Pre-Order The Pro Football Draft Preview Today!!

NFL Draft Scouting Report: Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn

Scouting Report: Auburn DT Montravius Adams is profiled for the 2017 NFL Draft.

Montravious Adams, DT, Auburn

Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 304
Class: Senior
Hometown: Vienna, GA
Experience: 4-year player

Measureables:

40yd dash:           4.87
Broad jump:        9’00”
Vertical:                29”
3-cone:                  5.12
Bench Press:      22 reps

Career Notes:

A five-star recruit from Georgia, Adams made an immediate impact as a true freshman, playing in 10 games in what was a part-time role as he recorded just 20 total tackles. But by his sophomore season, Adams was a regular in the Auburn starting lineup, recording over 40 tackles in each of his next 3 seasons.  While his stats were never eye-popping in college (10.5 career sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss) he was often tasked with playing mostly on the interior of the defensive line, where he was more often required to soak up blockers and stop the run rather than relentlessly attack the quarterback. Sometimes criticized for his lack of effort, a stellar Senior Bowl week put him back on the radars of NFL scouts.

Injury Report: 

One of Adams’ strengths is that he did not suffer any major injuries in college. Though he missed a game during his freshman season against Western Carolina, most of the media reports from that week indicated that he would have played had the competition level been higher than arguably Auburn’s easiest opponent in what was a historic season for the Tigers.

Career Stats(click here):

 

Analysis:

Against the Run – 3.5/5                                                                                                                                            

Adams’ large size made him a natural run-defender in college, as his rare combination of size and speed gave him a significant advantage over smaller opponents. While his 6’4” height provides him with a large frame –one that will likely increase in a professional weight-training environment -- at his current size it can often be a detriment. He can fly out of his initial stance far too high, causing him to lose the leverage battle against smaller opponents and quickly be moved out of the play. Fortunately for him this is not a chronic habit, happening only a few times a game. But doing this at all is concerning enough considering he will not be able to out-muscle or out-quick NFL offensive linemen.

Pass Rush – 2.5/5

Adams is a decent pass rusher for an interior defensive player, but does not play up to his tools enough to be trusted with more than run-down snaps early in his NFL career. While he sometimes has success by correctly timing a gap rush, he lacked the ability to adjust on the fly if the quarterback is moved off his throw plane or otherwise uses his athleticism to avoid the rush. He also far too often gets caught timing his pass rush with the snap count in a Jerel Worthian way. While many analysts, including myself, thought Worthy showed electric jump off the snap, in reality many of his impact plays were made by simply ball-watching off the snap. This is not sustainable in the NFL and an issue that Adams will have to work though. His lack of pass-rush also limited his ability to play significant snaps at the next level, especially for the Packers who oftentimes play with one or two true defensive linemen, instead preferring the versatility of linebackers or players in the secondary.

Agility – 3.0/5.0

Based purely on his tape study, Adam’s flashed above average agility, making most of his impact in that department as a gap-shooter playing as a 0-technique defensive tackle or a nose shade. While his agility proxies at the combine were all around average (56th percentile 3-cone drill, 66th percentile broad jump and a 46th percentile vertical jump) his most impressive test was in the 40-yard dash, where his 4.87 second time ranked in the 91st percentile and likely caused scouting across the league to re-watch Adams’ film. His speed mostly shows up when chasing down ball-carriers several yards downfield, as he often flies in to tackle running backs that have been slowed down by teammates. While his 40 time is no doubt impressive, the fact of the matter is that rarely if ever are defensive tackles required to run 40 yards in a straight line.

Impact Play Ability – 2.5/5

As is the case with most interior defensive tackles, Adams is not one to make a ton of splash plays because he is rarely tasked with doing so. His importance is predominantly soaking up blockers so that quicker and faster players can sack the quarterback or makes tackles for little or no gain in the run game. While he did accrue 10.5 sacks in his four seasons at Auburn, it is unlikely that high level of production will continue at the NFL level. He will likely be able to contribute as a secondary rusher who beats his man initially, but lacks the elite explosion to consistently sack the quarterback. His production will likely lie outside the box score, recording more pressures and hurries than sacks.

Versatility – 4.0/5

Adam’s strongest attribute is arguably his versatility, as he lined up at nearly every position across Auburn’s defensive line – even playing spot duty as a pass-rusher in a two-point stance. Much of that versatility was not a gimmick either as he moved around the formation in some of the biggest games in his college career. When playing Alabama and their mammoth offensive line, Adams held the fort as a 0-technique while against LSU’s quicker and the more athletic line he played significant snaps as a defensive end to help against the talented Leonard Fournette. He performed well in both roles – soaking up double teams while also shooting gaps when playing inside and also doing his job as a gap-filler when playing defensive end.

Overall – 3.0/5

Because of the preponderance of nickel and dime packages in the modern NFL, interior defensive players are not nearly as valued as they were in previous generations because players at the position do not play nearly as many snaps as they used to. While he has the tools to be a solid interior rusher, he will not walk into the NFL with that skill. Right now, he is a competent, rotational defensive lineman with the skills and talent to evolve into a solid starter. Because of how obsessed the NFL is with potential, especially with regards to a prospect’s size and speed ratio, Adams is likely to be drafted earlier than his tape and production dictate, which is always a risk. But the reward of these players hitting in a big way will always have NFL teams returning to that well hoping they can find a mid-round steal.

If Drafted by the Packers:

Adams would immediately enter the Packers’ defensive line rotation were he to be draft by the team as his size and versatility would be a welcome addition to the unit.  While the depth has taken a hit this offseason with Julius Peppers leaving in free agency and Letroy Guion getting suspended again, defensive tackle would seem to be a need spot for the Packers, even with Green Bay signing the rare free agent in veteran defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois. While defensive lineman is an area of need, it pales in comparison to their needs in the secondary, guard, and the forever-neglected inside linebacker positions. In many previous drafts, Ted Thompson has opted to draft a late-round defensive lineman as depth at the position. Most strikingly, Adams’ two most similar profiles athletically per mockdraftable are former Packers, and not just former Packers but also two of Ted Thompson’s most notorious busts among players selected in the early rounds: 2007 first rounder Justin Harrell and 2014 third rounder Khyri Thornton. That alone reveals two things: 1) that if the Packers’ emphasis on athletic benchmarks for positions are to be believed that Adams will be squarely on the Packers’ radar on day 2 of the draft and 2) that perhaps the Packers should adjust their defensive lineman algorithm to incorporate different analytics.

Video:

 

 

0 points
 

Log in to comment and more!

Not a member yet? Join free.

If you have already commented on Cheesehead TV in the past, we've created an account for you. Just verify your email, set a password and you're golden.