Has experience standing and with hand in the ground. Has ankle flexion to bend and corner when attacking around the edge. Good forward lean and arm extension gives him effective starting point for speed-to-power rush. Plays with an edge. Used time recovering from foot injury to begin to reshape his body. Flashes good upper body strength when setting an edge. Able to ragdoll finesse tight ends around. Has hands and power to work from block to block when shedding and searching for the ball. Instincts are above average. Makes quick diagnosis against screens and zone-reads. Marriage and birth of his child have provided stability and maturity.
Weaknesses
On the short side with below average arm length. Has limited amounts of tape and production. Body composition is below average. Soft in his lower body and through his midsection. Missing explosive get-off to consistently threaten an NFL edge. Needs a more developed pass rush attack including a formidable counter. Moves like he's wearing heavy shoes. Lacks quick-twitch and bouncy feet for sudden change of direction. Pursuit quickness needs work. Maturity issues have plagued him for much of his career. Missed much of the season with a foot injury that will have to pass the combine medicals.
Draft Projection
PFA
Sources Tell Us
"He's just not athletic enough. His myth kind of grew when he got hurt after he had put up a couple of decent games. I don't think he'll test well at the combine at all. I think he's going to run really slow." - NFC northwest area scout
Bottom Line
Mathis doesn't have the length or the pass rush skills to play at defensive end so he will likely be considered as a 3-4 outside backer only. Mathis lacks the athleticism and twitch that teams want from their rush linebacker, but he does have some physicality and edge strength to battle against the run. Mathis could go on Day 3, but his ceiling could be as a serviceable backup unless he really refines his rush game and adds more quickness.
-Lance Zierlein
