A Look At 2018 Draft Prospect Kemoko Turay As A Potential Selection By The Detroit Lions

Kemoko Turay has one of the more athletic profiles in this year’s draft class. The top two players at the EDGE position are likely first round locks in Bradley Chubb and Harold Landry. After that, there are a handful of really athletic but raw developmental type players that should be available on day two of the 2018 NFL Draft. At 6’5″, 250 lbs, Turay ran an impressive 4.65 40-yard dash time.

What Does Kemoko Turay Bring To The Table?

When you put on Rutgers defensive tape, one of the very first things that stands out to you is just how explosive Turay is. Not too unlike Lions middle linebacker Jarrad Davis, he takes off like a missile when he picks a target and attacks downhill. His ability to bend on the edge is adequate but leaves room for improvement. Slap and rip technniques are solid to this point. Relentless as a pass rusher and in pursuit of ball-carriers. For linebackers, the ability to finish a play with a form tackle is a huge component to having a productive career. Many players at this position have flashed and burned out of the NFL because of their inability to wrap up and tackle consistently.

This is something Turay does at an exceptional level in this class. Rarely do you see him miss or overpursue. He consistently takes good angles, setting himself up to make sure the tackle is a successful one. I was impressed with his ability in coverage for a player as big as him. Showed good awareness of route combinations or running back leaking into underneath zone coverage.

What Could Hold Turay Back?

There is some stiffness in his knees and hips coming around the edge. This is why his ability to bend is only average to this point. Needs to work on developing a counter when his first move does not work. He will want to work on getting skinny to split double-teams more often. Tight ends especially hurt him on down blocks and he needs to get a better feel for when this is coming. You would like to see him try to leverage from inside out or outside in, rather than take offensive lineman head on as often as he does in pass rush.

When draft day arrives, teams will need to assess how much the knee and hip tightness could effect Turay as it is not something that is able to be coached or fixed typically. This could limit his ability to bend and his pass rushing ceiling. But his superior footwork, length, explosiveness, and ability to finish plays will give plenty of teams reason to take a long hard look at him on day two of the NFL draft.

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