Expert Opinion: DE Dorance Armstrong Jr.’s Profile

With the draft readily approaching, many people are enamored by the names that are associated with the first round of the draft but the reality is, teams are built in rounds 2 – 5. One prospect who should hear his name in that range is Kansas defensive end, Dorance Armstrong Jr. He is 6’4” and 250 lbs. In his career at Kansas, he tallied 15.5 sacks and received First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2016 as well as Second-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2017.

During the week of the Combine, Armstrong put up some impressive numbers. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.87 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.12 seconds, which is a bit higher than what is wanted for pass rushers. Typically, seven seconds or less is the ideal time on the three-cone, as it shows the burst around corners to get to the quarterback. That being said, his 7.12 was still among the best.

Despite his three-cone time being a little slow on tape, he has the explosion that a team will look for off the edge. He has great acceleration and is consistent with his effort to make plays. His long arms and ability to stand up and rush has some teams looking at him as an outside linebacker in a 3 – 4 defense.

Armstrong needs to develop more pass rushing moves if he wants to be successful in the NFL. Additionally, many are questioning his lack of sack numbers this past season.

Another piece of the puzzle which must be mentioned with Armstrong is that he was involved in the pregame handshake snubbing of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. After that incident, Armstrong was removed as a team captain, along with three of his teammates. It is not bothersome to me that he snubbed Mayfield, but it does show a lack of maturity.

There is only a slim chance that Armstrong will be a member of the Browns this upcoming season. As mentioned before he is best suited for a 3 – 4 defense, which the Browns do not run. If the Browns are inclined to take him they are relying on him being a situational pass rusher and a player to bring depth to the roster.