Florida’s star pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. let it be known that he will be declaring for the 2015 NFL Draft. Following reports that head coach Will Muschamp will not be returning to coach the Gators next season, Fowler tweeted out yesterday that he plans on leaving for the NFL.
I came in with champ. I’m leaving with Him.
— Dante fowler (@TheDanteFowler6) November 19, 2014
This comes across as a nice gesture of loyalty towards his head coach, but most evaluators anticipated Fowler declaring for the draft regardless of the coaching situation in Gainesville. Entering a 2015 draft class without a ton of elite talent near the top makes a great deal of sense for Dante Fowler Jr, who isn’t a perfect prospect but brings plus upside to the equation. Here’s my quick evaluation on the junior defensive end out of Florida and where he could wind up being drafted.
By: Alex Brown
Scouting Dante Fowler Jr. as an NFL Prospect
Featured in Florida’s defense as the “Buck” linebacker, Dante Fowler Jr. lined up on either side of the line of scrimmage with experience as a standup edge defender and hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Listed at 6’3, 260 pounds, Fowler wows with quick twitch movement skills, lateral range in run support and closing burst to finish plays in the backfield. Thankfully for NFL teams, Fowler has experience playing in a number of different techniques and alignments. He’s a scheme versatile athlete with first round ability.
Fowler is very aggressive with his hands and able to transition upfield with impressive body control. He lacks an elite speed rush component to simply run the arc, but does possess the lateral agility to win on double-moves –I.E. inside-out or outside-in. Aiming to get his opponent off balance and win with athleticism, Fowler doesn’t play with much direct power on the edge. His go-to move is an outside club and rip, where he steps on the blocker’s toes and jump cuts to the outside. Again, working laterally and around blockers has been Fowler’s approach as a gifted athlete.
In comparing Fowler’s sophomore film to this season, the biggest improvement can be seen in his on-field effort. Fowler was prone to taking plays off a year ago, but has played with his hair on fire as a junior. Against Alabama, he sprinted 40 yards downfield to throw a key block on a fumble return for TD. Later in the same game, he recovered a fumble in the backfield, lost the football and hustled back into position to recover his own fumble. Versus zone running plays away from his side of the football, Fowler sells out from the backside and shows the closing burst to finish with a tackle for loss. Seemingly more motivated in his play, Fowler’s motor stands as one of his better attributes.
Concerns exist with Fowler’s ability to set the edge and play the point of attack, however, as he had a rough go against LSU’s senior LT La’El Collins (our #2 rated senior offensive tackle). Ultimately, Fowler will benefit from a likely transition to 3-4 outside linebacker. He displays the edge athleticism to continue developing his pass rushing repertoire and has the range to string perimeter run plays to the sideline. Since his skill set is so predicated on getting blockers to lunge and overextend, improving functional playing strength and the efficiency of his hand usage will be critical to his next level development.
Evaluating Fowler’s Draft Stock
While it remains to be seen who all will declare for the 2015 NFL Draft, Dante Fowler Jr. will likely warrant a top 40 selection. He is athletic, active, aggressive and rangy as an edge rusher, while also possessing the versatility to play all across the front seven. The 2015 senior class lacks elite talent in the top half of the draft, which should work in Fowler’s favor. He’s a first round projection pick that will need to test at a high level to climb into the top half of the draft.
Fowler has a learning curve in terms of learning how to play the point of attack, but his upside is obvious. With his ability to stand up and move around, Fowler allows defensive coordinators to be multiple in their fronts and attack offenses in a variety of ways. If he improves his ability to lockout and play through point of attack, he’ll have a chance to be a high impact professional.
As it stands now, Dante Fowler Jr’s athletic ability and upside are enough to warrant a mid-to-late first round grade as a standup edge defender.
Other Florida Players Who Could Leave With Muschamp
As a general aside and speaking on behalf of Optimum Scouting, we believe these two players, and most college underclassmen, should stay in school, barring extenuating circumstances.
-Junior DT Jonathan Bullard has had a breakout season in 2014, starting at DE before settling in at the 3-technique position. Bullard is a 6’3, 270 pound lineman with long, powerful arms to lockout and control the point of attack. He plays much stronger at the point than his 270 pound frame might seem to indicate, and could work well in a one-gapping, 5-technique role at the next level. Ideally he returns to improve his ability to rush the passer, as he currently projects as a solid two-down DT and mid round prospect.
-The only other Florida prospect that I could see declaring is junior ILB Antonio Morrison. Morrison is better known by the public for his arrests off the field, but he definitely shows NFL traits as Florida’s starting Mike linebacker. Listed as a 6’1, 225 pound linebacker, Morrison is a thumper that can stop lead blockers in their tracks and rally to the football with good closing burst. He flashes the skill set to play as a 3-4 ILB or 4-3 ILB, but could also garner looks as a Sam OLB. The senior class lacks great options at the off-ball linebacker position and Morrison has the talent to be one of the better day three options at the middle linebacker slot. To be drafted, he’ll have to prove to teams that he can be trusted on and off the field.
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