Neil Farrell Jr.
DL LSU 6-4 330 SR #92
GRADE: 81 OVR RANK: NR POS RANK: NR
ARM LENGTH: 32 ¼”//HAND SIZE: 10 1/8”//40YD: 5.41 (12%)//10YD: 1.86 (16%)
VJ: 21 ½” (2%)//BJ: ( %)//BP: ( %)//SS: ( %)//3C: 8.41 (5%)
Projection: Rotational Defensive Linemen that you can win with in a 2-gap scheme and keep him off the field on obvious passing downs. Could develop as a pass-rusher though to be less of a part-time player. Draft Projection: Day 3 ~ GrindingTheMocks.com
Ravens Fit: Farrell’s limited athleticism will hurt his projection to the next level but this is a Ravens Draft Guide and, while they do prioritize athleticism, a big Defensive Tackle like him doesn’t need elite movement skills. I wouldn’t reach too early for him, but I would certainly have him on my target list. He can be a rotational piece to start with but I like his growth trajectory as a two-gapper and I think he will be able to quickly do more and potentially develop a modest pass rush. He’d come into the rotation and replace Michael Pierce in two years.
Overall Fit 
3/5
Context
Has played across the interior of the D-line but settled at 0 technique as he started to play more like a Nose as the season went on.
Pass Rush
He has good upfield burst, which is intriguing given his lack of explosion as an athlete. His get-off is mostly processing and reaction time – it doesn’t matter down, distance or game situation, he gets off the ball quickly and closes the time the OL has to react to him. Sometimes this can hinder him as he engages with the OL as he doesn’t possess natural leverage so his hand timing can be off, so he doesn’t leverage his position and work to the corner or through the blocker. He also has limited bend and therefore can’t always corner even when he does get such a head-start on the OL. He does have the beginnings of a rush plan though when he does get his hands on. Easily his best move is the bull-rush, when he does get his hands on, he has good placement and timing. There is explosive power in his hands so the initial shock is hard to deal with and he’s good at keeping his feet moving to keep working OL back into the QB.
His sheer power will challenge even those OL with better play strength. OL with better anchor and recovery skills can stalemate him after being pushed back into the pocket and he can’t effectively counter off this. Has a good spin move and the explosive power in his hands can be used with a club swim to control the outside arm of the blocker. As mentioned, he cannot corner and often stands up too high late in the rep to negate the good position he has got into. If he affects the QB it’s by getting him off his spot or by getting straight at him through the bull-rush. Plays with good effort but can get gassed at the end of long drives and into the 4th quarter, early in the season.
Vs Run
He has good upfield burst, processing running plays and deconstructing blocks quickly. He has good hand timing and placement with explosive power in his hands. He can leverage his gap and tackle the runner in his gap. He became a genuine two-gapper, with his eyes in the backfield, flashing color in one running lane before disengaging into another to tackle the ball-carrier. He has great upper body strength to turn the blocker to get into the backfield. When facing double teams, he has learned more techniques for occupying them as the season wore on, including corkscrewing his leg to reduce his surface area.
OL did find it easy to move him as the Drive man but he solved that deficiency and began to eat double teams, keeping color in his gap for longer, while not yet splitting double teams. Against reach blocks, he is very difficult to block even when head-up as a 0 technique on the Center. His processing enables him to get upfield quickly and into the RB path before the OL has a chance to match angles with him.
SUMMARY
Big two-gapping NT. Plays the run well, is learning how to occupy double teams. Explosive hands, core strength, processing help him win. Lack of athleticism and bend limit his ceiling.
PRODUCTION
SR: 1 Sack, 4 QB Hits, 41 Total tackles, 2 Batted Balls
JR: 1 sack, 1 QB Hit, 21 Total Tackles, 1 Batted Ball, 1 FF
INJURY: None
RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 1
Intelligence 5
Versatility 3
Grit 4
Scheme 4
