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Ndamukong Suh:The Best I've Ever Seen.By TOM
March 1st, 2010 |
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Recently, there has been a lot of talk about who is the best player in the Draft. I am shocked, shocked I tell you, shocked. Both Mike Mayock and Todd McShay have been saying that Gerald McCoy is their top rated player? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you, shocked! I'm sorry, call me Mr. Grumpy, but that is ridiculous. I am a big fan of both Mayock and McShay, I download or DVR everything I can find that they do, and they do a great job, but come-on!
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Even they know it is ridiculous, as they both start backtracking the moment they say it. Sighting the fact that Suh has more Sacks, and McShay, "Now notice I said disruptive", Yeah, I noticed;-) With Mayock you expect that, because he is a contrarian. He likes to spark conversation by going against the grain. But McShay even said that Suh performance in the Nebraska/Texas game was the best performance by a defensive player he had ever seen. They both say the exact same thing, "McCoy is more disruptive than Suh in the passing game." Okay, don't call me Mr. Grumpy, because that is just plain wrong, and I am not "splitting hairs" . I have never seen a D-Lineman who could as disruptive as Suh, ever. Ndamukong Suh is not only the best Defensive player I have ever seen play, he is the best college football player I have ever seen, period.
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A "disruptive" play in the passing game can be called a "Splash play". The idea of the "Splash play" was designed specifically to judge how "disruptive" a college player was against in pass defense, "A splash play is when a defender does something that negatively affects the quarterback and/or the ball on a pass play. It can range from sacks to knocking down passes to drawing holding penalties", to a: pressure, hurry, INT, Pass Defended, causing QB to scramble out of pocket, etc.
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Coming into Draft Season this year (or rather last year;-) my top three rated players were: Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, and Marvin Austin (Austin stayed in school). Last week I discover some guy who writes for ESPN named K.C. Joyner? He has replaced the late great Joel Buchsbaum as my favorite Draft expert, sorry Mel (my favorite since Joel died, and yes I know you read my site Mel, so why don't you show me an email). His Draft Lab series is wonderful. In his series, "As lights out as his [Suh's] run totals were, it was his consistent impact against the pass that stood out the most. ... Gerald McCoy had 10 splash plays in five games and Marvin Austin had three splash plays in five games; ... Suh had 25 splash plays in his six games, or double the combined total of McCoy and Austin over a 10-game period. As insanely impressive as the overall total is, what was most amazing was Suh's per game consistency in this metric. He posted three splash plays against Texas Tech, four against Iowa State, five against Oklahoma, two against Kansas, five against Kansas State and six against Colorado." Now I've watched all three of these players play last season, and I didn't need statistics to tell me Suh is clearly more disruptive against the pass than McCoy or Austin. However, statically speaking Joyner proved that Suh had significantly more "Splash Plays" than McCoy last season. Okay just to rub it in, he also concluded, "The Football Scientist Lab Result: Suh is hands down the best player I have graded in the Draft Lab series. It is said that this is one of the deepest defensive line drafts in NFL history and the metrics say Suh is head and shoulders above his positional competition." I couldn't agree with him more! The funny part, was he had to stop comparing Suh to other D-Linemen because Suh's numbers were Ndominating. He started comparing the other D-Linemen to McCoy to make it reasonable.
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McCoy's stat don't even come close to Suh's stats. Suh's 12.5 Sacks led all D-Tackles this year, and really any year I can remember. Suh had 10 PBU, which places him, "fifth in the Big 12, but he is tied for 22nd in the nation. A spot normally dominated by defensive backs doesn’t see another lineman crack into the top 100 until Broderick Binns from Iowa cracks it at 79". He also had at least 24 QB Hurries (I've seen it listed as high as 27). And just for fun, he also blocked 3 Kicks last season. He also had at least 24 TFL (I don't know why Suh's stats are hard to find I saw TFL and Hurries from 19-27). McCoy's Stats? 6 Sacks, 12 Hurries, 15.5 TFL, 2 PBU, Kicks blocked Zero, and 34 Tackles. Can someone explain to me how McCoy is more disruptive than Suh?
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I remember reading an article by the late great Joel Buchsbaum, a long time ago. He was talking about Tony Mandarich. He was wrong about Mandarich in the NFL, because Tony destroyed his lever with steroids, but he was right about what he did in college. He talked about how Mandarich was the highest rated player he had ever rated, and was almost apologizing for rating him that high. I always remembered that odd moment. Mel Kiper Jr. always says the best player he ever saw was John Elway. Well I had my Mandarich/Elway moment when I watch the VT-Nebraska game (I lost my note for that game, of course!!!). I had never seen a Defensive player like that before. He was the most dominating football player I have ever seen. |
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The only person I can compare him to is the late great Reggie White, who was the most dominate D-Lineman I ever saw play in the NFL. I never saw him play in college, but I can only imagine it must have looked a lot like watching Suh last season. In the NFL, Reggie's combination of power, quickness, and speed, is still unprecedented to this day, and his ability to use in his hands and feet in combination with power and balance was beautiful. I have never seen anybody with better hands in the NFL. He could grab O-Lineman by the shirt and just throw them aside like shells shooting out of a tommy-gun. Who could forget him shrugging off Max Lane in the Super Bowl. Suh has the best hands I have ever seen in a college football player. He has the strongest hands I have ever seen. He has the most violent hands I have ever seen. Plus, his ability to use his hands and feet in combination with power and balance is truly Reggie-like. In the NFL, inline play is becoming more and more hand fighting. Suh is already one of the best hand fighters in the NFL. |
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It is not only his hand strength, it is strength in body. He has the strongest low base of any college football player I have ever seen. Plus, his core and upper body power is more explosive than any player I have ever seen. All these: core strengths, power, and conditioning, allow him to wear down and outlast O-Linemen, and never come out of the game. He was on the field for over 95% of Nebraska's defensive plays, that is a remarkable stat for a DT (read Joyner's article on Terrence Cody if you really want to understand how amazing that stat is).
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Now, McCoy primarily played Undertackle. His one and only responsibility was to shoot the G-C gap, and he excelled at that. Now, I don't want to turn this into McCoy bashing, because that is not my intention. I love McCoy. He is my second rated player in the Draft. Plus, I am one of the few who think he can play the 5-Technique as a Left DE in the 3-4, as he did repeated in Oklahoma's hybrid 3-4. What I am saying is that almost every year there are one or two DTs who come out as top five picks. McCoy fits that rating. Two years ago Glenn Dorsey and Sed Ellis came out. I liked Ellis over Dorsey, but I would have easily rated McCoy over both, and I am a big fan of Sed Ellis. However, Suh is a generational player. He is a "once every ten years" type player, not a once every two or three years type player (Does that make sense? I just confused myself;-).
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The play that really shocked me was a against VT way back in September (Virginia Tech highlight reel, watch this highlight, and then tell me his is not disruptive, and that wasn't even his best game against the pass, his most disruptive game was Nebraska vs. Texas). The play I am talking about wasn't on that highlight for some reason. The ball was hiked, and Suh fell into that odd LOS Spy that he played a lot against running QBs (none of the plays Suh played the LOS-Spy were on the highlight?). Tyrod Taylor is certainly a running QB. Taylor dropped, and Suh danced at the LOS watching his eyes. Suh is so Ndominating that both the ORG and OC stayed close to the LOS, double team him even though he wasn't rushing. They both danced right in front of Suh watching him like he was a wolf circling the fence around their turkey coop. A big hole open up on Suh's right as Crick charged up field. Taylor looked around for a second, than saw the hole and charged. Suh saw Taylor start, and charged the hole. The Center and Right Guard, who were double teaming Suh with their eyes, shuffled to Suh's right. The OC got in front of him and tried to hit him. Suh reached out, grabbed his shirt, and threw him to his left right into the right OG who was trying to double team him. I call this a Shrug move (I think most call it a Push-Pull), were you punch the O-Lineman, and then pull the shirt in the opposite direction your going, and use the leverage to help you go towards the ball carrier, and shrug the guy off your body. Suh didn't just Shrug him, he threw OC into the ORG, and Suh was suddenly in the hole. Taylor saw him, stop quickly, and actually started back pedaling like he just took the snap and was doing a seven step drop. Suh stopped, and back out, as he was playing the odd LOS-Spy. The OC and OG, recovered from their Three Stooges routine, and started eyeing him again, and slide back over to Suh's right, and got between him and the QB. At which point Taylor, who was still panicking, saw the hole the ORG and OC had just left, and charged again. Suh saw him and charged the hole now on his left. The Right Guard and OC saw Suh charge and shuffled back to Suh's left. The Right Guard got in front of Suh, impacted him, and Suh Three Stooges' him right back into the OC. Taylor saw Suh again, and tried to backpedal again, but Suh abandoned his LOS-Spy responsibilities and attacked, like wolf smelling turkey blood. Taylor tried, but Suh reached him, and slapped him to the ground with the most impressive Sack I have ever seen. His ability read and react, and throw O-Lineman aside, and burst to the QB is unbelievable.
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My second favorite play by Suh, I think it was his second Sack of the Texas game? He explodes off the line with his head up. watching the QB, and his arms and magnificent hands extending into the Right Guard's shoulders. It is a play-action pass. He reads run and shuffles instantly to his left into the running lane. With the OG still in his chest, he drags him left and smashes into the RB. He instant sees the RB doesn't have the ball. He looks up to sees Colt McCoy has the ball. He instantly shoves the RB to his left, off his body, with his left hand, and then Shrugs the Right Guard right down to the ground with his right hand, as he instant redirects to McCoy. McCoy panics and scrambles to Suh's right, but Suh is too quick and he grabs McCoy from behind and Sacks him. The power, quickness, and hand strength he displayed on this play is ridiculous. Plus, in the forth quarter Suh was still dominating the Texas O-Line, and harassing McCoy on almost every play of the final drive. Showing his amazing stamina.
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The scariest part of how Suh plays the game is that he does not charge up field on every play, like McCoy, he is coached to read and react. He grabs the O-Linemen in front of him and start the hand fighting, he reads what the Offensive is doing, shuffles around to get into position, and when he gets into position he Shrugs the O-Lineman aside and charges the ball carrier. So McCoy will appear more explosive and disruptive, because of the they way he is coached. McCoy is not as concerned with the run, as he is with disrupting the QB. Suh is Nebraska's main run-stopper. The most amazing aspect of Suh's game is that he didn't even rush the pass on every passing down. He would drop into that odd LOS-Spy (Look at about 1:25), were he wouldn't even try and rush the passer. Now, he did intercept two ball playing the LOS-Spy and returned both for TDs (about the 1:35). However, seemed in half the games I watched Suh wasn't rushing a quarter of the time. It also started to become a trend late in the year, as Kindle, Emerson Griffen, and Jerry Hughes were all dropping into a LOS-Spy.
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The only real problem I see with Suh is that he doesn't have a lot of Passrushing variation. Derrick Morgan is the most skilled Passrusher in the Draft. I have seen him string together a dozen moves in different combinations. A remarkable number. Suh relies almost exclusively on his great hands, power, and hustle to rush the QB. He has a vicious punch that just shocks O-Linemen. His Bullrush is legendary. He needs to develop a wrist and shoulder Chop, with his strong hands it would be devastating. He needs to develop his Rip and Swim, and improving his Spin move wouldn't hurt either.
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Of course the best news about Suh is that I haven't even talked about him as a run defender. He is the best run defender in the Draft, period. McCoy, Brain Price, and Terrence Cody don't even come close. He cannot be moved out when he is anchored. His ability to press through the double team block is unprecedented. His ability to hold off an O-Lineman with one hand, and grab a 200+ pound RB by the shirt and pull him to the ground is amazing. His ability to shove O-lineman after O-Lineman straight backwards into the Running play is scarily consistent. The biggest difference between Suh and McCoy is shown here, Watch this from 1:49 on. Watch how often he is shove the O-Lineman backwards with his head up watching the backfield and locating the ball, and then using the O-Lineman anyway he wants so he can crush the RB.
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So I guess my point is that not only is Suh the best run stuffer in the Draft, he is not only the most disruptive player against the pass I have ever seen, he is the best college prospect I have ever seen.
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If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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