The '06 Draft Pass Rushers:

Manny Lawson

September 26, 2005

By Fred Pasek

When the draft rolls around in April of 2006, there will be 32 teams lined up around the corner, hoping for a chance at a handful of players who will have proven themselves over the 2005 season to be pass rushers worthy of high draft picks.   Each of these players will have a “signature move”, a move they will rely on as their most effective at getting to the quarterback.   Invariably, this move has a direct correlation to the player’s physique and strengths.   DraftBoardInsider.com has taken a closer look at the best moves of some of the most likely players to fill the top of the 2006 NFL draft board.

Manny Lawson, DE ― North Carolina State, 6’6”/245 lbs.  [official bio]

In the 2004 game between Manny Lawson’s Wolfpack and the Virginia Tech Hokies, Lawson repeatedly hounded Hokies quarterback Bryan Randall all game.  On one particular play, after having tasted Lawson’s helmet a few times, Randall took a snap in the shotgun and immediately took off running to his right, away from Lawson on a roll out.  Lawson’s pass rush that day was simple; he simply lined up far enough outside the left tackle that there was no way the man could get out of his stance and slide out fast enough to intercept the speedy Lawson.  You see, Lawson is a former track star who competed successfully in the 55-meter hurdles in high school.  On this play, there was almost no contact between Lawson and the tackle, he simply looped outside, running as fast as he could, and he easily chased down Randall – a swift runner in his own right. 

In the 2005 edition of the Wolfpack versus the Hokies, the quarterback was even faster.  Marcus Vick had reportedly run a 4.28 40-yard dash in spring drills and “Mike’s younger brother” was having a bit of a slow start early in the game.  In the first quarter, Vick dropped back to pass, and Lawson was coming from the snap.  There is seemingly nothing new to Lawson’s game in 2005, other than the ten pounds he added, and he simply lined up outside and took off on a looping sprint around the left tackle.  As soon as his back foot planted, Vick saw that Lawson had beaten his man and he took off up field toward the spot Lawson had vacated on the left of the line, but even the mercurial Vick couldn’t elude Lawson who used his long arms to corral the quarterback and bring him down.

On the surface, Lawson’s pass rush appears to be formidable.  He will undoubtedly rack up many sacks this year by beating left tackles to the corner, and, for the college game, that is fine.  However, once in the NFL, Lawson would find a different world of challenges facing him.  While it’s true that his fantastic speed will still be too much for slower tackles, there is no way Lawson can play defensive end in the NFL at 245 pounds and expect to hold his ground in running situations when confronted with a 315 pound tackle.  Even now, in college, he is used primarily to shoot gaps rather than to hold the point of attack.  If Lawson expects to play end, he would have to gain at least 30 pounds of muscle, not an easy thing to do for someone with his metabolism.  And, if he were to gain those 30 or 40 pounds, he would undoubtedly lose two steps in that speed rush as it is simply unreasonable to expect him to be able to uncoil and get 285 pounds moving as quickly as he does 245 pounds.

Right now, Lawson has no other viable pass rush moves.   Part of that is that he doesn’t really need another move right now, but one can’t help but wonder if there is a lack of coordination that prevents him from using a spin move or if those long arms of his that he now uses to simply poke off the tackle are so in need of hitting the weight room that a swim or rip move would be ineffective.

Any thought of moving Lawson to outside linebacker has to bring a note of apprehension.  The Wolfpack routinely drop one of their defensive ends into coverage on tight ends and backs, but it’s not Lawson, but rather the 6’7”, 290 pound, Mario Williams.  While it’s possible that the State coaching staff believes him to be their best pass rusher and wants to keep him moving forward to keep the pressure on, it is just as likely that Lawson’s long legs and torso don’t lend themselves to making the quick changes of direction in the open field required for efficient pass coverage.  The Steelers experiment (and subsequent bust) with Florida State's Alonzo Jackson comes to mind as a classic case of that college end struggling to turn his hips and move effectively in coverage.

Lawson will undoubtedly impress coaching staffs around the league at the scouting combine or his pro-day with his speed and athleticism, and some front office will grow enamored with the numbers and take him too early in the draft, “too early” being any point on day one.  Lawson may become a pass rushing force eventually in the NFL, but he has a long way to go ― buyer beware.