Being a rookie in the NFL, the game of football changes significantly at the higher level of competition – the strength, speed, skill, and toughness of the players is that much higher. For Dontari Poe, his goal is to adjust to the mental aspects of the game first. Poe was selected eleventh overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL Draft. Coming out of Memphis where he played college football, Poe had swag that no one on his team could match with because of how savvy his game was on the field.
At Memphis, his teammates named him the defensive player of the year and the MVP of the team. At the NFL combine this February, Poe displayed unique athletic ability for someone standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 346 pounds. During the drills, he outperformed all of the other defensive tackles that attended the NFL Combine. When the draft was one month away, his status skyrocketed making him one of the top defensive player selected in the first round. Experts saw something special in Poe that no else could see, which could make him an unstoppable force come week one.
During an interview at the NFLPA Rookie Debut, Greg Cosell had the chance to catch up with Poe and discuss his transition to the pros. Poe spoke about what he needs to focus on to make that transition successfully. Poe answered, “Working on my overall athleticism, being explosive, and my overall power and as far as the positives: working on my hand placement would be the most because it’s a lot of hard work that’s put into it, but it’s on me to put in all the hard work.” For Poe to recognize that the detail of hand placement is a big part of a defensive tackle’s game says a lot about his attention to detail.
There were many questions going into the draft about whether Poe is more of a nose tackle rather than a defensive tackle. Poe addressed this particular question, saying, “ I see myself as a defensive tackle but some people think I am more of a nose guard. I feel like I can play that as well by moving between the shade and three technique, and also being flexible is a big part of my game.”
Dontari Poe completed his first of many mini-camps recently with the Chiefs. On the field, he displayed some of the same tools he learned in college but his new NFL coaches showed him the new and improved three techniques and hand placements that you would need to know on the NFL level.
Poe will have to prove to everyone that he can be as dominant on the field as any of the other rookie defensive players taking their first NFL snap this season. Playing alongside of Glenn Dorsey, taken with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, will make Poe elevate his game to a higher level.
The veteran Dorsey can motivate and mentor Poe on how to make the correct transition to the NFL while keeping an even-keel in the media. If these two players can work well together, they can become a huge force to the Kansas City pass rush. Improving quarterback pressure and stopping the run will be a big key to improving the Chiefs’ defense this season.
Even though Poe still has a lot of learning to do; with his size, athleticism and quickness, he will be tough to stop. Teams will have a difficult time double-teaming Poe, particularly with Dorsey next to him. Poe believes that his physical tools will give him a big advantage once he masters the mental aspects of NFL football.
By Jameel Shareef
