Jadeveon Clowney NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report for Texans DE

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina (HT: 6’5¼”, WT: 266 lbs)

Houston Texans

First Round: First pick

NFL Comparison: Julius Peppers, DE, Green Bay Packers

Height	Weight	Arm	Hand
6'5"	266	34 1/2"	10"

40-yd dash	10-yd split	Vert	Broad	3-Cone	Bench
4.53	1.56	37 1/2"	10'4"	7.27	21

Positives

• Strong track record of production/disruption, despite lack of sacks in 2013. 
• Is a physically sculpted specimen, prototype build. 
• Explosive in his movements with elite lateral quickness. 
• Significant strength generated from both upper and lower body. 
• Instinctive defender with fine play-recognition skills. 
• Exploits opponents' deficiencies on the regular. 
• Generates speed and power as a rusher. 
• Aggressive with his hands, will jolt pass-blockers on first contact. 
• Will bat blockers’ hands to swim as a rusher. 
• Unpredictable with quickness to set up rushes one way and dart back the other. 
• Is quick into contact on direct rushes and fires hands consistently. 
• Flashes upside as a power rusher who can attack the chest of pass-blockers and press the pocket from the outside. 
• Effective on twists and stunts. 
• Has a fine sense of timing for getting his hands up to bat passes. 
• Devastating ability to split gaps by coming off the ball quickly and sinking pads. 
• Maintains space with a lateral step on lunging run blocks and swims in incredible fashion, redirects with fine balance once past the blocker. 
• Fine technique of leveraging blocks and keeping outside shoulder free to set the edge. 
• Can engage multiple run-blockers and not give ground. 
• Very decisive as unblocked defender, picks up on play design well. 
• Impactful pursuer of the ball when motor is running hot. 
• Makes high-impact tackles that frequently jar the ball loose.

Negatives

• Physical dominance has held back his need to develop technically. 
• Use of his hands overall is rather undeveloped or raw. 
• Isn’t necessarily a speed rusher despite a fine get-off. 
• Doesn’t bend with flexibility to turn the corner. 
• Lacks a variety of pass-rush moves even if able to get a tackle on his heels. 
• Needs to finish pass-rush moves with more precise hand usage. 
• Can be slow into contact when rushing from wider alignments. 
• Played from right end with hand in the dirt, was not moved around to highlight versatility very often. 
• Overly reliant on his swim move against run and pass, often exposing his ribs or chest. 
• Doesn’t consistently stack and shed at the line of scrimmage while controlling gaps, is more of a penetrator. 
• Struggles to break down and make tackles in space, stays high in pursuit. 
• Likes to go for the knockout blow as a tackler, which leads to missed tackles.
• Gave questionable effort at times in 2013 trying to play through injury and facing regular double-teams.
• Had some stamina issues early in the season.

Year	Tackles	TFL	Sacks	FF	PD
2011	36	12	8	5	1
2012	54	23.5	13	3	2
2013	40	11.5	3	1	4

Personal Notes

• 5-star recruit and consensus No. 1 overall player in 2011 recruiting class, per 247Sports. 
• 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American. 
• Has been ticketed twice for speeding since early December. 
• Often criticized for a lack of effort and/or trying not to get hurt in 2013. 
• Plagued by injuries in 2013, including bone spurs in his foot and a rib injury.

Ratings Chart

Graph made at nces.com

Overall

Clowney is as physically talented as any edge-rusher prospect in recent memory. The dip in his production as a junior will be something that teams must inquire about, but a combination of injuries and offensive game-planning played a big role in that. His immense talent and high ceiling at a premier position should mean he won’t wait long to hear his name called.

Draft Projection: 1st Round