James Cowser, DE, Southern Utah: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

When looking at a division two FCS prospect I need to see a guy who jumps off the screen and dominates in order for me to buy into him.  No one has dominated at the FCS level the way that James Cowser has.

During his time with the Thunderbirds, Cowser has set FCS records in both sacks (42.5) and tackles for a loss (80), records which had previously been held by Jared Allen.

Anyone who put up those kind of numbers at any level is worth a look in the NFL draft.

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40 yard dash: 4.82 seconds

Bench press: 21 reps

Vertical jump: 31.5 inches

Broad jump: 111.0 inches

3 cone drill: 6.80 seconds (best in class)

20 yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds

Strengths

Obviously (as shown by his gaudy college numbers) Cowser knows how to cause chaos in the backfield. He is quick off the line and does a good job of putting offensive tackles on their heels.  Once engaged with his blocker, Cowser has a couple ways he likes to get off his blocks.  He does a very good job of using his hands, making it very difficult for his opponent to get any sort of grip on him.

He also has a nice spin move that he can use effectively in either direction.

Cowser has a nonstop, relentless motor on the field.  He has the high intensity effort and decently good speed to track down ball carriers all over the field.

His work ethic on the field is a reflection of his character off it; a very mature guy who took two years off of football to do mission work with his church. Expect him to put in the work in the film and weight rooms.

Cowser looks good in space, showing the kind of straight line speed and ability to move from side to side that makes me think he could stand up as a linebacker in a 3-4 system.

Weaknesses

Cowser is often too focused on trying to get into the backfield.  Blockers can use his aggression against him and wash him out of the play.  He needs to do a better job of attacking his man, as opposed to just trying to get past him.

Because Cowser doesn’t attack blockers with consistency, he isn’t the factor in run defense that he could be.  While he shows that he has strength, it can be neutralized with sloppy technique.

He doesn’t square up his man, thus he loses leverage and positioning.  He will need to clean this up at the next level.

While Cowser has the quickness to get around the edge, I wouldn’t call him an explosive athlete. In fact, he lacks elite athleticism in every category.  He’s not a bad athlete, but I think an NFL strength and conditioning program would do him a lot of good.

Overview

Cowser has a lot of things to like in a next level prospect.  He is a better hand fighter than most defensive line prospects in this class and has some well developed rush moves.  On top of that, he shows the kind of work ethic that makes you believe that he will keep getting better.

However, he lacks elite athleticism and will need some serious coaching in his technique before he makes any significant impact.

His rookie year could essentially be a redshirt year to learn technique or a new position, which is concerning considering that he’s already older than most prospects in this class.

Cowser has had a decorated football career, but his best football has to be ahead of him if he’s going to make it in the NFL.