Derrick Morgan

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 272
  
• DE
• Georgia Tech

NFL.com

Attribute	Rating
Explosiveness
Pass Rush
Run Defense
Strength
Agility
Football I.Q
Tackling
Durability

Scouting Report

Not an overly impressive athlete, yet he still managed to register 12.5 sacks on his way to earning AP 1st-team All-American honors this season, a testament to his work ethic and team-first mentality. His overall skill set and physique are comparable to Lawrence Jackson, defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks.

Explosiveness: First to fire off the line,  but lacks the speed to consistently beat opposing tackles to the outside. Struggles in pursuit because of questionable top end speed. Doesn’t fire off the line well when standing up. Good motor, and hustles from beginning to end.

Pass Rush: Considered to be one of this year’s most polished pass rush technicians, Morgan brings a nice balance of pass rush moves, flashing the rip, club, spin, and bull rush.  Prefers to line up in a 4 -point stance like Philadelphia Eagles’ DE Trent Cole. Displays ideal pad level, and uses good leverage. Gets his hands in the air to bat down passes at the line. Teams roll protection to his side, and often draws double teams and chip blocks.

Due to his questionable speed, he might never be considered an elite edge rusher in the NFL.  He relies on inside moves too frequently, thus limiting his overall effectiveness.

Run Defense: Understands his role against the run by funneling ball carriers back inside.  Too often lets mauling tackles lock onto him, and push him off the ball. Has the potential to do so, but he needs to get better at disengaging in the run game. Iowa’s TE Tony Moeaki was able to reliably handle Morgan when running the ball to his side. Can be slow to diagnose run plays.

Strength: Very good initial punch, but lacks the strength to continue to press the pocket once blocker decides to anchor. Questionable core strength combined with average speed limits his ability to dip, and he is too often on the ground because of balance issues. I counted at least 7 times during the Bowl game against Iowa where Morgan was taken off his feet because of poor balance. Frame looks close to maxed out.

Agility:  Looks out of his element when playing in space. Doesn’t break down particularly well, and is limited by relatively stiff hips.

Football I.Q: Can be slow to diagnose run plays. However, he shows enough awareness to correct in-game errors. Won’t often make repeat his mistakes.

Tackling: Takes good angles to the football. Wrap-up type of tackler. Only needs one arm to take down ball carrier.

Durability: Very durable player, with good toughness and stamina. Started every game for the last 2 seasons. Doesn’t take many plays off during the game. No major issues thus far.

Listed below are a few Youtube video links of Derrick Morgan for you to study:

Derrick Morgan Highlights/Lowlights 2009 (created by Prodraftparty )

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