STRENGTHS: Tall, long and broad-shouldered with solid build on his frame, looking the part of a NFL defensive end. Initial burst out of his stance to win the edge and surprise blockers with quickness. Core power and length to set the edge with heavy hands and upper body strength to shock blockers at the point of attack. Aggressive swat/swim moves with active hands to work off blockers and keep himself free. Improved eye use to locate and track quickly, rarely losing sight of the ball. Stays assignment sound and rarely take himself out of plays. Physical striker and reliable tackler, using his length to wrap and finish. Only average speed, but terrific effort each snap and fights through the whistle. Fiery competitor and plays with a passionate demeanor, always fired up. Versatile experience as an edge rusher at both left and right end, also lining up inside as a 3-tech tackle. Football bloodlines with an older brother (OL Bob Meeks) and cousin (DT Davern Williams) who played in the NFL. Toughed out an ankle injury late in the 2014 season, missing three quarters against Georgia, but returned following week. Always smiling and carry himself with a positive attitude and the coaches talk highly about his growth, both physically and mentally.
WEAKNESSES: Adequate initial quickness to run the arc, but needs to better control his momentum. Wild pursuit angles, struggling to stop his momentum on a dime and redirect at full speed. Has some stiff, rigid movements in space. Can be driven backwards and needs to improve his high pad level to play with better leverage and anchor. Routinely pops upright and needs to better protect himself vs. cut blocks. Needs to show more creativity and better shoulder dip as an edge rusher, not fooling blockers with his current bag of tricks. Plays high so he tends to hit high, which leads to helmet hits and smaller ballcarriers breaking free. Still relatively new to the game and learning the details of the position.
