Isaiah Land NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys' UDFA EDGE
HEIGHT: 6'3 1/2"
WEIGHT: 236
HAND: 9 1/4"
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ARM: 32 1/2"
WINGSPAN: 77"
40-YARD DASH: 4.62
3-CONE: 7.2
SHUTTLE: 4.56
VERTICAL: 34.5"
BROAD: 10'6"
POSITIVES
– Great production as a pass-rusher with 19 sacks in 2021.
– Good get-off, quick to react to the snap and accelerates off the line of scrimmage well.
– Sets up his pass rush moves well by getting to square on the offensive lineman during the stem phase of the rush.
– Quick twitched and a good athlete to flush out an inside stick move.
– Also has a nice inside spin move that he can win with.
– Has good angles as a rusher and a pretty flexible lower half for good bend to take an efficient path to the quarterback. This helps as the looper in line games, too.
– Against the run, he's quick to get his hands up, is physical at the point of attack and strong enough to take on blocks from tight ends.
NEGATIVES
– Lacks size for an NFL edge, he needs to add weight to hold up as a run defender versus offensive linemen.
– Takes on blocks with high pad level and stops his feet on contact. He's going to struggle to anchor versus offensive tackles.
– Struggles to shed/get off blocks from offensive linemen.
– Inconsistent with the timing and accuracy of his hands when working finesse moves. He'll miss, and tackles will make the first significant contact more often than not.
– Bad pass-rush-lane integrity. He will duck inside and lose outside against mobile quarterbacks.
2022 STATS
– 8 GM, 23 total tackles (17 solo), 12 TFL, eight sacks, 2 PD, 1 FF
NOTES
– Not ranked coming out of high school in the 2018 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings
– Injuries: 2022 (Hip, missed spring practices; LCL sprain (knee), missed 1 game)
– 2022 Honors: All-SWAC First-Team Defense, FCS Coaches All-American First Team
– 2021 Honors: Buck Buchannan Award Winner (best FCS defender), First-Team FCS All-American, SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-SWAC
OVERALL
Isaiah Land burst on to the scene in 2021 as one of the most productive pass-rushers in the country with 19 sacks in 12 games. He wasn't quite as active this past season but still managed to rack up eight sacks and finished his college career with 29 in three seasons.
Land is a good athlete who can contribute as a third-down rusher, but his lack of size and strength will be a major issue as a run defender in the NFL. He does have room for growth on his frame, but he needs to add about 15 to 20 more pounds to become an "every-down" player at the next level, which could significantly impact his athleticism.
The Florida A&M product did show some position versatility at the Senior Bowl by taking a few reps as an off-ball linebacker, so some teams may ask him to switch positions. He has the traits of someone who could contribute on special teams, too, giving clubs more reasons to take a chance on him in the later rounds of the draft.
GRADE: 5.7 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)
OVERALL RANK: 224
POSITION RANK: EDGE25
PRO COMPARISON: Chris Garrett
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