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Mohamed Kamara is a Speed Demon off the Edge

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Colorado State v Utah State
Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

Mohamed Kamara, DE
School: Colorado State | Conference: Mountain West
College Experience: Senior | Age: 24
Height / Weight: 6’5” / 245 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Rounds 4-6

Player Comparison: Yannick Ngakoue

College Statistics

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
2019 Colorado State MWC FR LB 8 11 11 22 1.5 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
2020 Colorado State MWC SO LB 4 7 14 21 1.5 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021 Colorado State MWC JR LB 10 22 14 36 9.5 6.5 0 0 0 1 0 1
2022 Colorado State MWC SR 12 24 20 44 16.0 8.5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
2023 Colorado State MWC SR DL 12 29 27 56 17.0 13.0 0 0 0 1 1 5 1 2
Career Colorado State 93 86 179 45.5 29.5 0 0 0 2 3 5 2 5
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/21/2024.

Player Overview

Newark native Mohamed Kamara was an off-ball linebacker and tight end in high school. A three-star recruit, he originally committed to Temple where his brother played football but flipped his commitment to Colorado State a few months later. Kamara saw the field early with modest production in his first two years. There was a significant uptick in production his third year, but his fourth year is when he broke out with double digit sacks and tackles for a loss. He returned for a fifth year and improved his numbers on the way to being First-Team All-Mountain West and the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

Strengths

  • Less than ideal height helps him get leverage against blockers
  • Quick and explosive off the snap
  • Wins with speed and an impressive bend
  • Good hand usage to swat away blockers
  • Excellent closing speed once he clears blockers
  • High motor, high effort player
  • Team captain

Weaknesses

  • Shorter arms (32”) make it difficult to get hands on blockers
  • Has to play with more power against the run and pass
  • Did not display many pass rush moves or a pass rush plan
  • Can be too fast for his own good, over shooting the play

Let’s See His Work

How He Fits on the Commanders

After trading away starters Montez Sweat and Chase Young, the Commanders need a lot of defensive end help. Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams, who went from reserves to starters after the trade, will be free agents along with Efe Obada. KJ Henry flashed as a rookie and may be ready for a larger role while Andre Jones, Jr. may need more development. It’s hard to believe the Commanders won’t address the position in free agency, the draft, or both.

Mohamed Kamara offers something Washington does not have: an explosive rusher off the edge that wins with speed. That is Kamara’s calling card and he has been productive with it. He’ll need to develop more than just speed rushes to find success against NFL tackles. He has to get stronger, not just to power rush, but to set the edge and shed blockers in the run game. Until he does those things, I think he’ll be a situational pass rusher rather than an every down defensive end. With the coaches the Commanders have on defense, I’d be really interested to see how they would develop a player like Kamara.