#94 DeMarcus Ware – Dallas Cowboys

6’4”, 262lbs
School: Troy State

Career Transactions:
DeMarcus Ware was Selected in 1st round (#11 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Career Statistics
TCK: 234 / SCK: 37.5 / FF: 13 / FR: 1 / PDEF: 10 / INT: 1 /

General Traits:
Compared to Lawrence Taylor by none other than his former coach Bill Parcells, Ware has been in the NFL spotlight ever since he stepped foot on the field. His combination of raw physical tools and mental development in the Dallas 3-4 scheme is every coach’s fantasy. He has freakishly long arms and a body that has physically developed each and every year he has been in the league. His sack and tackle numbers have increased with each season he has been in the NFL and has shown no signs of slowing down. It is downright scary to think that he has yet to even approach his pinnacle as a football player. While the Taylor comparisons may be a bit much, there is a slight possibility he could be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest defender of all time when all is said and done if he continues to progress at the rate he is currently at.

Position Traits:
Speed: While Ware can open eyes with a 40 time, his speed on the field during games is what makes him a special 3-4 OLB. He is consistently as fast as he needs to be. He is often the guy that catches a speedy ball carrier from behind and the viewer does a double take and says, “Wait, #94 ran him down?” Once he hits full stride, he can run with most if not all tight ends down field in coverage.

Instincts/Recognition: While he does still need some fine tuning, Ware is night-and-day different from where he was in 2005 in terms of overall awareness. He still bites on play fakes much more than he should which opens up lanes in zone coverage or his man to get a head start in one on one coverage. He reads offensive linemen quickly and flies to the running back and will often cut him off before he even reaches the line of scrimmage on plays to the other side. He struggles to recognize routes in man coverage, often being a few steps behind his man when he makes a cut.

Pass Rush: Ware is no longer a simple speed rusher. Along with his strength development, he has become a deadly bull rusher that takes advantage of offensive tackles that are not balanced due to the fear of Ware’s speed. He can attack the inside shoulder with explosion and find himself getting held often when he does so. He is still learning how to use his hands and arms with pass rush moves but like everything else, he is improving in that area each and every season.

Pursuit: Ware can track down the fastest of backs thanks to his speed and exact pursuit angles. On plays to the opposite side, he takes the proper angle to meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage, meaning he must be accounted for on all plays. There may not be an outside linebacker in football that pursues better than Ware.

Tackling: Once Ware locks on, there is no letting go. Very rarely will you see him juked of spun off of in the open field because he consistently breaks down and keeps his feet moving before lunging for the ball carrier. He uses his long arms to really wrap up the ball carrier and, at the very least, will hold on until the cavalry arrives. The one gripe with his tackling is the lack of physicality as he does not drive the ball carrier into the ground. He rather pulls them down or holds on while waiting for his teammates to gang tackle.

Coverage: This is perhaps the one weakness of Ware’s game that can be consistently exploited, which is why he is often rushing the passer instead of dropping back into coverage. He can run with any tight end down field and some wide receivers, but once they make a lateral break, Ware finds himself playing a catch up game. In zone coverage, Ware can read a play very well but if he is caught peeking into the backfield, a savvy quarterback can easily fool him with a look off or pump fake.

Shredding Blocks: Ware can shed a block with the best of them. His long arms make it extremely difficult for linemen and tight ends to get into Ware’s body and control him. He uses proper leverage to hold his ground until he figures out how he is going to attack the ball carrier. Once he figures that out, Ware violently tosses the blocker aside and puts himself in great position to either make the tackle or alter the route of the ball carrier.

Productivity: Ware has been among the league leaders in sacks in 2006 and 2007 and will likely stay there for the hefty amount of his career. Teams usually run away from him, therefore he will never be at the top of the list when it comes to tackles but his production against the run cannot be measured on paper.