Biography Kheeston Randall Defensive Tackle Texas #91 Senior
Pros
Physical Ability: Randall has the physical ability and strength that you look for in a defender.
Durability: Randall rarely gets injured.
Size: Kheeston Randall is 6 foot 5 305 pounds. He has the size to play the 3 technique as a 4-3 defensive tackle or the 5 technique as a 3-4 right end.
Learning Rate: Randall learns to adjust to defensive schemes at a really fast rate.
Football IQ: Randall has a good football IQ. He came to Texas for the Academics and the Athletics. Some players just come to college for the show, playing as an athlete. Randall is a sharp player he does not play football for those reasons.
Awareness: Randall displays good play recognition and awareness skills.
Intangibles: Randall showcases some quality intangibles when you watch his game tape as a defensive tackle.
Speed: Randall has the speed to play on the defensive line.
Pass Rusher: Randall can be an effective pass rusher rushing the quarterback on occasion. Randall is no sack artist by any stretch of the imagination. He is a player who can generate pressure on the quarterback.
Randall is not a sack artist who is capable of generating 10 sacks a year on the defensive line. Randall could realistically help your team get 5 sacks a year as a 4-3 DT or 7 sacks a year as a 3-4 defensive end.
Run Stuffing Ability: Kheeston Randall showcases outstanding run stuffing ability. He manages to win line of scrimmage battles against opposing offensive lineman resulting in tackles for a loss.
Block Shedding: Randall is one of the best defensive line prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft when it comes to shedding blocks. When Randall sheds a block it results in a tackle for a loss 8 out of 10 times.
Pursuit: Randall knows how to pursuit the quarterback. Randall rarely applies utilizes his pass rushing skills to his fullest potential. Randall focuses more on the run stuffing aspect of his game. When Randall does go after the quarterback he manages to inflate a quarterback’s confidence physically with his blitzing ability and Randall also manages to ruin a quarterback’s confidence mentally by causing the quarterback to get rid of the football before the quarterback makes his read.
Finesse Moves: Randall’s finesse moves are much more effective on offensive lineman than his power moves.
Can Be Used as a 4-3 Defensive Tackle: Randall has played 4-3 defensive tackle roles for Texas. Randall can be an A gap defender in the 4-3 or you can utilize Randall as a B gap defender playing the 3 technique in the 4-3.
Can Be Used as a 3-4 Right End: Randall can be used as a 3-4 right end playing the 5 technique.
Can Be Used as a 3-4 Left End: Randall has been plugged into 3-4 schemes where he plays the left end role in the 3-4 scheme. Randall can also play the 3 technique in the 3-4 in addition to playing the 3 technique in the 4-3.
Can Be Used as a 3-4 Nose Tackle: Texas ran plays last year where Randall lined up for the Longhorns as a 3-4 nose tackle. Randall has commanded double teams and tripple teams on occasion. I saw plays where Randall was triple teamed by all three interior offensive lineman only to get by the entire interior offensive line stopping a run on a tackle for a loss of downs.
I could see Randall making a permanent switch to a 3-4 nose tackle role in the NFL if he bulks up from 6 foot 5 305 pounds to 6 foot 5 320 pounds. Its unlikely to see Randall play the 3-4 nose tackle role in the NFL. It is not unrealistic to rule out the possibility of Randall adding some weight before the senior bowl potentially becoming a Longhorn nose tackle like former Longhorn Casey Hampton.
Burst Off the Edge: Randall has a good burst off the edge. He displays that explosive first step motor off that leads to Randall pursuing the quarterback.
Production: Randall provides outstanding production for the Longhorns every week.
Potential: Randall has the potential to be a pro bowl caliber defensive lineman.
Cons
Power Moves: Randall struggles to execute power moves. He relies more on his finesse moves to make plays. That may end up determining whether Randall plays a 4-3 defensive tackle or a 3-4 end role in the NFL.
Misses Tackles When Running Back Crosses Line Of Scrimmage: When the running back crosses the line of scrimmage and Randall gets by an offensive lineman he will go after the back. If Randall attempts a tackle when stopping a runner who crosses the line of scrimmage he will miss a tackle.
One example of this was against Texas A&M. Cyrus Gray crossed the line of scrimmage thanks to outstanding run blocking. Randall was the the only guy standing in the way of an Aggie touchdown.
First, Randall just used his shedding ability to knock down a blocker. Then, Kheeston Randall used his speed to try to tackle Cyrus Gray after Gray ran past the line of scrimmage. Finally, Randall attempted to tackle Gray by diving to execute the tackle. Randall missed the tackle and the result was a Cyrus Gray run that resulted in an Aggies touchdown against the Texas Longhorns.
My thoughts on Kheeston Randall
Randall has the ability to be a pro bowl talent if his skill set translates. Randall can play all the same positions that Marcel Dareus plays. Dareus was a top 5 pick while Randall is a borderline first round pick. Randall has the ability to be a top 10 defensive lineman in the league down teh road.
Right now you could say Randall is the poor mans Dareus because Randall is not as polished as Dareus. Both Dareus and Randall can play the same positions on the defensive line.
Dareus was much more polished as an NFL draft prospect than Randall when he went in the top 5 of the 2011 NFL Draft. What seperates Dareus from Randall is that Dareus was a top 5 talent with his 3-4 experience at Alabama while Randall is more of a late first round talent prospect wise.
