Brandon Dorlus NFL Draft Overview
Height: 6’3 (Unofficial)
Weight: 290 lbs (Unofficial)
Age: 22 years old
School: Oregon Ducks
Back in the days of old-school football, the word tweener was seen as a severely weak player. If you were a tweener, especially along the defensive line, you needed to be bigger to play a defensive tackle and too big/slow to play defensive End. However, since the invention and popularity of the spread offense, more and more “tweeners” have had tremendous success in the NFL. NFL stars like Michael Bennett have made a clear path to success for players without a firm position. Next up is a potential star in the making named Brandon Dorlus. Dorlus was a three-star recruit out of Deerfield Beach, Florida, who was committed to the Oregon Ducks.
Dorlus became a starter for the Oregon Ducks in his Covid sophomore year in 2022. That year, he amassed 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and two 1/2 sacks. This led to a nomination for the Pac-12 second team. In 2023, Dorlus took a step in the positive direction with a career-high five sacks and continuous disruption on film. Doorless has the power, the athleticism, and the surprising quickness to be an early contributor to an NFL team. However, can he be a day-one and a first-round pick? Let’s dig into the film!
Brandon Dorlus Player Evaluation
Dorlus’s Strengths
- Has a good wingspan with 81-inch arms and over 33 inches of arm length.
- He can lineup and impressively perform all across the defensive line, showing off his versatility. Can play zero technique through five techniques at a high level to help an NFL team.
- Has an oppressive combination of size, strength, quickness, agility, and motor. He continues to put the opposition at a disadvantage with his versatility, making him an intriguing high-upside prospect.
- Has a good first step and can win at the line scrimmage in a variety of ways with it
- Impressive pass rush move and flashes potential upside as a pass rusher. As well as the ability to perform push and pull rush moves with his strength.
- He also has an impressive arm-over-swim move and uses his hands to swipe offensive linemen. The best pass rush move is Bull Rush, which has not been fully unlocked yet.
Dorlus’s Weakness
- He is raw as a pass rusher. He is very inconsistent with his pass-rush plan and pass-rush moves.
- He is inconsistent in his first step. He can sometimes come off as slow of a line scrimmage.
- Has a “Tweener” defensive line profile. He is too small to play defensive tackle, and he’s too slow to play edge rusher on a three-down basis. This will be the case unless technique and consistency in the first step improve.
- Physicality at the point of attack on the interior defensive line is lacking, causing him to lose ground in the run game.
- Plays too high impact his ability to take on double teams and effectively use his ball rush and other pass rush moves.
Projection: Early Third Round Pick
NFL Comparison: Charles Omenihu
Best Fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and the Tennessee Titans.
