PSR Showcase Event Coverage: D-linemen That Caught My Eye, Part I
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Our event coverage of Coach Pennisi’s PSR Showcase continues. First we will review positional breakdowns of prospects that caught my eye at each position. These breakdowns are only from my subjective on-site observations. They do not take into consideration film, highlights, or…
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Continue ReadingOur event coverage of Coach Pennisi’s PSR Showcase continues. First we will review positional breakdowns of prospects that caught my eye at each position. These breakdowns are only from my subjective on-site observations. They do not take into consideration film, highlights, or anything else.
Incase you missed any event coverage, here are the articles currently published related to the PSR Showcase:
Top Defensive Linemen from the PSR Showcase
Playing mostly on the edge, Hubbard was a talent that coaches enjoyed working with. The first thing that Hubbard excels at is having a plus get off. This allows him to gain a step on his offensive foe. From there, he moves extremely well when changing direction or in pursuit of a play. Hubbard received perhaps the highest praise of any of the campers in attendance. His positional coach mentioned to me how coachable Hubbard was, taking and applying feedback – but most importantly – getting better with each and every rep he took.
Newman is a lean, long defender who used this physical gifts to his advantage. He is fast enough to win along the edge with speed and has long enough arms to create separation. On a few occasions I saw him recognize when the OT was overset, so he ripped inside and drew what I would have considered a holding penalty. When taking an outside rush I noticed Newman use a two-handed swipe and begin to work his hips around.
One of the biggest linemen in attendance, Hills resembles a mountain of a man. I regret not asking how much he squads and dead lifts because Hills has absolutely huge thighs. These thighs generated an enormous amount of force and power. When bull rushing Hills razed his matchup en route to routine sacks. He built push-pull-snatch block shed moves off of his bull rush. What was maybe his most sterling demonstration of strength was his punch. It was powerful and jolting, stunning offensive linemen in the process.
Smith made sure to get his money’s worth. Smith took spins along both the defensive interior and edge, competing and fairing well in both situations. The New Yorker showed the ability to go from speed-to-power and power-to-speed when rushing the passer at both positions. He looked a bit more natural along the edge to me; however his willingness to take reps everywhere is something I am certain his coaches value immensely.
Dikker is an athlete that I have seen a handful of times now in person. Surprisingly, he manages to show me something new each time out. This particular weekend Dikker showcased an arsenal of moves when pass rushing. It seems as if he uses these showcases as an opportunity to mess around and try out new things that he will carry into the season. I witnessed him work a club-and-rip, ghost technique, the rip, and the swim techniques each to proficiency. Needless to say, Dikker won just about each and every matchup.