Kony Ealy

Missouri’s pass rushing corps is loaded with pass rushing talent, but Ealy is the leader among them. Of the two that are draft eligible, Michael Sam being the other, Ealy is the more talented player.

Ealy is an intelligent, instinctive edge player. He has a noticeable understanding of when to disengage and attack the ball carrier or the quarterback.  In space, Ealy is fluid, allowing him to flow sideline to sideline quickly or breakdown in space and change direction smoothly. As a tackler, he will not let many running back slip by him. He holds his area.

From a purely pass rushing standpoint, Ealy is top shelf. Like so few pass rushers at the collegiate level do, Ealy understands how to utilize his size and length to his advantage. He extends his arms and uses his length to create space between himself and the opposing lineman, then uses that space to make his move and get to the quarterback. When bending the edge, Ealy keeps his strong legs driving to stay upright going around lineman to attack quarterbacks.

Although, Ealy is flawed. His quickness off of the line of scrimmage is nothing more than average and his initial punch is not overpowering. With that combo, Ealy rarely wins on first contact, which technically may not be an issue. Most players struggle when they can not win on first contact, yet Ealy does not need such immediate victories.

Ealy has been touted as a Top 10 prospect by some. While he is not quite at that level, he is a fringe first round prospect that may slip his way into the late first round due to the attraction of edge players.

Michael Sam

Despite being the less talented of the duo, Sam is certainly talented and has a role at the next level. As opposed to being an immediate starter, Sam is more suited to be a situational or developmental type pass rusher. He is quite similar to former Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones in the sense that he does not create for himself, but he attacks what is created for him.

Unlike Ealy, Sam explodes off of the line of scrimmage. Against lesser lineman, he gains an immediate advantage. Such explosion allows him to get to the edge quicker and, on a tangent, he bends the edge well. When making his arch to bend the edge, Sam, like Ealy, drives his legs well to get around the lineman and keep his leverage.

Unfortunately, space is the only place Sam can win. If his initial burst does not win, Sam shies away from contact. He refuses to attack offensive lineman's’ frames and he tends to overrun when trying to arch around the edge, essentially wiping himself out of the play. Both factors make him a generally nonexistent pass rusher, sans his freakish splash plays. Although, his splash plays are often when he is unblocked and is simply quick enough to burst through the open lane and attack the ball carrier.

In a nutshell, Sam is a clean-up player that has the tools to be a starter, if groomed correctly. Such a skillset should land him in the second or third round of the draft.

EJ Gaines

The 2014 crop of cornerbacks is top heavy, but rather weak in terms of depth. Gaines is one of few shining stars among the depth prospects.

Gaines is stockier than your average cornerback, but it does not hinder him. In fact, it allows him to be more aggressive and stout when taking on blocks and tackling. In coverage, it does not take away from his natural fluidity and flow around the field. Gaines can flip his hips and change direction without losing ground and can keep a small space between he and his receiver. In a draft class with uncertain cornerback depth, Gaines may be a riser into the second day of the draft.