The impact that Ndamukong Suh had on the Detroit Lions is a testament to just how important the defensive tackle position is. Suh’s unique combination of size and speed make for a nearly unstoppable player in the NFL. And while there isn’t anyone else that can claim they have quite the level of athleticism and size that Suh has, there is one player, Hampton DT Kenrick Ellis, who has a remarkably similar skill set.
Coming out of high school, Kenrick Ellis was a highly sought after DT prospect. He had interest from schools like Tennessee, Michigan, and Michigan State, and eventually signed with South Carolina. After redshirting in 2006, Ellis contributed sparingly in 2007, recording 11 tackles and 1 start. Looking forward to the 2008 season, Ellis was expected to be a full time starter and big contributor for the Gamecocks. However, due to repeated violations of team and university policies Ellis was dismissed from South Carolina and transferred to Hampton University.
Ellis played well during his time at Hampton, where he earned second team All-MEAC honors in 2008 and made the first team All-MEAC in both 2009 and 2010. As a SEC talent playing in the MEAC, Ellis often looked the part, especially in his dominate senior season where Ellis had 94 tackles, 15 of which were for a loss.
Ellis was still unable to completely eliminate the concerns regarding his maturity while at Hampton, as he was suspended for one game in 2010. The pattern of repeatedly breaking rules that Ellis has found himself in is going to be what concerns NFL teams the most. In an era where off the field behavior is policed nearly as much as what players do on the field, teams cannot afford to use a draft pick on a player they feel will have multiple conduct issues. Ellis will have to show to scouts and coaches that he has in fact matured enough to be trusted.
If teams feel comfortable on with Ellis off the field, he will not spend much time waiting to hear his named called. Had Ellis stayed at South Carolina, he would likely be mentioned with Nick Fairley and Marcell Dareus. Physically, Ellis (6’5, 336 lbs) is a better specimen than Dareus and Fairley, and will likely gain even more size and strength working out with NFL strength coaches. Ellis is a very athletic guy for his size, and even ran some linebacker drills in practice while at Hampton.
Ellis shows a good, but not quite a Suh level burst off the line of scrimmage. He uses his feet very well. On tape, Ellis looks very comfortable in space and does a great job of taking good angles to the ball. He also has shown that he can use his hands well to disengage from blockers and make a play on the ball.
The primary on the field concern teams will have with Ellis is the level of completion he faced while at Hampton. At Hampton he was used primarily as a nose tackle, where he could use his tremendous athleticism and size to overpower the inferior OGs he was playing against. Because his primary role was to take up space, he didn’t have to rely much on technique and will have to develop better technique to perform consistently in the NFL.
Overall, Ellis is a promising NFL prospect. If he can show that he has grown up, and won’t take plays off, he will likely go no later than the second round. As Optimum Scouting’s #1 small school prospect, Ellis can play either in a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme. If he stays focused and reaches his full potential, which ever team drafts him will not be disappointed.
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