Summary:

Dawson is a one and a half year starter (18 games) who has primarily played in the 4-2-5 formation throughout his career. He was lightly recruited out of high school (as a WR) before deciding to go JUCO for a year. He came to TCU in 2012 and played sparingly on special teams. He made the switch full-time to LB in 2013 appearing in 12 games, starting the final 7 games. His first start he notched 17 tackles, 3 TFL, 0.5 sacks, & 1 PBU. In 2014 Dawson started 11 of 13 games (unknown why 2 games were missed) earning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was named a consensus All-American. He racked up 136 total tackles, 81 solo, 20 TFL, 6 sacks, 4 INTs, 5 PBUs, 3 fumbles recovered, 2 FF, and 1 TD (pick-6).

Dawson possesses a thick build and is a smooth athlete on tape. He doesn’t have a high level of twitch nor does he generate a ton of raw explosion in his movements. His play speed however is exceptionally fast. His ability to process information at a high rate of speed and utilize in his reaction time is spectacular. He routinely displays high levels of FBI by putting himself in advantageous positions to make easy plays against the run and the pass. Versus the run Dawson stays focused on his keys despite the fluff an offense may throw at him on a given play (misdirection). From inside the tackle box he uses subtle, quick movements to disrupt plays at the LOS or in the backfield before the OL even get to the 2nd level. Other times if OL are quicker, Dawson uses the same subtly to get perpendicular to them along with out-leveraging them to work under and through them back to the ball. This “work back” ability to the ball before it passes him by also puts on display impressive bend in his ankles and hips. Coming downhill he shows the ability to set up blockers with deceptive initial angles to the ball before cutting back at the last moment, leaving OL standing still, and making tackles in the backfield. He has very strong arms and hands to wrap up ball carriers when he isn’t squared up with them. When squared up Dawson breaks down, gets low, and unlocks his hips on contact thus delivering violent collisions. While his strength is evident in this area, it is lacking head up with blockers at the POA. He does show a nice spin and some initial pop in his hands, but he will get engulfed and overrun at times due to his lack of girth and functional strength to withstand momentum from bigger blockers. He shows a strong preference on film to work around, not through blocks. In pursuit Dawson takes excellent angles to the ball, eliminating wasted movement, and closing down space nicely. In the open field his lack of athleticism rears its head a bit as his isn’t extremely agile nor fast enough to chase down many guys from behind. It leads itself to coming up short with swipes at ball carriers’ ankles.

Versus the pass Dawson’s same instinctual prowess is on display far more than not. He shows the ability to gain accurate depth in his drops in zone and does an outstanding job of baiting the quarterback in man and zone coverage. There are times when Dawson catches himself on a blitz to pick up a flaring RB or TE with incredible fluidity, almost like it was planned from before the snap. He also does a nice job of seeing through the WR to the QB, again speaking to the overall focus he plays with from snap to snap. His hands in coverage are also very good as he makes very difficult grabs seem easy. Overall Dawson’s FBI, instincts, ball skills, and aggressiveness lend themselves to a highly successful player in a scheme where he has room to operate. With his football IQ being so high I see his scheme versatility being excellent. His lack of girth and strength may lead him to moving outside but his overall command of the defense should give him a shot to stay in the middle and captain a defense as a pro. His intelligence paired with above average athleticism should see him get a bit undervalued but serve as a longtime fixture and playmaker for many years to come.

Pro Comp – NaVorro Bowman