Kemoko Turay 6’5 252 OLB/DE
Welcome back to The B&G Report and another Edition of Reader Request Draft Prospect Spotlight. Today we’ll shine the spotlight on Defensive prospect Kemoko Turay. This request came from Tyler in Ocean City, MD. The Rutgers Outside Linebacker checks in with an impressive 6’5 253 pound frame. Turay certainly impressed at the Senior Bowl. The question is how would he fit in Washington?
Tyler from Ocean City, MD- “Canyou breakdown Kemoko Turay. With Junior Gallette being a free agent, Turay could be the Skins third down pass rusher.”
The Prospect
I caught my first glimpse of Rutgers OLB Kemoko Turay during Senior Bowl drills. His lateral quickness jumped out, as did his impressive 6’5 252 build. Turay’s family immigrated from Guinea, when he was only three years old. The West African Native dealt with multiple shoulder injuries from 2015-2016, which required surgery. Turay only played in two games in 2016, before his year ended with another shoulder injury. He registered 2 tackles for losses and two sacks for the year. He had a bounce back year in 2017, as a third down pass rushing specialist and registered 65 tackles(7 for loss) 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble. During the 2017 season, his play/effort became stronger every game and he clearly looked healthier. He was clearly still working his way back from multiple shoulder surgeries and 2017 showed how well he could be coached up, after missing so much time the previous two seasons. Based on film, Turay’s run defense needs work. He’s not an edge bender, but more of a bull rusher that uses a decent punch move. He pass rushes are a bit too upright and he gets pushed off the ball at times because of it. Not having a good supporting cast, didn’t help his cause either. He’s similar to Ryan Kerrigan in that he explodes of the snap, but Kerrigan has worked hard on his hands & punch moves and it showed in his sack/QB pressure statistics. Kerrigan played mainly as a hand down DE during his time at Purdue, so he had a bigger transition in the Pros. Turay played mainly as a stand up pass rusher during his time at Rutgers, so 3-4 OLB seems like his true position in the NFL. Turay’s tackling technique is textbook and that’s a big plus for a pass rusher. He does lunge at ball carriers at times, but it didn’t effect his tackle numbers. He’ll need to clean that up in the Pros though to be more effective. His relentless style and willingness to never give up on a play, sets him apart from the other drafts pass rushers. Turay’s pass rushing repertoire needs work as well, but word is he’s a very smart kid and rarely makes the same mistake twice. His numbers at the NFL Combine will go a long way in determining what round he ultimately falls to. Early prospect rankings have him as a 3rd-4th round prospect. The Rutgers linebacker’s Injury history is definitely cause for concern. His 2017 game film and stellar Senior Bowl performance, show he could have a place on an NFL roster as a situational pass rusher.
Fit In Washington?
I enjoyed breaking down film on Kemoko Turay and I think he can be a decent NFL Pass Rusher. As far as an every down player, that’s yet to be determined. Turray isn’t the most athletic OLB, but he makes up for it with his hustle and fire. The fact that he loves to play special teams is a huge draw. During his time at Rutgers, Turay blocked multiple field goals and those blocks ultimately led to wins. He definitely showed his impact on multiple levels, during his time Rutgers. As everybody knows, Special Teams is the ticket to making an NFL roster as a talented mid-late round Draft prospect. The Redskins currently have Ryan Kerrigan, Ryan Anderson and Preston Smith (‘19 FA) as the their notable Outside Linebackers under contract. Anderson has a long way to go, in order to prove that he belongs on an NFL roster. Year two will be a great opportunity, for him to stand out on Special Teams though. Junior Galette and Trent Murphy are Free Agents. Gallette has generated some FA buzz and seems to have priced himself out of the Redskins plans. Murphy who is coming off IR and a PED suspension, should be an option for a 1 year veteran minimum deal. He was previously envisioned as a Defensive End conversion project and that could still be an option. Draft experts currently slot Kemoko Turay as a late 3rd-4th round prospect and I tend to agree. Free Agency will determine a few of the needs heading into the Draft. As it currently stands, Turay seems like a better fit as a 5th round developmental pass rusher. The shoulder injuries are big cause for concern and could even push him to the 6th-7th round. He just doesn’t have the speed to be an impact pass rusher immediately. In time with good coaching and some injury luck, Turay could be a third down pass rush specialist with potential to register 5-8 sacks a year as his potential ceiling.
Thanks for checking out another edition of Reader Request Draft Prospect Spotlight. I want to thank Tyler for his prospect request and look forward to diving into more prospect film. Stay tuned for the Pre-Combine Prospects To Watch! The 2018 NFL Combine begins next week and all 👀 will be on the top prospects!
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