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Back in 2006 when the Dallas Cowboys drafted a little known defensive end out of Grambling State named Jason Hatcher. Not much attention or fanfare was thrown his way as he was widely considered to be more of a project with potential than that of an early-round steal. But Bill Parcells and the Cowboys saw what other teams didn’t — a versatile defensive lineman who could play multiple positions and do so at a high level. While it did take him a while to come into his own, he eventually rewarded the Cowboys with a Pro Bowl season, one in which he racked up 11 sacks and became the leader for the team.
They lost him last season to free agency but they may have found his eventual replacement in Ryan Russell. The Cowboys’ fifth-round pick is a lanky defensive end out of Purdue whose quickness and power off the line causes headaches for offensive linemen, but the one thing that’s keeping him from being the dominant player he can be is his technique. Russell’s lack of footwork and use of hands keeps him from consistently getting by strong offensive linemen, and some even call into question his work ethic.
But Rod Marinelli, who is known for demanding maximum effort from his players on every single play, signed off on this pick and you can certainly bet that he will get the most out of Russell. What will help him is the fact that not much will be required from him early on as he has a host of talent ahead of him on the depth chart, similar to Hatcher when he first came into the league. He will only be required to come in and spell the likes of Greg Hardy, Demarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey and Randy Gregory. He will add yet another fresh body to attack a worn down offensive line and this will do nothing but work wonders for his confidence.
As he learns the techniques that are necessary to make him a better player, nothing will build his confidence more in the new skill set he’s just acquired than seeing instant success on the field. And putting him in positions against linemen who are not at their best will do just that. He may never reach the Pro Bowl level that Hatcher once did, but to find a player who can consistently put pressure in the backfield with a pick in the fifth round of the draft certainly qualifies as finding a hidden gem.
Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.
