3-4 Defensive End/Defensive End

Iowa

6-3 281

Draft Board Overall Prospect Rank: #46

Draft Board Overall 3-4 Defensive End Rank: #7

Rating: 78 (mid 2nd)

40 time: 4.81

4/16/11: Nothing new, but his Erb’s Palsy in his right arm, which limits his strength, is really starting to scare me a little. Between that, his history of the off field problems, and his lack of production this year, it’s really hard for me to give him a first round grade. 

2/19/11: Adrian Clayborn burst onto the scene with 11 sacks in 2009 as a 280+ pound defensive end/defensive tackle hybrid for Iowa, a down season as a pass rusher in 2010, 3.5 sacks, have dropped his stock. He also is part of one of the strongest defensive line classes in NFL history.

Despite the mere 3.5 sacks, Clayborn continued to dominate against the run and some would even say he had a better year against the run this year. He is a very streaky player on the defensive line, as a run stopper and doesn’t have a non-stop motor. Combine that with a 2009 arrest for assaulting a cab driver and he’s got a few character red flags.

Then there’s also the issue of his Elb’s Palsy. Clayborn struggled with this as a child, a birth defect that caused muscle weakness in his right arm, but he obviously preserved through it to get to where he is today which, offseason arrest aside, makes for a pretty inspirational story.

I think he’s got the potential to become a solid pass rusher again, like he was in 2009. Whoever drafts him will try to coach him up and get the most out of him. His best case scenario is either as an above average overall 3-4 end, or as a 4-3 left end, who is a stud against the run and also offers some pass rush. He is looking like a first round pick lock, potentially as high as 20 to Tampa Bay, but he could slip out of the first round entirely because of the depth of this class. 

NFL Comparison: Shaun Ellis