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Why the Philadelphia Eagles will love Washington Huskies Defensive Tackle Elijah Qualls

By Bret Stuter

Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington defensive tackle Elijah Qualls speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington defensive tackle Elijah Qualls speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 17, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Elijah Qualls (11) congratulates Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) after Ross scored a touchdown against the Portland State Vikings during the first half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Elijah Qualls (11) congratulates Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) after Ross scored a touchdown against the Portland State Vikings during the first half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

What the Philadelphia Eagles will need to work on with Elijah Qualls

No NFL rookie is foolproof.  Defensive Tackle Elijah Qualls, however, is more polished than you might think. So why did he fall?

That’s a question many are likely asking themselves right now.

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Ultimately, he is a hybrid defensive player. And so, what does that mean? He simply does not fit that NFL standard. In fact, he does not have the height and length to fit the “prototypical” pass rusher defensive end.

Versatility At A Price

But throughout his NCAA career, he simply did not have the right role in the Huskies scheme to show his pass rush and penetration abilities.

And so, scouts gave him a “meh” and moved on.

Qualls brings so much to the table, that he will take special attention from the coaching staff to make full use of his talents.  He was a victim of his college scheme.  In a nice article by Raiders Wire Austin Gayle, Qualls explained his role:

"“I’m a lot better of a pass-rusher than a lot of people believe,” Qualls said. “Our defense, especially playing against the teams on our schedule, a lot of our pass-rushing game plan wasn’t to actually go get the quarterback. Our defense was mainly keep the quarterback in the pocket and make him throw the ball because we’re only rushing three people.”"

Now it’s up to the Eagles defense to find ways to win match-ups for Qualls on defense. He was projected to go as early as the second round in my research. He may truly be one of the best steals of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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