Ole Miss pass rusher could be one of the biggest sleepers in the NFL Draft

The Ole Miss pass rusher is flying under the radar heading into April.

With the NFL Draft less than a month away, the Kansas City Chiefs will have a chance to replenish their roster and add talent and depth. The defensive line is a position the Chiefs could be looking to stock up on, and a player they could have an eye on is former Ole Miss defensive lineman Jared Ivy.

Ivey combines a blend of outside and inside pass rush capabilities while providing prototypical size for a defensive end in Steve Spagnuolo’s front. He won’t be a Day 1 pick, but Ivey could be an under-the-radar player worth watching during the second draft day.

Player profile

Ivey won’t blow teams away with his athletic profile, and he could fall in the draft due to below-average athlete testing numbers.

Ivey has been listed as a defensive end, meaning his athletic testing numbers will be put up with all players who rush along the outside, even the far more athletic outside linebacker types and pass rush specialists off the edge.

This couldn’t be further from who Ivey is as a player, and given his versatility, made me curious how his testing would look if he were tested in the defensive tackle category.

The results were much better and painted a more accurate portrayal of who Ivey is as a player.

Outside of the weight and bench press categories, this shift has improved his score from that of a below-average athlete to that of an average athlete.

The areas that saw the best improvement were his vertical and broad jumping numbers, which are key in testing initial explosive movement.

Testing numbers can be a great indicator of athletic potential as well as confirming prior information, but the true test of a prospect will be the film that he can put out on a week-in and week-out basis.

Pass rush

Ivey is a classic “tweener” pass rusher who split time between the outside and inside while at Ole Miss. On the outside, he used his length and active hands to beat offensive tackles, and decent bend for his size to finish plays.

On the snap, Ivey uses a good first step to get the jump on the right tackle and uses a jump chop to get around him. Showing off good flexibility, he begins to bend the arc and heads toward the quarterback. It looks like the quarterback might be about to step up in the pocket, but Ivey uses his 33.5” arms to reach out and knock the ball free.

The play nearly ends in a turnover, allowing Ivey to showcase his awareness and general pass rush plan.

Ivey is a fine outside rusher, but he made his largest impact as a player rushing from the interior. With a superior first step and length, he made quick work of many guards in the SEC.

Lined up in the A-gap, Ivey has a one-on-one against the right guard. Ivey takes a quick initial first step toward the guard, who prepares to start to mirror him in protection. This is a good setup from Ivey and draws the guard in closer. As the guard starts to initiate contact, Ivey uses a big hand swipe to knock down the would-be blocker’s hands, and then uses a swim move to blow through the A-gap.

At this point, he is home free and brings down the quarterback for a sack.

This is where Ivey’s value as a player is found, and what will get him drafted into the NFL. Teams will turn over every stone to find legitimate pass rush help, and Ivey will be able to compete inside on pass rush downs very quickly in his career.

Active hands

Ivey is an active player, and he uses his long arms well. With a high football IQ, he made an impact in games with his ability to swat down passes and blow up plays before they could get going.

The Ole Miss defensive front was loaded, and on some plays, Ivey would work his way back to the middle of the defensive line and patrol the middle of the field, much like a big man in basketball.

Once Ivey works back to the inside, he knows he won’t have a chance to rush the passer, so he drops a little and follows the quarterback’s eyes. He times it up perfectly, and as the ball is thrown, he gets a hand on it, knocking it off its trajectory and into the hands of his teammate.

This kind of disruption can be overlooked when examining numbers and athletic testing, but it shows an instinctual player with a good understanding of situational football.

Run defense

Ivey is solid as a run defender along the outside and often uses his size to set the edge and work through blocks from offensive tackles and tight ends.

There are instances where he could afford to be more disciplined when playing gaps, and his run defense along the defensive interior could use an overall upgrade, but along the outside, he can provide quality snaps.

The bottom line

Ivey is projected to be a situational pass rusher in the NFL and could be an every-down player at some point during his career. He would be a good third or fourth-round selection for a team like the Chiefs, as he could come in and learn the game from a veteran-heavy defensive line and eventually work his way into being a starter.

His size and versatility make him a great fit for Spagnuolo’s defensive front, and he could make up for the pass rush snaps that the team is losing from a player like Tershawn Wharton.

Ivey may never be a star in the league, but finding ways to bring down quarterbacks could keep him employed for a long time.