Last year, offensive guard Cole Strange was taken by the Patriots in the first round out of Kentucky. This year, Devonnsha Maxwell should hear his name called as well. Maxwell is a powerful 3-4 defensive end who could probably play defensive tackle as well in a 4-3 set, but may be limited exclusively to a 3-tech spot. He has considerable upside as a finesse rusher but already has the power and body coordination to make a huge impact once he blossoms in his career.
HT: 6015
WT: 296
Year: Super Redshirt Senior
High School: Valdosta (Valdosta, GA)
Rating: N/A
Devonnsha Maxwell scouting notes
Pros:
- Very decent athlete. Moves extremely well for his size.
- Good lateral quickness.
- Good, not great, lower body.
- First step is good, not great.
- Fairly explosive athlete.
- Has demanded double teams in 2022. Works his way through them and has learned to be more patient.
- Decent hand strength.
- Good wrap-up tackler. Does a good job working on stripping the ball as he brings down the ball carrier. Tough, physical at the point of contact.
- Does a good job pursuing the play inside of the tackles.
- Shows good instincts fairly consistently.
- Very effective pass rusher on the FCS level – generated 39 quarterback pressures in 10 games (didn’t generate a single pressure against Kentucky), including 14 sacks.
Cons:
- I think his upper body is suspect as he was manhandled, even at the FCS level, much too often. He was completely overpowered against Kentucky. Looked much better in 2022 against Illinois.
- Not a brute. Doesn’t have that play style that demands attention like that.
- Not great in terms of hand placement but certainly has some upside. Just doesn’t understand finesse and relied on his physically dominant tools to pull him through the FCS level.
- Size may be a concern for certain NFL schemes, who may think he’s limited to a 3-tech.
