by Ryan Myers
Photo courtesy of Sooner Sports.
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 - Oklahoma, Edge Rusher, Reggie Grimes II
Name - Reggie Grimes II
Pos - Edge
Team - Oklahoma Sooners
HT/WT - 6’4” 274 lbs.
Born - 05/06/2022
Home - Antioch, TN
Reggie Grimes II, out of Ravenwood High School in Antioch, Tennessee, accumulated 51 tackles, 19 TFL, 11 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two defensive touchdowns in his senior campaign. He earned a 4-star rating by ESPN, 247sports, and Rivals.com. ESPN listed him as the number 31 recruit in the country and the number 1 recruit in the state of Tennessee. Reggie’s father was a defensive lineman for Alabama, but Reggie chose Oklahoma over Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and several others.
In Reggie’s freshman year at Oklahoma in 2020, he played in 8 games but started in none of them. His limited playing time did not give him an opportunity to put up many numbers as he only tallied 5 tackles. However, he gained playing time in his sophomore year where he played in all 13 games for the Sooners and started in 5 of those games. He had 18 tackles, including 2.5 TFL and 2 sacks.
Grimes’ best season was his junior campaign in 2022 when he made 18 tackles, including 7.5 TFL with 4.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. He did this while playing in all 13 games, starting 10 of them. He is back for his senior season and has played all 4 games so far, starting in each of them.
Grimes, a 6’4” 274 lbs. edge rusher, is larger for his position, allowing him to set the edge effectively. He uses his strength to overpower linemen on bull rushes and trapping ball carriers inside the tackles. He’s quick off the line and perhaps the best tackler on the Sooner defensive front. His length is a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks and receivers, allowing him to break up passes or clog throwing lanes.
However, Grimes isn’t the fleetest of foot, which hurts on speed rushes and his ability to drop back into coverage. Thus, he struggles in open field situations, including tackling loose ball carriers and in assigned pass coverages. His zone coverage skills are average at best.
Strengths
- Size
- Strength
- Quickness off the line and off snaps
Weaknesses
- Speed
- Agility
- Coverage
Final Analysis
Grimes is at his best when he is stopping the run or rushing the QB for a sack. He uses his big, strong frame to burst through the offensive line, both inside and off the edge. He may not be the fastest edge rusher, but he has the quickness off the line to make up for this while rushing the backfield and may be better suited in a 4-3 defense than a 3-4.
Grimes is a strong run-stopper who struggles at times in coverage but piles up TFL with his style of play. His tackling ability and his tendency to set a strong edge will be valuable at the next level.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - Round 6 or Round 7