Scouting Report: Strengths
- Heavy hands create immediate disruption at the point of attack against both run and pass.
- Long arms let him control blockers and keep them from reaching his chest plate.
- Sets a firm edge against the run and holds ground versus double teams without giving ground easily.
- Bull rush has real force when he drops his pads and drives through contact.
- Combine workout was historic for his size, posting top-tier explosion and agility marks among all DEs tested.
- Lower-body power shows up in testing and on tape when he gets downhill or closes on scrambling quarterbacks.
- Agility numbers suggest untapped pass rush potential that has not consistently translated to game film yet.
- Competitive effort shows up late in games and in postseason moments, with four sacks across two playoff games.
- Versatile enough to handle multiple alignments and occasional shallow zone drops without confusion.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- First step lacks the suddenness to threaten tackles before they can get set.
- Tight hips limit his ability to bend and flatten around the arc on speed rushes.
- Pad level stays elevated too often, giving blockers easy access to his chest.
- Rush plan gets predictable; needs a deeper counter repertoire beyond the bull rush.
- Missed tackle numbers are a concern, particularly against shifty runners in space.
- Penalty totals need cleaning up, with roughing calls popping up too frequently.
Scouting Report: Summary
Dennis-Sutton's combine performance changed the calculus on this evaluation. His explosion and agility numbers ranked among the best ever recorded for a defensive end his size, and that kind of athletic profile gives NFL defensive line coaches something real to work with. The tape does not consistently show that same athlete, but the raw tools are verified now, and history says players with this kind of physical ceiling sometimes take a developmental leap once they get into a full-time NFL strength and pass rush program. That possibility has to factor into any honest projection.
On tape right now, his clearest value is as an early-down run defender in a gap-control scheme. He sets edges, stacks blockers with his hands, and stays disciplined with his gap responsibility. He can two-gap in odd fronts where length and power matter more than get-off speed, and he holds up well enough against the run to earn snaps from day one. The bull rush generates pocket pressure, and his inside spin flashes enough to suggest a second move is developing. But his stiff lower half limits consistent speed-to-power conversion around the arc, and NFL tackles with good anchors will force him into technical fights where his counter game is still thin.
The floor here is a dependable rotational end who contributes on early downs and gives you honest effort every snap. The ceiling, if the combine athleticism starts showing up more consistently in games, is a defensive end who can rush the passer in volume and justify a bigger role. How quickly he develops counters and learns to use that tested explosiveness on every snap will separate those two outcomes.
www.forbes.com
