Senior Bowl Practice Notes (Defense)

The one bright spot for the Defense this past season was the improved play of Victor Abiamiri. He became a strong pass rusher and improved considerably with his Run Defending. He will make a very good NFL player and showed what he had this week at the Senior Bowl. Notes by Scout.com

Victor Abiamiri/Notre Dame

Ht: 6.044 Wt: 271
Arm: 33 1/2 Hand: 10 1/4

Monday Practice Notes: Gets upfield very well for a player of his size with great reaction to the ball. Does not move very well laterally against the run.

Tuesday Practice Notes: Athletic prospect who shows the ability to change directions well. Dips his shoulder off the edge in his pass rush. Does struggle to get off of blocks when engaged and needs to be quicker on his counter moves in his pass rush. Some teams have inquired about him possibly being a 34 outside linebacker.

Wednesday Practice Notes: Athletically looks the part but had a quiet day. Part of the reason is because he struggled to get off of blocks. Change of direction during pass rush drills was not as stellar as was perceived during yesterday’s practice.

Thursday Practice Notes: In pass rushing situation, Abiamiri does not posses the greatest initial moves but did an especially nice job on his countermoves today. One mental breakdown did allow a back to break contain to make a big run to the outside during inside drill.

Analysis: Physically there are not many who are on Abiamiri’s level. One of the more impressive looking prospects down in Mobile, his overall play was not as stellar. Inconsistent in many areas of his game as the week progresses, especially struggling with getting off blocks at times. Some teams are looking at him as a possible 34 outside linebacker. A talented prospect who will likely go higher than his play would indicate.

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NFL showing interest in Victor Abiamiri

Seattle coaches and scouts are in Mobile, along with every other staff in the league, and they were seen observing Notre Dame DE Victor Abiamiri who has been one of the standouts in practices so far this week. Here’s a quick breakdown of Abiamiri and where he projects in the draft.

Rest of the story from Scout.com insider

As a defender, Abiamiri is excellent when rushing the passer. That’s his forte and it showed up in the stat column as he posted 30.5 sacks in his four years in South Bend.

Abiamiri also posted 126 tackles and 40 tackles for loss.

NFL Comparison: Adewale Ogunleye, Chicago Bears

Strengths: Abiamiri runs very well for a man his size and he’s got the frame to add 10 to 15 pounds to become a solid weakside defensive end. He pursues well, has a great motor and he already has developed some solid pass-rush moves to get to the quarterback. He is still improving and he’s an excellent tackler as well.

Weaknesses: He doesn’t hold up well when teams run directly at him. He also has a tendency to play too high, allowing blockers to get into his chest, nullifying his outstanding athleticism. He’s still developing as a football player and doesn’t possess the instincts right now to diagnose plays quickly. If he doesn’t gain some weight and strength, he will get pushed around by physical tackles. Struggles to disengage when a blocker gets their hands on him.

Roster Impact for Seattle: With the possibility that DE Grant Wistrom may be cut this June to save some money, Seattle may be in the market for a solid young defensive end to come in and take over the reigns at the right defensive end position. Fisher and second-year player Darryl Tapp are sure-things to return, but they fit better on the left (strong) side. Even if Wistrom does come back, Abiamiri would be a solid addition to the roster and add excellent depth as he develops his skills.

Draft Projection: On most draft boards, Abiamiri is slotted as a top five defensive end in what is a weak class this year. At this point he’s considered a lock for the second round, but he could sneak into the first round with good workouts leading up to the draft.

**Note: Keep an eye out for more of these updates as we find out who the Seahawks are looking at over the next few weeks.