Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 269 pounds
School: Ohio Bobcats
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds
Bench press: 15 reps
Vertical jump: 31.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 11 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.27 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.35 seconds
Tarell Basham 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Tarrell Basham was unknown in the recruiting landscape, coming from his high school in Callaway, VA. He wound up going to Hargrave Military Academy for one season to try to boost his recruiting stock. He saw interest from Mississippi State, but only received an offer from Ohio, which is where he wound up playing all four years of his college football career.
With a year of schooling under his belt, Basham was able to make an instant impact as a freshman. He recorded 7.5 sacks, and 31 tackles, 8.5 going for a loss. That finally put him on a national scene, as he was named to the freshman All-American team. His sophomore year saw similar production with 33 tackles, 5.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks. As a junior, he put up 39 tackles, 10 for loss and six sacks.
However, his senior year was by far his best. Basham recorded 49 tackles, 14.5 for loss and added nine sacks. It had him named to the All-MAC team, and named conference defensive player of the year. A stud senior season built up the Basham buzz and got him an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Basham was one of the big winners from the event and took that momentum into the combine, where he shined again.
Strengths
- Long arms.
- Has multiple pass rushing moves and good counters.
- Great against the run.
- Plays with great physicality.
- Four-year starter in college.
Weaknesses
- Has not played off of the ball.
- May strictly be a 4-3 defensive end.
- Can play better with his hands.
- Doesn’t have great bend around the edge.
- Relies on overpowering which may not work at a higher level.
NFL Comparison: Demarcus Lawrence
Teams with needs at position: Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Late second-early third round
Bottom Line
Basham is going to be a sneaky mid-round pick who could pay off in a big way as a sleeper. As far as physical tools, Basham has it. He is a big athlete with long arms and great size. He has shown a plethora of pass rushing moves on tape from a swim move to a spin and a punch. However, his go-to move is the bull rush.
With all of these moves, Basham is still a bit raw in how and when to use them. None of them are proficient moves yet, and more tape study and better coaching can help him win in hand to hand battles. He also does not take advantage of his arm length. It shows when he is able to wrap up shifty running backs and make plays in the backfield. However, he tends to play with his hands too close to his body when he is pass rushing and he can get sucked into offensive lineman. That combined with a lack of great bend to get around the edge makes him more of a projection than a sure thing. Still, a lot of his game can be ironed out, and with a group of moves and counters, combined with great physical attributes, the upside of Basham is going to be high enough to have teams thinking about him as high as the second round.
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