National Football League

NFL Draft: Utah's Hunter Dimick making his presence felt

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Utah Utes defensive end Hunter Dimick isn’t generating big time national headlines, but he’s putting together a heck of a senior season…

As the college football bowl season approaches, the 2017 NFL Draft season also will begin to ramp up. One player that I haven’t heard a whole heck of a lot about is one of the best pass rushers and playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, Utah’s Hunter Dimick.

Dimick hasn’t been generating a lot of national headlines, but he was recently named a first-team All-Pac 12 selection, and has a draft stock that is on the rise.

Today’s NFL requires that players are versatile, and if you can stay on the field all three downs? You’re going to have a home in this league for a long, long time. Dimick is exactly that type of player.

He not only leads the Pac 12 this season with 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss, but he also leads the conference in QB pressures and is consistently making plays against the run.

A picture of Dimick doesn’t necessarily say a thousand words. At first glance, the 6-3, 272 pound senior doesn’t appear to be an elite NFL prospect. Upon further review, this is a guy that could definitely shock some people with his advanced, NFL level skills.

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Dimick possesses great quickness off the ball, an ability to win with a variety of moves around the edge or to the inside, and the ability to plow through offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback.

Coaches love this kid for his work ethic off the field as well as on it, and he showed at a young age that he could be a big time playmaker within this defense. On Utah’s 2014 team that featured star pass rusher Nate Orchard, Dimick — then a sophomore — racked up 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

They missed him badly in 2015 as he struggled through injury and played in just seven games. This season, he’s come back with a vengeance.

Obviously having the best year of his collegiate career, Dimick appears poised for a jump to the NFL and will likely have the opportunity to showcase his skills for NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl. He may not be a first round draft pick, but he’s going to make some defensive coordinator very happy.

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