Name:David Irving
School:Iowa State
Height:6-7
Weight:273
Position:DE/DT
Draft: Undrafted in 2015, signed with Kansas City
Games Studied: Kansas City Chiefs 2015 preseason vs. AZ, STL
Report:Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chiefs and place on their practice squad after the final roster reduction.
The Chiefs run a 3-4 scheme, so he will line up as a defensive end -- or five-technique -- and also some at tackle. Impressive size and length for the position. It's surprising how well he moves for his size, and he can cover some ground once he gets going.
I didn't feel like he really had that short-area quickness or a closing burst, but he is a very good reactionary athlete. When he sees the ball he is able to adjust and work himself in that direction. For a tall guy, he has the ability to sink his hips and redirect -- shows some lower body bend and flexibility. He is going to need some work on his hands and how to use them. Tends to be all over the place with his consistency there -- both run and pass. If he is going to get off a block it's going to have to be with effort.
There are snaps where his base gets a little narrow when fighting his man – he has to be careful when this happens to him. I would not call him a powerful player. I believe that his height will limit how strong he can really play. He has to fight to really anchor down against the run. His effort is good until he gets tired – that might have been more training camp tired than conditioning, but that needs to improve.
One big positive is that Irving gets in throwing lanes when rushing the passer. He has a knack for knocking down passes. He will play with range but again – he needs to get going to be successful. Length helps him as a pass rusher, but I feel like he is going to need some technique work going forward.
He can get off the ball, and he has rare length with the upside to develop as a defensive end. Has had some off the field issues while at Iowa State but the feeling is that he has put those behind him.
