Pass Rushing 101 via 2022 NFL Draft Prospects

During Day 3 of the 2022 NFL Combine media interviews, the goal was to speak to as many of the NFL Drafts top pass rushers and figure out the method behind the madness.

I asked over a dozen players their pass rush plans by alignment, specific go-to moves, where they picked up the move and some of their favorite counters. These conversations help you understand what goes through the minds of some of the best pass rushers in the game.

EDGE David Ojabo (Michigan)

Bell: What are your go-to moves when rushing off the edge?

Ojabo: Probably like a ghost, a dip/rip or probably the spin.

Bell: Did you get the ghost move from Von Miller?

Ojabo: Uh, yeah a little bit of everything, man. I watch Von Miller, Frank Clark, too. All of them. They do a good job of taking it away, ya know.

Bell: What's the next pass rushing move that you're trying to add to your game?

Ojabo: Probably to get solid with my long arm. That would be good, I got a long wing span.

DL DeMarvin Leal (Texas A&M)

Bell: Having played all over the defensive line, can you walk me through the difference in rushing on the interior versus off the edge?

Leal: Rushing in the interior, it's a lot quicker. You know usually you get one or ones or double teams. As a defensive end, you're on an island. It's more likely than you'll get a running back to try and chip you but usually, you're on an island.

Bell: What's your favorite pass rushing move and who do you model those after?

Leal: So on the inside, it's a two piece, cross chop. Basically, I got that from Aaron Donald. On the outside, it's a long arm so J.J. Watt.

EDGE Boye Mafe (Minnesota)

Bell: What are some of your go-to moves off the edge?

Mafe: I would say the inside stab or double swipe on the outside, something to just defeat that outside hand. So I like to hit that, bend around the corner and then throw that top hand.

Bell: With your explosiveness, did you notice that tackles were starting to play you differently over the last two years to counter that?

Mafe: Yeah, I mean teams started to gameplan that. Playing teams, after the game, sometimes I would walk across and ask them, what was your gameplan? So you hear that. Teams sending a chipper, sending a tackle high and then having a guard there to cheat the inside move. So there's always multiple ways to cheat or defeat the speed type of pass rusher.

Bell: When tackles start to overset, what's your favorite counter to that?

Mafe: Whatever comes natural at that point. With it being a counter, you can't really pick that or predetermine it, that's just something that comes natural to you. Every situation is different.

DL Zach Carter (Florida)

Bell: Having played off the edge and inside, can you walk me through the difference in your pass rush plan depending on where you're lined up?

Carter: When I'm on the edge everything starts with speed and getting off the ball, making the tackle kick. So usually my plan is, I'm going to try to the spot. That's what were taught, five yards behind the offensive lineman. If he turns his shoulders, I might run through him, I might go inside. If he keeps kicking, I might try to just get around him. It just depends. Inside, it depends on what the guard gives me. You're not working with as much space. I like to use more of my quickness inside, get off the ball and counter a lot because guards will try to jump set me because I'm quick.

Bell: Do you have a go-to move on the inside and outside?

Carter: Outside, I like to work off the stab. With the stab, you can do a long arm, stab/ghost. stab/club, stab/chop/club. Inside, I like to use swipes and swims.

Bell: With already having so many different moves, is there a specific player that you watched? Who's your favorite player to watch?

Carter: I feel everyones favorite player should be Aaron Donald. He's different. I like to watch J.J. Watt, he's kind of my body type, bigger end type of guy that can win inside and outside. I see what he does, I would like to add some of that to my game.

DL Logan Hall (Houston)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rush plan whenever you're working inside?

Hall: So typically I like to start off with a power rush to make them respect my power. Then I'll throw a curveball, throw an outside/inside swipe. Then I'll just work off of there, whatever they give me, i'll take.

Bell: Do you have a favorite move and is there pass rusher that you model your game after?

Hall: My favorite move is the swim move. I would say Arik Armstead, Deforest Buckner.

DL Joshua Paschal (Kentucky)

Bell: Can you walk me through the difference in your pass rush plan when working inside versus outside?

Paschal: Yeah, say I'm working a 5 technique and I'm rushing off the edge, in the NFL, you're going to get your punch on the third kick You want to beat that tackle before he gets to the third kick. You want to make these tackles uncomfortable. Then when you move inside against guards or centers, of course you have to know if the slide is coming to you or not. That's more of a feel thing when the ball is hiked. If you can pick up some tendencies before that through different motions or pre-snap alignment. As far as rushing inside, it happens quicker and it's right now. The guard may only have a second before you make contact. With rushing inside, you really want to create space, too. Especially with a body like mine, a bigger body for an EDGE but you're quicker for an interior guy, as well.

Bell: Do you have a favorite pass rush move and someone that you model your game after?

Paschal: Of course everybody loves Aaron Donald but that's something that I love watches because he rushes from the 5 all the way down and that's what I do as well. I try to watch how he takes on those slide protections. If I'm in a 3 or 2i, I know the slide is going to fall to me so that's something that I study. My favorite pass rush moves interior wise and outside, I love power rushes. More speed to power and then working off of that. Whether it's long arm, the jab with the swipe. Different things like that and I've been working on some stuff during this time period, as well.

EDGE Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati)

Bell: Can explain some of your go-to moves?

Sanders: My go-to move is always going to be the side-scissors. My coach Greg Scruggs, he taught me a lot and showed me a lot in my years in college. He always told me that you're going to have your two moves and you make your two moves to where nobody in the world can stop them. Mine is definitely the side-scissors.

Bell: Is there a current NFL pass rusher that you model you're game after?

Sanders: Randy Gregory, he's nice with it. One day, I hope to get a chance to sit down with him and just go and watch film together.

Bell: A lot of players at the combine talked about how good you are with your hands. Is that credited to your defensive line coach or just reps?

Sanders: Yeah, defensive line coach and a lot of preparation, a lot of offseason work. A lot of dark nights that no one knows about. I used to do it all the time inside of my dorm, a lot of little stuff like that. That's what I really felt like helped me.

DL Thomas Booker (Stanford)

Bell: Can you tell me about your pass rush plan or some of your go-to moves?

Booker: Yeah, absolutely. For me, my go-to power move is a stab forklift. I like that a lot because the stab allows you to feel out the hands. I feel like I have really good hand placement so when those hands come out, being able to get that outside hand off of my left hand usually because I rush from the left side. I like that a lot. As a counter with speed, I like the swipe. Once you see a high puncher, a swipe is always a great move to go with. When I'm stunting towards guards, centers or any offensive lineman and have the ability to go two-way, I love that stutter step and then slap rib to cross the face. A lot of the time, they feel really threatened by my ability to go with the bull rush but I feel like I have the quickness, suddenness and change of direction skills to take advantage of that.

Bell: Is there an NFL pass rusher that you model your game after and is there another move you want to add to your game?

Booker: Yeah, I think for me, the one that I've been working on is that cross chop. So AD (Aaron Donald) is someone that I look at for sure. Not just for the cross chop but of course, he's the model. His versatility to be able to move down the line, 3 technique, 5 technique. His is ability to affect the game in run and pass no matter where he's aligned is definitely something that I want to take into my game.

Travis Jones (UCONN)

Bell: Do you have a go-to pass rush move?

Jones: Usually in the pass rush, I just go for the bull rush. My secondary move that I like is the club over.

EDGE Alex Wright (UAB)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rush plan off the edge?

Wright: Pass rush plan is just the basics. Getting off the ball, hand/eye placement, hand/eye coordination, hands, aiming spots, bending corners with flexibility. That's pretty much the basics.

Bell: Do you already have a go-to move and who are some of the pass rushers that you enjoy watching?

Wright: I like to watch players from today and players from the past. I used to watch DeMarcus Ware a lot. To this day, I watch DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead. You know, people that fit my style of play, my physicality. I have certain moves, on the edge, I like the cross chop. But I like the swim move on the inside because there's not a lot of space, shorter guards compared to the tackles.

Bell: What's the next move that you're looking to implement and what's your favorite DeMarcus Ware move?

Wright: I like the spin move. I would practice it a lot but I would never use it in games because I never felt comfortable with it in games. I would stick with what I knew best.

EDGE Sam Williams (Ole Miss)

Bell: Can you take me through your pass rush plan off the edge?

Williams: It's just film through the week and basically offensive line tendencies. Then if they change it, my coach always says use history, make history. So if they change it, do something different because they watched film on you, I react off them. I just gotta play and react.

Bell: Do you have a favorite pass rushing move?

Williams: I just base everything off speed. So I can go speed to power, speed to finesse. So many different things that you can work off of that.

EDGE Tre Williams (Arkansas)

Bell: You talked about being a speed rusher, did you notice a difference in the way that tackles played you as the year went on and how did you counter that?

Williams: I did notice that. They started jump setting me, they started 45 setting me a lot. Towards the end of the season, they started seeing my progression and the numbers that I had so they would try to get on me fast so I had to have my moves ready on a different count. I just can't go on three every time. Sometimes I had to mix it up and go on two. So having that mixed up with the games that we ran with a three man front and knowing the guard is going to help over too.

Bell: You already talked about the ghost move, did you get that from Von?

Williams: I did get that from Von, man. I see a lot from Marcus Golden coming off the edge. Charles Harris, Bud Dupree, a lot of guys that you use that move are efficient at it. I just kind of watch it and pattern it after that. I work it all the time so I know that I can get to the quarterback using it.

Bell: You mentioned guys that you watch, who do you feel like your game resembles most right now?

Williams: Right now, I feel like Julius Peppers and Chandler Jones. I think those two for sure right now.

EDGE Tyreke Smith (Ohio State)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rush plan off the edge?

Smith: I'm always looking to get a key on where the slide is going, trying to see who the center IDs. Trying to get a good read on the tackle whether it's a pass stance or a run stance. Then once I get off, I'm trying to attack him. You don't want to go upfield and make it a wide rush for yourself, you want to shorten the distance from the quarterback. You got to defeat the hands to defeat the man, that's a big thing that my coach harps on is defeating the hands. So whether it's a side scissors, a long arm or a chop, you always go to make sure that you're focused on his hands. I really just focus on beating and defeating my man first before getting around the edge.

Bell: You mentioned the two hand swipe and the chop, do you have a favorite move right now and is there a move you want to steal from an NFL pass rusher?

Smith: The side scissors, that's one of my moves. There's so many counters off it, I can do a long arm, power step, speed and I can do an inside counter off the side scissors. Anytime you have a move, you really want to perfect it. You really don't need too many, you really only need about three and then you can work your counters off of that. If you can really do it, have violence in it then no one can really stop you.

EDGE Amare Barno (Virginia Tech)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rushing plan off the edge?

Barno: Usually I just try to go with speed. Speed and trying to get them to jump in it quick then use either power or a counter.

Bell: Do you have a favorite pass rushing move and who do you model your game after?

Barno: I try to model my game after Von Miller. He plays with finesse, his speed. A pass rushing move I see him use is the spin move.

Bell: You mentioned Von and the ghost move, what makes that move so difficult for tackles to defend against?

Barno: When they just try to shoot their hands and you ghost it, it's over with then. He's basically beat once you get underneath him.

EDGE Dominique Robinson (Miami OH)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rushing plan?

Robinson: I was kind of one-dimensional this past I'm not going to lie. During the summer and in the offseason, I worked on one move to make sure that I got that completed which is my two hand wipe. I was quick enough to be able to do inside moves. I watched film on every guy that we played to get a feel for how they set. Went into the week with two things on my mind: beat them with speed or hit them with an inside move.

Bell: What's the next move that you're going to put into your game?

Robinson: The next move that I'm putting in is speed to power and a long arm series.

DL John Ridgeway (Arkansas)

Bell: Can you walk me through your pass rushing plan when you're working inside and do you have a go-to move?

Ridgeway: I would definitely be starting off with power just because I'm an inside guy and I'm not really able to create those angles you can on that edge. Usually when it's a pass rushing situation, they slide to me so I get either a double or triple. So I try to work a power and work off it.

Bell: Is there a player in the NFL that you model your game after?

Ridgeway: Definitely would say Akiem Hicks from the Chicago Bears. He's a big, lengthy guy. We kind of have the same frame and we play the same. He's a long dude. I try to mimic how gets off the ball, how he pass rushes and uses his hands. I try to mimic those things as well.

EDGE Nik Bonitto (Oklahoma)

Bell: With your trademark being your explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, what was your favorite counter to tackles who began to overset to take that away?

Bonitto: I would definitely say either the spin or a little head fake outside before giving them a swim to the inside. Either one of those two for sure.

Hopefully everyone was able to learn something from this article. It was a blast running around all day and talking to some of the pass rushers that I've been studying over the past calendar year.

The NFL is getting a crazy infusion of talent up front on the defensive side of the ball and it will be interesting to look back in a few years and see which of these guys ended up developing into stars.

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