Cowboys select DE Viliami Fehoko in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft
If there was any doubt that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's voice doesn't ring bells with the Dallas Cowboys it's coming to an end. In the fourth round, the Cowboys hit the trenches again with edge rusher Viliami Fehoko out of San Jose State with the 129th pick. Fehoko was super productive for the Spartans. He […]
If there was any doubt that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's voice doesn't ring bells with the Dallas Cowboys it's coming to an end.
In the fourth round, the Cowboys hit the trenches again with edge rusher Viliami Fehoko out of San Jose State with the 129th pick.
Fehoko was super productive for the Spartans. He logged 191 tackles, with an incredible 47 for loss. Fehoko also racked up 23 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 12 pass breakups.
Quarterbacks had nightmares playing against Fehoko. He put up 173 pressures, 121 hurries, and 26 quarterback hits. There is some versatility to Fehoko's game as he totaled 2,165 snaps on the defensive line, 70 in the box, and four in the slot per Pro Football Focus.
Fehoko took 165 snaps in the B-gap, showing that at 6'4" and 276 pounds he can bang against guards and tackles. He posted pass-rush grades of 88.8 and 90.2 the last two years and had a run-defense grade of 87.4 plus an overall grade of 90.9 in 2022, both his best in college.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic breaks down Fehoko:
Technically-focused edge defender with a diverse set of hand tactics … punches, stabs and swipes are well-timed and efficient … hands and feet stay in sync to sidestep blocks laterally and shave the corner … plays with square, low pads to leverage his attack … cleverly mixes up his pacing and uses both force and subtlety to keep blockers off balance … always ball peeking with the vision to see through and around blocks … relentless pursuit motor and makes plenty of effort plays on film … physically and mentally tough and doesn’t appear to wear down … outstanding backfield production, reaching 12.5 tackles for loss in each of the last three seasons (47.0 tackles for loss in 48 career games
