Joe Tryon is a guy who no one can quite come to a consensus about where he’ll be picked. Credible guys like Daniel Jeremiah have him going in the first round and lots of NFL scouts wanted to see more of him at the college level and opting out in 2020 didn’t help to answer these looming questions. The Washington Huskies are known for producing some incredibly successful defensive lineman in the NFL, could Tryon be the next?
College: Washington
Position: 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE
Number: #9
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 262 lbs
2019 Stats: 12 games played/27 SOLO/41 TOTAL/12.5 TFL/8 Sacks
STRENGTHS
1.Joe Tryon has excellent athleticism for an edge defender. He has great body control and is capable of rushing and even covering on third downs. He has great explosion off the line of scrimmage and has shown great reps where he comes screaming off the outside hip of a tackle. His athleticism will help his scheme versatility in the NFL.
2. He’s got a tight frame but packs a lot of power in it. He sets a real hard edge when playing LB or DE and in either a two-point stance or with a hand in the dirt. When engaged with a tackle, he can use his hands to position the opposing lineman into position for him to strike whether that’s off the edge or around in a gap. Even when he bull rushes he has a great stance and some heavy hands to drive back blockers.
3.Like most edge rushers from Washington, Tryon has a great set of pass rush skills. He shows an extensive repertoire of pass rush moves and hand counters. His rip and pull specifically is impressive. He could use a little polish and could still expand his arsenal but he’s got a base better than most edge rushers in this class.
WEAKNESSES
1.Tryon could use some sharpening in the eye discipline department. He has repeatedly bitten too hard on zone reads and quarterbacks who do their pre-game film-watching know that they can manipulate Tryon both with their eyes and with pump fakes. This is a problem that can be fixed with proper coaching in the NFL.
2.He doesn’t have quite the polish that other rushers in the class have. He has a relatively low football IQ and could work on some deceptive footwork at the point of attack. Too often can tackles guess where his moves are going because he doesn’t switch up his footwork enough.
CONCLUSION
Joe Tryon has tremendous athletic upside and his floor isn’t terribly low either. With proper coaching in the NFL, Tryon could be most teams’ sack leader. After extensive film review, I really don’t see all that much wrong with Tryon. Whether he will be picked in the first round is yet to be seen, but there is nothing that tells me he shouldn’t be. He is a great player at one of the most important positions in football. Worthy of a first-rounder in my book.
Draft Projection: Late 1st Round
Pro Comparison: Brian Burns