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

The NFL just invited Washington Huskies Elijah Qualls to their ranks. Here’s why the Philadelphia Eagles will love him

The University of Washington Huskies are an NFL player assembly line under head coach Chris Petersen. The team simply does not look to the stars: either in recruits or in production on the field. What Coach Petersen insists upon is contribution. When you look at a scouting report of Washington Huskies defensive tackle Elijah Qualls, not much jumps off that  page.

And in the end, that’s why you cannot rely solely upon scouting reports.

Who Dat Dish

On one hand, Elijah Qualls is not just a rock in a trench. On the other hand, he’s not even just a defensive lineman.  In the Washington Huskies scheme, we was called into duty in any number of ways.  You see, the Washington Huskies loved his football acumen.  They loved it so much that he was slotted into any number of roles for the team in the year of their NCAA playoff run.

Muscle Upon Muscle

A big man, solid muscle, standing as an edge rusher.  Nothing about that showed up in the scouting reports.

The other missing component is the scheme. Scouts rummage through tons of paperwork and hundreds of names. But there are few who even consider the scheme of the team. For the Washington Huskies, the three down linemen had the unique responsibility of caging the quarterback, keeping him in the pocket.

Ultimately, the Huskies decided they wanted the opposing quarterbacks to throw at Sidney Jones IV, Budda Baker, and Kevin King.   I truly cannot say I blame them.

What the Philadelphia Eagles will love about Elijah Qualls

The Washington Huskies defensive tackle Elijah Qualls is an intelligent and well-spoken herculean defensive lineman who is more than a fireplug of immobility. He is a truly gifted versatile athlete who loves the game of football.

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But he has layers upon layers of skillsets. And it was that spectrum of gifts that called him into duty for the University of Washington Huskies again and again. Take for example his ability to do running backflips.  Did you know he mastered that as well?

Imagine that athleticism on the team. No, not a circus performance. Simply a guy who can anchor the middle of the line, or slide out to stunt a pass rush from the edge? He gives the team plenty of options.

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.

Why this pick is such a good fit

In the end, this is an excellent fit.  Qualls brings a common sense, high IQ to a defense that requires both. His goals are lofty, but not fantasy.  He already sounds like a veteran of the Philadelphia mindset.

"“I think I can be one of the best players coming out of this draft and be one of the best in the NFL,” Qualls said. “But, that’s going to be determined by how hard I work for it and what I pick up.”"

In the end, many teams fan bases coveted this guy. And for good reason. He delivers incredible football production and does so willingly.  Wherever the coach needs him to line up, that’s where he goes.

Philly Bound

Now the NFL is telling him to go to Philadelphia and join former teammate Sidney Jones IV.

This was a solid final pick for the Philadelphia Eagles. The team has a starter and found him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

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In summary, Elijah Qualls will be competing for playing time from the get-go. Even so, that’s all any NFL rookie can hope for.