Every player at the combine has some kind of interesting story. That same concept held true when I spoke with Kasim Edebali. He is a pass rusher from Boston College but is originally from Hamburg, Germany. Edebali said that there have been many challenges. He like Michael Strahan moved to the United States from Germany during his high school days.
Edebali did gymnastics and martial arts, specifically Kung Fu when he was growing up. The hand eye coordination helped Edebali a lot. He said it helped him figure out how to attack offensive lineman’s hands with his own hands.“My coach tells me all of the time, he says that he made being a defensive lineman a martial art. Every day we practice technique, how to use your hands.”
The major challenge that he encountered was the football language and the technicality. The game is very complex, especially on the college level where players are required to learn so many schemes and take on various roles. That is especially the case for Edebali because he said that he had to drop back into coverage in zone defenses as well as rush the passer. This versatility is something that should stand out to coaches. When he moved to the states, Edebali quickly became a New England Patriots fan. He told me that; “Living in the Boston area, I learned fast that if you do not like the Patriots everybody does not like you.”
Edebali is one of the combine participants that played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. We asked him how that helped to prepare him for this current experience.
“Playing in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl helped because it was the first time I was back in an uncomfortable environment. You don’t know anyone. Everybody doesn’t like you,know you, they’re mean mugging and coaches expect a lot. It’s a lot of pressure. Fighting through that meeting and talking to people then going out and performing, it gives me a snippet of what I have to do in the future. I feel much less pressure coming here now.”
When you watch Edebali on tape, you will see that he is a good pass rusher because of how well he gets a jump on the snap count. It is very clear that is something that he works on. It’s something that he said he took a lot of pride in. He said that he started the week off in the film room looking at the snap count. He summed up how time in the film room helped him.
“Most teams in the ACC play with a silent snap count, so if you study tape, you can get a little hold of the snap count. You can see if he raises his head up.”
Edebali talks to Bjeorn Werner often. They played against each other back in Germany. The best thing that he told him was how it was all about the get off at the combine. He took that to heart and made it his trademark.
Teams will get a high motor guy if they draft Edebali. He can be a great asset when it comes to the pass rush. He is a fast and unselfish guy that can play any special teams. He understands the concept of zone drops and is comfortable with dropping back into coverage or anything else that coaches want from him. The team that selects Edebali will get a player that is still learning the game and is an unfinished product that they can work with to become a very disruptive player.
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