Bob Donnan-US Presswire

Coples has good bursts off the snap. There’s a question if he has the speed and flexibility to get around the end at the NFL level. While he’s definitely powerful, he doesn’t have elite lateral agility or closing speed. He does gain ground quickly, however, because of his length. He is a strong drag-down tackler and is able to drag down the quarterback while still being engaged with a blocker. He uses a strong rip and swim move to get to the quarterback. He lacks the bulk of a defensive tackle and comes off the snap a little high. He uses great strength to stand up his opponent and good hand placement to shed blocks. He also has enough lateral agility and length to get to a running back. Coples has enough strength to drive back most opponents using a bull rush but he struggles with leverage when playing defensive tackle. He also has a tendency of getting pushed off the ball early in play. Coples is a good tackler who can slow down ball carriers with one arm. His long arms allow him to catch opponents as the run by. He lowers his head too often when making contact which could lead to helmet-to-helmet penalties but he does do a nice job of wrapping up.

Awards: 2x All-ACC (2010, 2011)

2011 Stats: 55 Tackles
7.5 Sacks

Projection: Early 1st Round