By Ryan Myers
Photo Credit- Tar Heel Blog
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - North Carolina, DL, Kaimon Rucker
Name - Kaimon Rucker
Pos - LB/EDGE
Team - North Carolina
HT/WT - 6’2” 265 lbs.
Born - 02/28/2002
Home – Hartwell, GA
Kaimon Rucker came out of Hart County High School and was listed as a three-star recruit by 247sports, rivals.com, and ESPN. He lettered 3 times in football during his high school career including two years as a starter. In these two seasons (junior and senior year) he had 130 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 30 TFL and 50 pressures all while missing several games for an injury. He was named AAA all-state and AAA all region as a senior.
Rucker entered the college game a bit undersized at 6’1” and 243 lbs, however, he quickly became an important bench piece for the Tar Heels defense. In his first two years with North Carolina, he was a rotational linebacker/edge rusher and was able to collect 51 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble in 23 games.
Rucker has grown into a very functional and mature 6’2” 265 lb. frame, which is much more suitable for the NFL. A senior at UNC, he collected 37 tackles, 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks, and forced 2 fumbles in 14 games last year. He has been one of, if not the biggest, pieces of the UNC pass rush and run stopping game plan since he became a starter.
So far this season he is off to a blazing start with 11 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 2 sacks in just two games played.
Rucker sets the edge well by using his strength to keep ball carriers from reaching the outside. He plays very low to the ground and uses his length and leverage to make plays that other edge rushers may not be able to make on running backs attempting to hit a gap. His tackling skills make him a great run-stopper.
A few possible downsides to Rucker’s game are his lack of speed in the open field and agility off the line. Rucker is not necessarily slow, but he will have some trouble chasing down a speedy or agile ball carrier outside of the pocket or backfield. He makes up for this with his great tackling ability but would not be a good option to drop back into coverage or to the outside.
A possible player comparison for Rucker is Frank Clark. Clark is a 6’3”, 260 lb. edge rusher out of Michigan now playing for the Denver Broncos. Both Rucker and Clark are power style edge rushers who rarely drop into coverage and are usually involved in penetrating the offensive front as part of a pass rush and run-stopping effort. They play low to the ground to gain an advantage on setting the edge, and they use their length to make themselves wider while doing so.
Strengths
Sets the edge well
Strength
Length
Good tackler
Weaknesses
Speed / Agility
Coverage skills
Cannot play inside due to size
Final Analysis
Rucker is a “tweener,” and this is a big season for him. He needs to show that he is quick enough to be a difference on the defensive line, and more than just a backup.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction – 6th or 7th round