On the eve of one of the biggest days of his young life to this point, Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson was all smiles when he spoke with the media on Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Smiling and laughing like he always has during interview sessions, Lawson spoke about his favorite move and reassured those that were listening that he can play in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme. At 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, NFL Scouts like the way he is able to attack offensive tackles at the point of attack and how he stuns them with a punch or the way he extends his arm to get an advantage.
“My inside spin move. It is deadly. I love it,” Lawson said in a video from The (Columbia) State Web site.
The spin move, plus his power and raw athleticism allowed Lawson to become an All-American at Clemson in 2015, while garnering ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in his only year as a starter. Lawson led the country in tackles for loss with 25.5, and was fifth in sacks with 12.5.
His performance in 2015 ultimately led to his decision to forgo his senior year and put his name in the hat for the 2016 NFL Draft. It seems like a smart move considering most draft experts have him being selected with one of the top 20 picks. Lawson confirmed to the media he already has an interview scheduled with New York Giants, who own the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft.
What is so appealing to scouts and general mangers the most is Lawson’s ability to play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables played him in a 5-techinque and standing up on the outside.
“I can play both,” Lawson said. “I played a lot standing up for Clemson this year. I played with my hand in the dirt. So I can play both.”
If Lawson does go in the first-round in April’s draft, it will mark the second straight year the Tigers had a defensive end selected in the first-round. Vic Beasley was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
Of course, Lawson could be one of two Clemson defensive ends selected in this year’s draft. His Clemson teammate and co-starter from this year’s ACC Championship team and national runner up was Kevin Dodd, who recorded 23.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 12 sacks.
“Kevin is a great end. He stepped up big for us this year,” Lawson said. “He is coming off a great year. He was a great leader for us. He and I led that defensive line we had last year. It was great playing with him.”
With Lawson and Dodd book ending the Tigers’ defensive line, Clemson had another top 10 defense and led the nation in tackles for loss and was second in sacks.
“We worked (good) together. He would make a play and then I would come back and make a play,” Lawson said. “We worked well together. A lot of people are comparing us, but we are brothers. We are not comparing each other. On and off the field, we work together. We make each other better and we are better because of it. That’s why we are in the situation we are in today.”
Though a lot of people might think Clemson’s defense will take a step back after impressive back-to-back years, and then of all the losses to key personnel, Lawson says the defense is fine hands and he expects them to be just as good next season.
“I have faith in those boys,” the former Tiger said. “Austin Bryant stepped up big for me when I went down against Oklahoma. They still have Ben Boulware and those guys. I feel like they will have a strong defense next year, and they will feed off their offense a lot next year.”
Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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