With the 240th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team selected an unknown commodity in William Bradley-King. However, Bradley-King is a talent that many will get to know with rookie mini-camp approaching. The former Baylor Bear prospect was an Arkansas State Red Wolves transfer. Yes, Red Wolves – the Washington fan favorite nickname. He will become a known commodity for that reason alone.
Lance Zierlein of NFL Network has respect for King’s game:
“King is a high IQ defender who made it a priority from early in his career to sharpen his rush technique and create opportunities for himself.”
Washington Wants a Rotational Pass Rusher
As a player, Bradley-King was a nuisance for opposing tackles. At Arkansas State, he was able to tally 13.5 sacks over his final 23 games with five forced fumbles attached to his name. Typically, transfers from a conference like the Sun Belt have a tough transition into a conference like the Big 12. However, Bradley-King never missed a beat. At Baylor, he finished with 3.5 sacks and four pass deflections over nine games. Those four pass deflections show evaluators another path to disruption.
The physical traits are present when you watch Bradley-King on tape. His play strength is off the charts and is nearly elite level. You will have a hard time finding a seventh-rounder with an elite trait. He gets stronger the deeper he gets into his pass rush and shows consistent speed to power. With arms that check in at over 33-inches, he can get into the chest plate and take tackles for a ride. When he gets into the pocket, he targets the football immediately. When he faces a far superior tackle, he disrupts the play by getting his arms up and taking away the throwing lane. The disruptive traits are there to stick on a roster.
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The Fit in Washington
On Twitter, Bradley-King posted a picture of him wearing Ryan Kerrigan‘s number. If this is true, Kerrigan’s days might be up, and the rookie directly replaces Kerrigan in the lineup. Other than James Smith-Williams, Washington has no one to man the third defensive end spot. Even with that said, Smith-Williams spent most of his time rushing as a 5-tech.
Speaking of 5 technique, Bradley-King has plenty of tape as a 3, 5, and 7-technique player. Not to mention he also has some reps as a in the wide-9 alignment. The versatility is there for him to make the roster in some capacity. However, the prime role should be to spell Chase Young, and Montez Sweat for 10-15 snaps a game. These are key snaps because someone needs to be reliable and have the integrity to fill in as best they can. Also, keep in mind that injuries happen. Young missed one game last season with a groin injury.
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Overall, this player has the profile to outplay seventh-round expectations: his physical traits, disruptive traits, and mental makeup profile as an NFL talent. The leadership traits will make him a candidate to help lead a locker room and fit right in with guys like Young, who even said he admires. As a player, Bradley-King has similar traits to someone like Shaquil Barrett or Junior Galette. His explosive first step, nuanced rush attack, and the motor will keep him around in Washington. Keep an eye on the rookie mini-camp. This is a player coaches will rave about, check out his clips from the Senior Bowl.
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