
Michael Bennett to the Jacksonville Jaguars: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown
With the fourth selection of the sixth round and the 180th overall selection, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett. Lauded by many analysts, Bennett slipped through the rounds to the Jaguars.
Despite falling down the draft, he is no joke. He's a fantastic pass-rusher who was expected by many to be a Day 2 pick, either in the second or third round. Instead, he plummeted all the way to the sixth round, and the Jaguars were ready for him.
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Bennett spent the last two years at Ohio State as a key starter and a leader for the Buckeyes. He had 14 sacks the past two seasons and was a reason the Buckeyes defense was good enough to win a national title last season.
As mentioned, he is an incredible pass-rusher with the quickness and technical skills to blow by blockers. He's tenacious and hardworking and will be a difficult matchup for blockers even in his first season for the Jaguars.
The strongest part of his pass-rushing game is his hands. He has great upper-body strength and is excellent at bullying guards in that regard. Along with his deceptive speed off the snap, he can make a play in the backfield and make it quickly.
However, Bennett isn't without his faults. He's not an every-down player right now, and if he wants to have an impact on this team long-term, he'll have to be available more often and build up his lower-body strength as well.Â
He also struggles when he doesn't win with his initial move. He doesn't necessarily quit on plays, but if he's beaten off the jump, he doesn't recover well and can usually be taken out for the remainder of the play.
Luckily, this doesn't happen to Bennett all that often.
In fact, he seems to be consistent when it comes to getting to the quarterback, even with his average-at-best motor. He had 7.5 sacks in 2013 and 6.5 sacks in 2014, and every play he's on the field, he almost always dominates his man.
Oh, and if you were guessing that Bennett may be losing confidence due to his spiraling draft stock, think again:
This does not indicate what Bennett can potentially do, but if he's playing with extra motivation and is truly becoming a "monster," I can't help but get excited.
Like Rashad Greene in the fifth round, this is another guy who slipped a couple rounds or so, and the Jaguars made the most of it. Dave Caldwell recognizes that Bennett has a lot to offer now and in the future, and the general manager was willing to take the pick.
He is continuing his hot streak of getting high-value guys who happen to fall to the Jaguars. Even better, both Greene and Bennett are fits for the team while holding terrific overall value as well.
I've mentioned in previous articles about the lack of depth in the aging defensive interior. Bennett will train with Sen'Derrick Marks and Roy Miller and be a playmaker off the bench now and a potential star in the future.
Overall Grade: A+.
Do you think Michael Bennett is a steal? Comment below and answer in the poll!
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.
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