Below is the PFF draft profile for Northwestern's Dean Lowry, which incorporates PFF’s college grades and scouting intel from our team of analysts. To see all of PFF’s 2016 scouting reports, click here.
Position fit:
3-4 Defensive end
Stat to know:
Performance against Wisconsin was the fifth-highest of any interior player against a Power-5 school all year
Combine stats:
Height: 6-6
Weight: 296
Arm length: 31 inches
Hand size: 9 ⅜ inches
Bench: 30
40-yard dash: 4.87 seconds
Vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 9-6 inches
3-cone drill: 7.26 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.38 seconds
What he does best:
— Explosive athlete for his size. Has the quickness to track down run plays from the backside
— Can sink his hips and play with power. Tight ends have little chance of blocking him in the run game. Third-highest pass rushing productivity on the bull rush in FBS
— Offers positional diversity. Lined up all over Northwestern’s defensive front. 55 percent of his snaps came outside the tackle and 45 percent came inside the tackles
Biggest concern:
— Pass rushing toolbox outside of the bull rush is non existent at this point. Collected more pressures via the bull rush than inside and outside moves combined
— Short area quickness is nothing special. Gets stoned a lot when trying to slant or cross an offensive lineman’s face
— Stiff turning the corner. Never going to be a true every-down edge guy
Player comparison:
Mike DeVito, (formerly) Kansas City Chiefs. Lowry has a few inches on DeVito, but the play style is still strikingly similar. Both are at their best against the run attacking straight through offensive tackles and guards.
Bottom line:
Lowry is an elite athlete, but little more at this point. His odd build (very short arms for his height) and lack of pass rushing moves make him a mid-rounder.