Atlanta Falcons beef up the defensive line with DT Deadrin Senat

It is a known fact that Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn loves defensive linemen. As a coach with 24 years of experience under his belt in coaching, molding, and guiding defensive linemen, Quinn has a keen eye for picking the right defensive lineman that fits his mold.

So for the Falcons to draft a 314-lb Mack truck in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, you can bet the fingerprints of Quinn were all over the selection. In Deadrin Senat, Atlanta gets a strong, young bull to add to the interior defensive line as a building block for the future alongside fourth-year stud Grady Jarrett.

Let’s dissect Senat’s game and his overall ability.

Deadrin Senat Scouting Report

Height: 6’0

Weight: 314 lbs

Games watched: vs. UConn (2016), vs. San Jose State (2017), vs. UCF (2017), vs. Houston (2017)

Strengths

While Senat is listed at 314 pounds, he plays as if he weighs in the 325-lb range. Senat’s overall strength is often too much to deal with for opposing offensive linemen.

At the NFL Combine this year, Senat tied for third along with North Carolina State’s BJ Hill in bench press reps with 35. Senat has decent arm length with 31 5/8 inch arms and very strong hands, which also show effective quickness against opponents. Senat sets a powerful base even with his squatty frame and is the definition of an anchor on a defensive line. Balance is always key for a defensive lineman and Senat displays excellent balance regardless if he is taking on a single blocker or at time, double teams. He is very good at obtaining leverage early on in the snap, which is important for a prospect with a “smallish” frame.

Weaknesses

Senat does not have the desired length that many teams would want at the nose tackle position. While Senat wins primarily with his strength, he does not offer much in his arsenal of defensive moves. He needs to learn how to disengage from blockers, something he does not display often enough. A lack of height will always be an issue against taller, stockier opposing linemen. Senat may not provide much in the pass rushing department, either

Conclusion

Senat was an interesting selection for the Falcons at 90th overall in the third round. He was not on the radar for many as a defensive tackle prospect for Atlanta, but he does fit a need at the nose tackle spot in Atlanta. His overall strength and effort fits very well with starter Grady Jarrett and will allow Jarrett to continue to be a force at the 3-Technique defensive tackle position.

As a run defender, Senat is stout will be a very useful chess piece to the Falcons run defense going forward. As a pass rusher, Senat has shown flashes and that is about it. If the Falcons are able to get production from Senat there, it will be an added bonus. What Atlanta has added in Senat is a powerful interior defender that can eat blocks and disrupt backfields.

Going forward, Senat can prove to be yet another underrated draft pick for the Falcons, one who will hopefully add strength and skill to this line.