Arkansas OL/Offense vs LSU Defense (2023)

[@joeynickles7962]

Mekhi Wingo lined up on the edge here over the left tackle at 13:54. What a rush - the little shimmy and shake at the beginning making the tackle think finesse and then just absolutely annihilates him with straight power. Wingo is a really underrated football player in this draft. The explosiveness and twitch jump off the screen obviously but he’s also a lot stronger and plays the run much better than you’d expect for a man his size. He has some legit stack and shed ability. A lot of twitchy undersized interior pass rushers can only make plays in the run game with quickness and finesse - e.g. Michael Hall and even Johnny Newton to a large extent. Mekhi Wingo actually plays with power and leverage and with some good snap in his hands. I don’t want to overstate it and pretend he’s a Byron Murphy-level ass kicker against the run - he will get engulfed and driven back at times - but he is much better in that area of the game than his stature would lead you to believe. Also, he’s 20 years old at the time I’m writing this and doesn’t turn 21 until later this month (April)! One of the youngest players in this draft! A couple more years of physical development and him acquiring some of that grown man strength that will inevitably come, combined with that explosive athleticism? That’s an enticing prospect. And if you can get his motor cranking in every game the way it was cranking in this one you’re gonna have a dude. There are things he’s gotta work on (continue to get stronger; develop a more consistent pass rush plan; really work on dialing in his snap timing) but Mekhi Wingo is being slept on by too many people. Pro Comp: David “The Bullet” Smith Jr. (human cannon ball)