Jonathan Greenard DE, Florida/Louisville
I’m high on Greenard and I like his upside as a pass rusher under Jim Schwartz. He’s fairly explosive off the ball, and his ability to anticipate the snap makes his above-average first step appear elite—the type of ‘get-off’ Schwartz loves.
Greenard began his career at Louisville with 2.5 sacks and 7 TFL as a reserve, followed by a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him rack up 7 sacks and 15.5 TFL. After a nasty wrist injury cut his junior year at Louisville short, he transferred to Florida for 2019 and in his lone season recorded 10 sacks, 16 TFL, to go along with 3 forced fumbles (has a good nose for the ball).
He has excellent length/size for the position to go along with impressive quickness, and his hand technique and footwork are polished. He doesn’t waste movement as a rusher, and works hard to get involved in every play.
He’s not the twitchiest athlete with the gaudiest numbers, but I have a hard time finding something I don’t like about Greenard. He’s strong against the run, as he has a great understanding of leverage, and his tackle-radius is incredible—he uses great body extension and long arms to corral any ball carrier flowing in his direction.
While it’s unlikely he’ll be a double-digit sack guy as a pro (though I don’t rule it out) multiple seasons with 6-8 sacks and 15-20 TFL seems very likely. He’s as NFL-ready as they come and has a solid floor as a well-rounded end with good upside as a pass rusher. The Birds could use him in the rotation in 2020 and beyond.
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