#9
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 275 lbs
It’s no secret that edge rusher is one of the most coveted positions in the NFL draft. While edge rushers are already in high demand, there aren’t many that are refined pass rushers coming out of college. Fortunately for the NFL, Carlos Basham Jr. has a very refined pass-rushing skillset, which he used to become one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the ACC. In order to get a feel for Basham’s entire skill set, I broke down the 2019 film of the Wake Forest defensive end.
Background: Carlos Basham Jr. came into Wake Forest in 2016 as a three-star recruit. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors after his 2019 season.
Pros: Basham is a very refined pass rusher with a lot of different moves he knows how to use effectively. Basham has a good feel for when to rush inside of the opposing tackle, as well as when to use his spin move. He combines pass-rushing moves effectively and shows good bend. Basham also shows good pursuit in the run game even when the play is not going towards him.
Here Basham uses a spin move while displaying his bend, leading to him getting past the tackle with relative ease.
Basham recognizes the gap between the tackle and guard, shooting through the gap and forcing an incompletion.
Cons: For a player of his size, I was disappointed in Basham’s run defense. He got pushed around in the run game too often and didn’t get off of blocks consistently enough to make a major impact in run defense. Sometimes Basham can become overly reliant on one specific pass rush move, which can lead to the move becoming ineffective as the tackle starts to anticipate it. Basham also doesn’t display much power as a rusher and appears to be an average athlete for the position.
Here Basham takes an awkward angle into the lineman, keeping him blocked and a non-factor in the play.
Overview: Carlos Basham Jr.’s deployment in the NFL will be interesting. While his pass rush skill set is developed and very impressive, his lack of impact as a run defender may limit how often teams can play him on early downs. His size and lack of top-end athleticism also make it unlikely that he will be able to take on any coverage assignments. Right now, Basham appears to be a very polished situational pass rusher, but if he can do a better job as a run defender, he could be exactly what teams are hoping to find as a 4-3 defensive end.
