The OLB/DE position is arguably the strongest overall unit for the 2013 NFL Draft.  There no doubt will be a run on the position between picks 5 and 20, and as a result, some players could get drafted higher than their body of work would suggest they should.  I submit that “that” player will be Ziggy Ansah, the big and athletic DE from BYU.

Ziggy Ansah has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his stock over the last 8 weeks or so.  During that time, the national media has gotten hold of Ansah’s backstory, thus inflating the legend that is beginning to swell around him.  For those that don’t know, Ansah has only played football for two years after moving to the United States from Ghana.  Prior to playing football, Ansah had given basketball a chance (cut twice from BYU’s program) and participated in Track for the Cougars.  He found his niche along the defensive line for BYU’s 7-5 club.

With only two years experience, Ansah is the “potential” guy.  Multiple outlets compare Ansah to JPP because of their comparable limited experience on the college level.  But for me, the similarities end there.  Ansah is a physical specimen, but after doing an in-depth film breakdown of his game, I see very little that would suggest Ansah will have a JPP-like impact in the NFL.  At least, not early in his career.

Physical Makeup

Ziggy Ansah absolutely passes the eyeball test.  He looks the part, and there’s no denying that.  At 6’6 and 270lbs, Ansah projects well for DE in both the 43 and 34 schemes.  Ansah is a long as he is tall.  He has plus arm length and should have no physical limitations when transitioning to the NFL.  If coached properly, Ansah’s length should allow him to consistently be in the power position when rushing the passer.

In addition to Ansah’s natural physical appearance, his frame suggests that he will be able to add even more weight.  The fact that Ansah has only played football for two years also suggests that he’s only had that much time in a football-based lifting program.  If put in the hands of a good strength and conditioning coach/program on the next level, I see Ansah adding another 10 good pounds and enhancing his already beastly appearance.

Strength and Leverage

Ziggy Ansah displays very poor technique when firing out of his stance.  In fact, he simply doesn’t “fire”.  Time and time again, I noted Ansah standing straight up from his 4-pt and 3-pt stances.  As a result, Ansah failed to gain the power position with his hands; he was never in position to “drive the bus”.  Opposing linemen easily beat him to the punch and Ansah was neutralized at the point of attack.  In fact, when he was both slow and sloppy out of his stance, he looked like a fringe-NFL guy.

Ansah displays plus strength when he applies proper technique.  He’s just stronger than the guys he’s lining up against.  But he rarely is able to showcase that strength advantage because of the afore-mentioned limitations.  That said, when Ansah is in proper position to make a play, he unloads on the ballcarrier and can be pretty vicious.  He’s able to throw QBs and RBs to the ground with ease.  It’s his true, natural strength.

Motor/Endurance

When Ansah has his legs under him, he doesn’t quit.  He’ll play to the whistle, and he makes a lot of his plays as a result of his continuous pursuit of the ball carrier.  I noted a few of his sacks as “coverage” sacks that he recorded as a result of his effort and hustle.  However, and this was GLARING to me, Ansah is not well-conditioned.  On more than one occasion, I questioned “what the heck is he doing?”.  He would virtually stand straight up out of his stance, and, basically, do nothing.  It’s a huge wart on his film that will absolutely get noted by every NFL team.   But as I stated before, I highly doubt Ansah has had much experience in the “football conditioning” department.  An NFL team will have to project that Ansah will gain football endurance after having year-round training involvement in a pro strength and conditioning regiment.

Speed/First-step

Ansah is a really good athlete for his size, and he showcases plus speed for a man his size.  He can run down much smaller and seemingly quicker RBs and QBs and will be a guy that performs well in pursuit.  However, he lacks the first-step that I want to see from a first round DE prospect.  A lot of it is his technique, but I have to go by what I see on film.  And what I see is the natural tendency to stand up, hesitate, and then go.  Yes, these are coachable issues.  But it’s such a glaring negative that I think an NFL team will have to really, REALLY be careful investing a high pick in a player that does not show the ability to gain the edge on NFL OTs.  The first-step that he displays on film is one that NFL linemen will eat alive.  In fact, I have a hard time projecting him as a pass rusher on the next level because of how poor his film shows.

It should be noted that a lot of Ansah’s QB pressures and sacks come from when he’s lining up as a DT.  When he’s lined up against the OG/C, he physically dominates and collapses the pocket with ease.  But he’s not going to play DT in the NFL.  And while some talent evaluators will be wowed by his explosive pursuit to the QB, you have to note that it usually comes from a position that he is NOT going to play in the League.  When he’s lined up as a DE, he’s neutralized time and time again.  I attribute his inability to get to the QB (as a DE) to his first-step and his fringe-skillset in that department.

Pass Rushing

Ansah fails to demonstrate a skilled arsenal of pass rushing moves.  Unlike, say, Bjoern Werner (Fla St.), Ansah relies solely on his physical advantages rather than any much-needed pass rushing moves.  At times, Ansah attempts a spin-move, but it’s not impressive.  Ansah rarely gets the edge and shows very little ability to dip his shoulder and get around the OT.  Rarely did I see him rip or swim.  He’s a major project that will take every bit of a skilled DL coach to mentor him.

Vs. the Run

Ansah is big and strong enough that he can set the edge vs. the run.  In addition, he’s a good enough athlete to run a ballcarrier down in pursuit.  He displays very little ability to disengage, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to more than just set the edge.  NFL linemen will not lose the one-on-one battle against Ansah in the run re: technique, but Ansah will fight.  He’ll maintain his position, even if he can’t shed the block to make the tackle.

Overall

Strengths:  Ansah possesses good overall length for his size.  He’s a long DE.  He displays good athleticism and body control to work his way into a play, both in pursuit vs. the run and in rushing the passer from the edge when the coverage holds up downfield.  He has played all over the BYU defense, lining at DT and at DE (both in the 3 and 2 pt stance).  Possesses the strength to set the edge vs. the run.

Weakness:  Displays poor technique and is a raw, unfinished product.  Fails to demonstrate a first-step needed to become a good pass rusher in the NFL.  Consistently loses the hands battle, and gets tied up and neutralized far too often.  Fails to demonstrate an ability to disengage and shed a block.  Possesses a limited pass rushing arsenal that requires extensive coaching on next level.

Bottom Line:  Ziggy Ansah is getting a lot of unwarranted national media attention largely because of his backstory. Ansah is a raw and unfinished product that will struggle to make the transition to the NFL.  The comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul (NYG) are unwarranted, as Ansah projects more as a RDE at this point in his development.  A team that selects Ansah will have to be patient with him and not expect any significant returns until year 2 or 3 at the earliest.

Ziggy Ansah would be a solid mid-late 2nd round pick based on his film alone.  His athleticism and likely success in pre-Draft workouts will enhance his Draft stock, and he probably will be a guy selected in round 1.  But buyer beware.  I wouldn’t touch this BYU Cougar until Round 2.