The Atlanta Falcons have few holes on the roster heading into the 2017 NFL draft, but one of the major ones is along the defensive line. Adding someone who can compete at strong-side defensive end with new addition Jack Crawford and last year’s addition of Derrick Shelby is a good plan.

Tanoh Kpassagnon is almost a perfect fit at strong-side end for the Falcons due to his frame, athleticism and ability to play inside in nickel sets while also being able to bend the edge despite a massive frame.

Here’s what you need to know about him.

Tanoh Kpassagnon: DL – Villanova University

Combine/Pro Day Measurements

Height: 6 feet 6.75 inches Weight: 289 pounds

Arm Length: 35-5/8 inches Hand Measurement: 10-5/8 inches

40 yard dash: 4.83 sec. 10 yard split: 1.69 sec.

20 yard shuttle: 4.62 sec. 3-cone Drill: 7.46 sec. Bench Reps: 23 reps

Vertical Jump: 30.0 inches Broad Jump: 10’8 inches

Athletic Comparison: Gerald McCoy, 2010, No. 3 overall pick out of

Stats

2016: 12 games played, 45 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, one fumble forced, two fumbles recovered, one pass deflection

2015: 11 games played, 33 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble forced, one fumble recovered

2014: 6 games played, 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two fumbles forced

2013: 11 games played, 15 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack

2012: Redshirted

Highlights

Scouting Report

Strengths

Despite being 289 pounds, Kpassagnon looks like he could easily add a few more pounds of muscle to his frame without compromising his freakish athleticism. He’s explosive off the ball and plays with a relentless attitude most coaches only dream of finding. He’s great against the run and has been exceptional at the college level with his run fits.

He’s also been surprisingly productive as a pass rusher, creating quite a few opportunities for his defense to get off the field with third-down sacks. He has a good bull rush and understands when and how to release. His long-armed frame allows him to extend his body inside and create a dynamic interior pass-rushing threat.

Weaknesses

Despite having a good bull rush, Kpassagnon needs to learn how to use his hands more effectively and develop a pure counter move. He tends to play a bit high at times and because of his rough technique he looks like a bit of a project. Conference competition aside, Kpassagnon is going to be tough for all teams to find a good fit.

Kpassagnon seems to get washed out of plays right at the snap at times. He needs to get stronger in his legs. As previously noted, if he can add another 15-20 pounds of muscle and get stronger in his lower half, that would really boost his effectiveness.

How does he fit the Comrade Filter?

Kpassagnonis a brilliant student with excellent academic achievements within his finance and accounting majors at Villanova. On top of that, he’s been voted a team captain and has kept his nose clean off the field. Kpassagnon showed constant improvement on the field year-to-year, from his technique to his increased muscle mass.

While you can’t always see hard work pay off in that respect, it’s tough to act like this isn’t because Kpassagnon is the kind of worker Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff would love to add to the brotherhood. As far as the Comrade filter is concerned, Dimitroff and Quinn would love Kpassagnon.

Overview

Kpassagnon is one of the better athletes in the draft and could turn out to be more than the project he currently seems. His explosiveness off the ball at his weight is always going to be useful for any defense, and his ability to bend the edge at his weight is dynamic for this draft class in particular.

Once Kpassagnon finally figures it all out, whoever drafts him could have a guy who plays a three-technique like Gerald McCoy or a 5/6-technique like a Red Bryant. If he can get his hands completely together and learn how to maintain a lower pad level than he currently does, he could be a force on the inside.

How he would fit into the Falcons’ plans

The Falcons would likely have to use their second-round pick to procure Kpassagnon, who would easily fit into the rotation. However, there are questions about how early he would be ready, due to his raw technique. His best scheme fits are easily as a three-technique under tackle or a five-technique defensive end.

Those spots would allow him to use his explosive first step and penetrating abilities to get up field and after QBs. Against the run, his effectiveness as both a one-gap and two-gap defensive end would give Atlanta more versatility to run varied schemes with their front-seven.