those turn into actual sacks instead of near-misses.
Armondo Blount has the pure power part of Bain's game.
He's still only 19 years old, so what looks like his third year of eligibility is really more like a true sophomore's body of work.
Off the field, he might be the smartest guy on the team. On it, he's violent. Always playing up to and even through the whistle sometimes.
Behind that top three, there's real depth.
Third Scroggins was banged up but was playing full speed by the end of camp and is ready to be a factor early. Booker Pickett, now entering his third year, is a natural finisher who gets the quarterback hit consistently when he's in the game. Asharri Charles, as a true freshman, might have the best shot of any of the young defensive linemen to see real snaps and get after the quarterback right away.
Keona Davis, the Nebraska transfer, adds another wrinkle. He can spell at end or kick inside to tackle, giving us more flexibility up front.
The bigger-picture point is this: last year, defenses knew exactly what we were doing and could dial in on our edge rush. Chip Bain and Mesidor, chop-block them, get the ball out fast in the quick game. At the end of games, you could see the fatigue that put on the pair.
Expect rotation in this edge room to keep bodies fresh.
This year, with the room more balanced across the board with Justin Scott and Ahmad Moten pushing the pocket from the interior, teams can't scheme around one matchup anymore. They have to actually solve us.
That's a real problem for opposing offensive coordinators, and I think it's the difference between good production and great production up front this season.
Watch the full breakdown below:
