Brent Urban – Virginia

by Dave Syvertsen, Ourlads’ Draft Analyst

It took me longer than I wanted, but I finally got to watch 3 game tapes of Virginia defensive lineman Brent Urban.  I came away with a much better feel for what his game could be at the next level.  Urban can be a first-round caliber guy that is available on day 2, possibly even day 3 of draft weekend.  There is a lot to like here.

First off, Urban carries nearly 300 pounds with ease on a long 6’7” frame.  He has minimal loose weight and moves like a guy weighing in the 270 range.  Normally with defensive linemen this tall, there are leverage and body control/balance issues.  Not with Urban.  He consistently anchored his position against single and double teams on plays where he had a gap or two to control. I love seeing that.  No matter how flexible or stable an athlete is,
playing with a low pad level at that height shows the attention to detail he possesses.  That’s really important.  Beyond his strength in the trenches, Urban uses his hands and long arms to get off blocks and make plays in tight spaces.  He may not have blazing speed, but his ability to cover ground between the tackles is exceptional.

The main question here is, where do you put him?  He may not have the edge rushing ability to play a true 4-3 DE.  I think he can handle inside duties though in that kind of scheme. He can hold his own against the run and rush the inside gaps against the pass.  In a 3-4 and/or hybrid scheme, Urban can play the role of a Calais Campbell (Arizona) or even JJ Watt (Houston).  After all, Urban did break up 9 passes in 2013, which has become the M.O. for Watt among other things.  That’s the name that kept popping in to my head while watching Urban.  He may be bit more raw but I think his upside is up there. Finding athletic 300 pounders with a 6’7” frame and football intelligence is really hard.  Urban is going to finish in my top 32 overall.

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