The overaged Estonian Margus Hunt is a tantalizing yet polarizing prospect

Scouting Report:

Athleticism:
+Freaky athlete with a combination of size, length, strength, and speed
+Quick feet with high repetition, takes advantage of slow-footed blockers
+Strength to hold up between the tackles in the running game
-Very lean frame, especially in the lower half, needs to fill out still

Intelligence/Effort:
-Lacks overall discipline and plays with reckless abandon, needs to be honed in
-Minimal football experience which shows in his play recognition skills and overall football IQ
+High motor player with a good stamina level
+/-To an extent, makes up for lack of total experience with diversified experience at multiple positions on the line

Pass Rush:
+Much more effective pass rusher when playing from a direct position with quick initial contact than when asked to play from space
+Has ability to bend around blocks with speed, adds to versatility and skills on line stunts
-Can be too slow to get his hands into the frame of pass blockers, relying on natural skills instead of hand usage
-Negligible ability to press the pocket with a power rush, too speed rush reliant even from interior positions
-Lets his pads get too high occasionally which allows blocker to stack him up and finish him quickly as a pass rusher
-Generally an uncreative pass rusher, began to work in an effective rip move towards the end of his SMU career

Run Support:
+High end ability to stack blockers at the point of attack, can shed with violent hands as well, two gap potential
+Combines burst off the snap with a quick lateral step to split gaps and get into the backfield
-Overruns plays or gets too far upfield when unblocked often, a target for offenses in the misdirection game
-Doesn’t play with his head on a swivel, can be easily pinned or cracked by blocks he doesn’t see coming
-Low impact tackler when he arrives at the football who often aims too high, which minimizes total contact

Technique:
+Plays with impressive pad level for his height, has fluidity to sink hips
+/-Overall hand usage a work in progress with flashes of brilliance, more consistency needed
+Churns his feet on contact and has adequate footwork when taking on blockers

Overall:
Margus Hunt is undoubtedly one of the most naturally gifted prospects in this class. He has quickness and speed you look for. He has tremendous length to the tune of 17 career blocked kicks. He is deceptively strong when playing from 5 or 3 technique positions. Hunt came to the United States from his native Estonia to join the track and field team at SMU. Soon after he joined the football team and began learning the gridiron game. He only has four years of playing experience and will turn 26 before fall camp. He’s the definition of a developmental player as a result. Hunt has all the tools to get the job done, but needs to simply learn the game still and become a more experienced player. Despite that, his technique is surprisingly good. He was utilized at many different spots across the defensive line at SMU as well. Hunt had numerous games where he absolutely took over and dominated throughout and others where he was almost invisible. His best fit is as a 5 technique in a 3-4 scheme, where he can be molded into the spot whether it’s two or one gapping. As he develops, he can be used as a situational pass rusher to wreak havoc from the inside. His incredibly high upside should get his named call no later the second round. Just know that with Margus Hunt comes a high ceiling and an equally low floor.—Darren Page

Scouting Notes:

SMU vs. TCU
• Gets around the corner with a quick swim move and gets held up because he can’t finish the speed rush
• Stands up the right tackle with strong hands on a read option keep, sheds to make the tackle on Boykin at the line of scrimmage
• Overpowers the right guard from a five technique position and redirects back outside with burst, makes the tackle at the line
• Shows flexibility to bend around the edge after a good initial punch, fights through the hands of the right tackle and makes the sack
• Consistently standing up the right tackle in the running game, extending arms to separate, and controlling gaps well, just struggling to finish plays with strong tackles
• Jolts the tackle with his hands and shoots inside quickly but can’t truly clear himself of the blocker, forces a hurried throw anyways
• Stays home on a read option keep and sets a hard edge on the QB who’s forced to arc out towards the sideline

SMU vs. Fresno State
• Pinches the right tackle down inside effectively on a draw, keeps separation to set the edge and keep the back from bouncing outside as well
• Blows by the center with a quick lateral first step as a pass rusher and forces an errant throw away from the QB
• Wins around the corner with sheer speed off the snap against a slow-footed right tackle and buries the QB, forcing a fumble as well
• Bends around the right guard with a speed rush and sacks the QB for a safety
• Catches the tackle with a poor step using an quick outside in move on an inside draw, forces a fumble disrupting the mesh point
• Gets himself too far upfield on a screen pass, doesn’t freeze when recognizing a blocker who’s letting him go
• Sets the edge on a delayed outside stunt and forces the QB to throw it away instead of taking off
• Splits a double team on an inside stunt and forces the QB to step up into a sack, kept pads low through contact

Senior Bowl Game
• Slow to pick up the ball on an end around, sucks inside first on the fake
• Ends up on his knees against a Lane Johnson/Michael Williams combo block, unable to anchor it
• Allowed to come unblocked on a read option look and redirects inside quickly to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage
• Unable to make any headway against Lane Johnson in pass rush, actually getting driven farther from the QB as plays go on, quite poor
• Slides off of Oday Aboushi as a pass rusher and gets hands up as E.J. Manuel goes into his throwing motion, more success after moving to the left side
• Reacts to a chip block effectively by using it to spin back to the inside, stumbles a bit though and nothing comes of it
• Takes a back angle too deep into the backfield from his 9 technique while unblocked on an inside draw, slow to recognize it and takes himself out of the plays because of it
• Stacks Oday Aboushi effectively at the line but can’t redirect and get off when the back bounces the ball outside
• Unable to keep the edge on a misdirection pitch to this side, slow feet to redirect back outside after the ball is pitched
• Slow to redirect once more on a reverse coming back his way after slow play recognition
• South offense runs another misdirection pitch his way while leaving him unblocked, takes a few false steps and takes himself out of the play once more

Tags: margus hunt, SMU Mustangs

This entry is filed under the category: NFL Draft, Scouting Reports.