Mkristo Bruce DE 6'6 268 Washington St. 5.12

Bruce has improved every year in college to the point where he is one of the most feared pass rushers in the country. He did not play much as a freshman, but as a sophomore he finished the year with 60 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. As a junior, he had 67 tackles, 15 for loss, and 10 sacks on his way to All Pac 10 honors. His numbers were identical as a senior, finishing with 67/16/11 on his way to All American accolades.

Mkristo Bruce is a very good pass rusher. He has the talent and instinct to get after the quarterback. He is a good athlete with the ability change direction and beat the tackle, blow by him with his quick first step, or outwork him to get to the quarterback. He does not give up on attacking the quarterback until the ball is on its way to the receiver.

There is not any true standout physical trait that Bruce has to make scouts fall in love with him. He does not have the freakish athleticism, size, or speed that screams NFL standout. He is also very lanky, and lacks the bulk and strength to match up with lineman on a consistent basis. He can easily be driven off the line on running plays. He also does not have the talent to move back off the line and play as a 3-4 OLB. He lacks the agility and ability to play in space, and doesn’t have the speed to run plays down.

Unless he can pack on quite a bit of weight, Bruce appears to only be a situational pass rusher at the next level. Without ideal closing speed or freakish athleticism, his upside as a pass rusher may be limited. Bruce is a player that is worth a look because of his success and his on field demeanor, but he is not the prospect his stats dictate.