John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
There is no question that Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe struggled last season, recording only 28 tackles and failing to record a single sack in his rookie year. However, Poe has come on strong in the early going this year, racking up 3.5 sacks in his first two games, two of which came against the Dallas Cowboys last week.
Poe,23, entered training camp 20 pounds lighter than last season and looks a lot more svelte than his listed 346 pounds these days. He was fast for a man his size, running a 4.98 40-yard dash in the 2012 NFL Draft Combine but it is his quickness that is making him one of the best young defensive tackles in the NFL today.
The Chiefs drafted Poe on the physical tolls he displayed and it looks like the production is starting to match the potential. So far, the Chiefs’ defense has allowed just 18 points in two games, 16 of which came from the Cowboys, and Poe’s emergence is a huge reason why.
The power, quickness and finesse that Poe has displayed so far this season is the complete opposite of what he showed last season where he often played himself out of position, allowed himself to get dominated at the point of attack and generally looked lost. The Chiefs seem to be taking to the new defensive scheme put forth by new coordinator Bob Sutton and Poe is thriving in the middle.
This comes as great new for the Chiefs and their fans who were wondering if Poe was going to be another bust like Glenn Dorsey, the fifth overall selection of the 2008 draft. There is no doubt right now that the slimmer Poe is among the top defensive tackles in football. The only question now is, how good can he be?
Chris is a Senior Writer as well as the Hiring and Recruiting Manager for Rant sports. Follow Chris on Twitter and “Like” his page on Facebook.
