Tydreke Powell: 6 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

The University of North Carolina has produced some impressive talents along the defensive line as of late, with tackle Marvin Austin being selected last year by the Giants in the second round and now end Quinton Coples likely to be a first-round pick. However, Coples is not the only name worthy of a draft grade this year;, there's also defensive tackle Tydreke Powell.

Powell is a candidate for a late-round draft choice but possesses a significant amount of upside that makes him very appealing at the end of Day 3. Although raw, he has a lot of natural talent that he can offer to a team that is willing to be patient while he develops.

Strength: Quickness

One of the first things noticed about Powell is that he played 3-technique, meaning he lined up across the outside shoulder of a guard, which at North Carolina is an alignment that's typically associated with interior pass-rushers.

Because of this alignment, NFL scouts are first looking at the quickness off the snap of the ball. Powell's quickness is very good and comes as a shock to interior blockers who don't always deal with the quickest of pass-rushers.

Weakness: Pad Level

Despite having a very good first step, Powell often comes out very high in his pad level which negates any physical advantage he has over the blocker.

Pad level is a significant issue here because leverage is a very important part of playing in the trenches and what happens with Powell is that he is not always able to beat blocks. The blockers are able to get inside his breast pads and control him.

Strength: Movement Skills

One of the interesting things about evaluating defensive linemen is their movement skills. The question that I always ask is, can they make plays down the line of scrimmage?

In Powell's case, he does a pretty good job of moving. He by no means has elite movement for a defensive tackle, but he's able to run down the line of scrimmage in pursuit of ball carriers and do a good job of being around the play.

Weakness: Footwork

Although he has good movement, Powell's footwork leaves a lot to be desired. He does not always play with a wide and strong base that is crucial in defensive line play.

When he plays with poor footwork, he is able to be knocked off balance as well as moved around by the blocker. An issue that I noticed is the numbers on the back of his jersey are not always facing the referee, which means that he's being moved off the ball and turned sideways. Consequently, he's taken out of the play.

Strength: Locks out Elbows

Locking out the elbows may seem like a simple task for a defensive lineman, but that is not always the case as many have issues doing this. Because they don't lock their elbows out, it negates any reach advantage they have over the blocker and can lessen their strength advantage.

However, Powell does a good job of using every inch of his arms by locking his elbows out and extending them to keep a distance between himself and the blocker. This is crucial for him because of his slightly above average arm length.

Weakness: Pass-Rush

Powell has the physical talent to be a quality penetrating defensive tackle, but he does not always use his hands well and thus lacks various moves in his pass-rush.

He often struggles with blockers when his initial burst is stonewalled because of his lack of hand use and pass-rush repertoire. The blockers will engage with Powell and get inside of his chest, which combined with his lack of quality pad level can be very problematic.