2020 NFL Draft Big Board: Ranking the Top 10 EDGE defenders

During his time at Iowa, A.J. Epenesa lined up all across the defensive line from the 1 to the 5 technique and produced in each and every spot. Iowa used an ‘amoeba’ front, meaning their defensive linemen shifted around between numerous techniques on every possession to create a variety of matchups between offensive linemen and a variety of opposing pass-rushers. Epenesa was more than able to generate pressure from all of these spots.

Epenesa measures in at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, yet have the burst and mobility of someone much lighter. He is not only capable of shooting gaps and blowing by offensive tackles from the five-technique but is also able to use his size and strength to out-leverage interior linemen from the one and three-technique.

Epenesa is not going to blow by any linemen, because he simply does not have the burst to beat them off of the line of scrimmage. But if a pass-rusher is at Epenesa’s size, there is no need to beat anyone with speed when they can simply be overpowered at the point of attack.

Defensive linemen who can line up at all positions across the line of scrimmage are valuable to the ever-growing cult of creative defensive coordinators in the NFL, and a weapon like Epenesa is a valuable commodity.