Chris Wormley, DL: A Defensive Lineman That Makes Too Much Sense For The Redskins

Chris Wormley, DL
School: Michigan | Conference: BIG-10
College Experience: RS Senior | Age: 23
Height / Weight: 6-5 / 298 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 2nd Round
NFL Comparison: Nick Fairley

College Statistics

Player Overview

Chris Wormley is an Ohio native and received offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, and Illinois to name a few. Wormley chose Michigan over those schools though and has contributed to the Wolverines program ever since his redshirt freshman year. Wormley played strong side DE during his time at Michigan and is a well build DE prospect. Wormley will be an extremely valuable player for teams that operate out of both base fronts. He has passing rushing skills and also has good gap discipline playing the run. He is one of the more athletic DL prospects in this draft class and is already playing a refined game in so many ways. He uses his hands well to collapse the edge when he plays outside and he can also expose the interior gaps when he plays inside. He plays with urgency and is a worker bee type player. He has drawn strong interest from several NFL teams and makes too much sense for the Redskins at DE. Will he be around for the Redskins to select him in the 2nd round?

Strengths

• Great size for the position allowing him to virtually line up at any position along the defensive line in either scheme.
• Great motor, aggressive, and a lunch pail type player. No lapses in his effort from rep to rep and will work non-stop to get into the backfield.
• Active hands and great technique to string together a combo of moves to get past blockers.
• Strong. Can move lineman and is good at setting the edge and collapsing the pocket. Also remains stout in his gap assignments on the run and is not easily washed out of plays.
• Great vision and instincts for the position.

Weaknesses

• Not an elite athlete. Lacks quick burst and twitch you see out of all pros.
• Would like him to use his skills with more balance/consistency. He prefers to go around defenders it seems instead of going through them or working inside.
• Needs to finish the play with consistency. He left some sacks and TFL’s out on the field this year.

Let’s see his work:

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

Chris Wormley can start on the Redskins defensive line at DE. At worst this would likely push Stacy McGee inside to NT in the base defense. Wormley’s versatility at the position likely makes him a three-down player where he can move inside in some sub packages, the nickel base, or on obvious passing downs. It’s probably no secret I am no fan of the free agency moves this offseason, particularly how the defensive line was addressed. Wormley would likely offer the best pass rushing skills at the position if he were selected and would offer palatable value against the run while he adjusts to the defense and speed of the game. Wormley was praised by coaches for his high character and leadership qualities at Michigan. These are the types of players the Redskins need to build around. While he needs to become more consistent in using all his tools, and finishing plays Wormley would become the player with the most upside on the Redskins defensive line almost immediately. With coaching, he could become a key player for the team for years to come.