A long, lean, and fierce pass rusher, South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare will hope to bring that same intensity and upside with him as he enters the 2022 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Gamecocks’ stout edge defender:
Vitals
Height: 6-4
Weight: 265
Class: Senior
40 time: 4.87
Strengths
Enagbare earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2020, showing his every-down potential as a starter, either at linebacker in a 3-4 or defensive end in a 4-3. He racked up 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss over the last two years, including the COVID year, in which he only played eight games.
As a pass rusher, Enagbare is long and strong, making great use of his impressive physical traits. He extends outward, and controls the offensive lineman with great leverage and body control. He uses his strength and big hands to slap past the initial punch of his blocker, and retaliates with a punch of his own before shoving them back into the pocket, or slipping by one of their shoulders.
In the run game, Enagbare uses that same power to ensure he isn’t swallowed up on runs his way, and he’s able to extend his arms and push forward to latch onto the ball carrier, while maintaining leverage with his other arm. He doesn’t shy away from contact, and utilizes his raw strength to shove blocks aside. His length and power should translate well to the next level.
Weaknesses
Enagbare lacks elite explosiveness off the line, looking more steady and predictable in his rush, rather than sudden and creative. He could learn to use his athleticism more efficiently, and add some finesse moves into his pass rush tool box to make it easier to jump the tackle off the line. While he will always be steady at the position, it feels like he just hasn’t made that jump to be a dominant pass rusher like his skill set says he should.
He may need to add some bulk to play at his ideal position as a defensive end in a 4-3. His strength and upside should work well with weight trainers and coaches, who will find him his ideal play weight and size to be a sufficient starter at that position.
Projection
Enagbare will tempt teams with steady production, and an NFL-ready build and skill set. He’ll need some refinement, and to fill out his frame to fit what he does best, but teams should clearly see the upside to his somewhat raw film. He can start right away as a rotational defender, but will need to add some more explosiveness and bend to his game in order to be fully trusted as a full time player in the league. Look for Enagbare to hear his name called on the back end of Day 2.
