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Wisconsin’s Joe Schobert: The NFL’s next great pass rusher

By Sayre Bedinger

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Wisconsin Badgers edge rusher/linebacker Joe Schobert has been nothing short of sensational this season, racking up 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss along with four forced fumbles through the team’s first 7 games. He’s added another 11 QB hurries and has been arguably the most productive pass rusher this season in all of college football.

Sometimes you see guys in college put up big numbers based on circumstance, and sometimes the guys who put up these kinds of big numbers just don’t translate well to the next level. Schobert’s game translates incredible well to the NFL, and I’ll point out a few reasons why as we progress along here.

First and foremost, if you haven’t watched Schobert’s performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes, please take the time to do so. There will be some vines or GIFs later on in this post, but this is an important game to watch. It could very well be the springboard for this kid’s NFL stardom and the moment where every scout in America decided this kid was worth paying really close attention to.

This is a game that I watched live, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. Schobert’s productivity in getting to the quarterback was incredible, something I haven’t seen from a college player moving all around the formation since Von Miller at Texas A&M in the first draft class I covered for NFL Mocks back in 2011.

And Miller is exactly the player that came to mind as I watched Schubert play with almost this crazy intensity combined with an absolute knowledge that he could overpower the offensive line whenever he wanted, however he wanted. Schobert knows how to have his way when he rushes the quarterback, and he uses great technique to get there.

Not only that, but this is a guy who appears to have excellent athletic ability. He has great sideline-to-sideline ability that will translate really well to the NFL, but for a player that is probably 240 pounds dripping wet, you have to be able to hold up in setting the edge and Schobert can do that as well as burst into the backfield to ruin plays. Let’s dive in.

Size Matters

Even though size matters in the NFL, Schobert has proven it really doesn’t matter in comparison to his relatively small size for an edge/front seven defender. Here’s what I’m talking about.

This is an incredible play right here. Alabama’s left tackle (Cam Robinson, SOPH) is 6-6, 326 pounds. The running back, Derrick Henry, is listed at 6-3, 242. So, Schobert not only has to find a way to power through or speed around a tackle that outweighs him by nearly 100 pounds, he has to beat a running back who is waiting for him on the other side that is right around the same size, if not bigger yet.

Schobert makes it look easy. This is one of the clips that NFL teams are going to look at when they are considering Schobert with a top 10 selection in the draft. Do you want a player on your defense who can do this? The answer is yes. Schobert plays bigger than his size. Just imagine when he gets into an NFL strength and conditioning program.

This is another reason he reminds me of Von Miller a little bit. Miller has played for the Broncos — at his best — at around 240-245 pounds. I think Schobert could play at a similar weight without losing much leverage or speed because Miller has proven not only can he do it, but he is one of the best run defenders in the NFL regardless of position. It’s all about technique when you have to overcome size and it seems to come really naturally for Schobert.

The Bad

As my pal Rodney Stokes pointed out in his piece on Schobert, his coverage skills and arm tackling leave a bit to be desired. For me, the coverage aspect of things isn’t going to be an issue moving forward because you’ll take whatever he can give you in that department as primarily and edge defender, but the arm tackling is something that won’t fly at the next level.

Despite the fact that Schobert does a good job of playing with good leverage and power for his size, we can’t get on board if he’s going to be lazy on some tackles like that. NFL running backs will feast.

Packing a Punch

Here’s Schobert packing a big time punch. If you watch the entire Iowa tape, you’ll see that he’s moving around the entire formation for the Badgers, but on this particular play, he’s had enough of the right tackle as well as the quarterback. He takes them both down, despite the fact that he himself is falling to the ground.

Once you pick your jaws up off the ground, we can continue.

Pursuit

It’s clear at this point that Schobert is getting more and more dominant as the game against Iowa progresses. He’s making offensive linemen, tight ends, and running backs trying to chip him look like fools. Poor Jordan Canzeri, one of the top rushers in the Big Ten this year, is tasked with picking up Schobert on a play here. Not only does he not pick him up, but Schobert makes arguably my favorite play of all.

This play shows Schobert’s relentless pursuit to the football, because not only does he chase down Iowa QB CJ Beathard here, he knocks the ball out of his hands, and then joins the scrum to come away with the football. It’s just an amazing play.

Final Thoughts

It seems like a small sample size at this point, but in all reality, you can see the skills that are going to allow Schobert to translate really well at the next level. Here at NFL Mocks, we’ve now discussed his early season success at length, and now you have a chance to get in and join the discussion. What do you see from this guy? Big time NFL prospect, or still needing a lot of work?

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