Pass Rushing
For many nose tackles, the extent to which they are asked to act as pass rushers is being asked to push the pocket and in so doing, limit the space the quarterback has to move in in addition to absorbing a blocker; this was how the Panthers used Star Lotulelei for the most part, for example.
On tape, Mack shows the power and pad level to be effective in this regard:
However, as nice as this is, it only ever leads to sacks if the other players on the defensive line are playing to a high level, and even then has a relatively low ceiling value as a skill. In order to add further value as pass rushers, players need to show the ability to work around blocks and generate their own pressure. This is something that Mack flashes the ability to do, using his hands well to work laterally into gaps before swinging his inside arm through to free his frame and driving through the gap to create pressure:
From these plays and the ability to push the pocket, it is clear that Mack has some value as a pass rusher with the potential to be quite impactful – but having said that, there are some areas which let him down at times and these are the things he will need to work on if he wants to elevate himself into the conversation of above-average nose tackles.
As with his run defense, there are times where he simply gets too high, allowing blockers to negate his momentum and presenting a large target for their hands.
Again, as with his run defense, this appears to be more a discipline issue than a physical limitation, but is another thing that any prospective team is going to have to work on. The other area he needs to improve on is his hand usage as a pass rusher, as while he does some nice things, as shown earlier, he has a real tendency to let his arms get quite wide off the snap, leaving his frame undefended and allowing blockers with a quick punch to get inside purchase and effectively shut him down for the play.
If he can learn to keep his arms in front of him, especially right off the snap, Mack will make it much harder for blockers to simply grab on early and not let go. Should he be able to strike first more frequently and look to use straight arms to keep the blocker at bay, this should not only make his bull-rush more effective – but also make it much easier for him to disengage from blocks, which was something he struggled with at times:
Mack is one of the best nose tackles in the class due to his ability to contribute immediately as a solid run defender while also having the potential to grow with time. However, if he is to make the most of his power and freakish first step, he needs to be more consistent with his pad level and work on how he uses his hands as a pass rusher. If he can turn the flashes he showed in college into consistent production at the NFL level, he has the chance to be one of the better nose tackles in the NFL – but that is something teams are going to have to work on making a reality.
Grade: High Third Round
Best Case NFL Comparison: Star Lotulelei
