Brandon Pili DL USC Scouting Report

Strengths

• Has the upper-body strength to rock his opponent back onto his heels.
• Surprising initial quickness off the snap. Relies mostly on a simple bull rush at this point, which is quite effective in collapsing the pocket.
• Strong, stout interior presence who often requires double team blocks to keep him from clogging running lanes. Short, thick legs and thick trunk which aid him in anchoring.
• Strong tackler. Has good power in hands and can anchor, shed, and chase.
• Played with good leverage, even on the nose, despite average bulk. Hustle defender with a good bull rush inside that can close and get home when quarterbacks leave the pocket.

Weaknesses

• Inconsistent in his ability to separate from blocks, however, making him more of a nuisance than a snap-to-snap terror.
• Must improve hand use and read-and-react skills. Lacks the violent hands to shed and can be eliminated by double-team blocks.
• Needs to keep his pad level low; pops upright and plays too tall, struggling to maintain leverage off the snap.
• Needs to do a better job of being the aggressor and tossing blockers aside.
• Isn't able to consistently shed blocks and makes plays in the hole.

How other scouting services rate Brandon Pili (Overall Rank)