Mike Daniels notes

Daniels is the next undersized DT prospect to come out of Iowa. He's got he same great motor but he's a bit different than previous undersized DT's(Matt Kroul, Mitch Kitch, Karl Klug) in that he looks to have a bigger frame and appears to be able to carry more bulk. Hes' a guy that saw limited time his first two years in the program, but got on the field as a RS Soph and showed the ability to get into the backfield and cause havoc. His junior year he played his way into a starting role and produced 11TFL and 4 sacks. At times he looks downright unblock-able and does a great job of shooting gaps and playing with a low pad level. Did disappear a bit down the stretch in 2010 and struggled against bigger OLs(Wisconsin) at times.

Height: 6'004
Weight: 280
Estimated 40 time: 4.95-5.0

Hands:
Violent punch ability and solid hand placement. Does a nice job with his arm over as well. Being a shorter DT he has an advantage as far as leverage goes and he will slap and rip under bigger OL. Can be very sudden with hands and rarely stays still.


Run Stopper:
At times will just blow up the guard and walk into the backfield and come up with a TFL. Not a guy who can consistently fight off double teams. Makes his plays mostly by penetrating and getting into the backfield. Very effective when slanting and has the athleticism to chase down stretch plays after beating a reach block. Has a bit of a pinball effect when firing off the ball low and is hard for bigger OL with higher pad levels to a hold of. Has a nice nose for draws and screens and shows solid diagnosis skills.

Pass rush: 
Not overly effective bull-rushing and needs to space to be a consistent pass rush threat. Looks good running twist and nitro line stunts. Excellent burst and acceleration for a DT. Shows excellent closing speed as he gets free and locks in on the QB. Struggles when he runs into a crowd and will struggle to compress the pocket against bigger interior OL. Can get engulfed when caught in a phone booth. Shows solid awareness and locates the QB well. Methodical pass rusher and picks his moments well.

Draft Value:
One thing that bothers you about Daniels is that there isn't a lot of tape on him yet. He's only got a partial year as a starter under his belt(8 starts), and worked as part of a rotation for much of it. This year he's got to he a much bigger part of Iowa's front 4, so there should be plenty of tape to look at after this season. He probably doesn't have the ability to play in a 2 gap system, but could fit nicely as a 1 gap defender at the next level if he can add some size. Isn't a guy who can win with power consistently at the next level, but can definitely win with leverage, quickness, and violent hands. I'd put a 5th round grade on him at this point. More consistency on tape would help him rise.