Von Miller is the edge rusher all 3-4 outside linebackers should aspire to be: blindingly quick first step, violent and unpredictable hand usage and a stable of moves that could qualify him for Dancing with the Stars. If the Ravens want to get back to prominence on defense, they need to find their own Von Miller, or at least a facsimile of him. Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs have done an admirable job, but their star is fading. The future is Za’Darius Smith and whatever draft pick the Ravens bring in, and that future needs to be ready to go as soon as possible.

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On the surface, Von Miller versus Za’Darius Smith is a ridiculous comparison to make. And it’s true, Za’Darius Smith will never be as blindingly fast as Miller. Smith’s first step will always lag behind the Bronco’s star.

Yet, pass rushers come in all shapes and sizes. J.J. Watt led the league in sacks by rushing from the inside as much as the edge. Ezekial Ansah and Carlos Dunlap are long, straight-linish types with great burst and solid strength. Khalil Mack is a Miller clone. Yet, the keys are the same: quick first step, violent hands and the relentlessness to keep rushing the passer on every snap.

Za’Darius Smith is well on his way to developing those three traits, and if he does, he could be the best pass rusher in Baltimore soon. And if Smith can’t do it, maybe the Ravens can find a player in the draft who can.

Let’s start with a look at Von Miller’s dominant showing in the AFC Championship game to see what Smith and perhaps a Ravens’ draft pick can learn.

Start with the speed rush, Miller’s bread and butter that helped him get his first sack against the Patriots.

Von Miller raw badass speed

Lined up on the left side against the right tackle, Miller blasted into the backfield, getting right tackle Marcus Cannon off balance, then used his leverage to shrug off the half-hearted attempt at a block. Miller and DeMarcus Ware met in the middle to bring down No. 12.

That’s impressive, but Miller’s first full sack is just awe-inspiring.More Von Miller speed

While every other player is barely getting out of their snaps, Von Miller is five yards up field and two yards past the reserve tackle Cameron Fleming (lined up as a blocking tight end). Tom Brady never had a chance as Miller brought him down for a six-yard loss.

Can Za’Darius Smith do that? Not likely. Von Miller ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (about as fast as Ravens’ punt returner Kaelin Clay), while Za’Darius Smith ran a 4.83. More importantly, Miller’s 10-yard split was 1.57 seconds, while Smith’s was a lowly 1.76.

Since Smith can’t speed rush well, and Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs are aging players in the twilight of their careers, the Ravens need to find that speed element to their pass rush.

This draft lacks a dominant speed rusher. That said, the quickest first step among edge rushers in this draft might belong to Shilique Calhoun from Michigan State. Long and explosive, Shilique Calhoun has the potential to be a quality pass rusher at the NFL level.

This play at once illustrates what Calhoun does well and where needs to improve. The speed to get around the edge and force C.J. Beathard to step up is evident; however, the lack of leverage from the long edge rusher kept him from finishing the play. Calhoun uses leverage better against the ground game, though, and his stable of pass rush moves has proven to be deep. In terms of speed rushing, Calhoun may be the best bet in the draft.

But there is more to playing outside linebacker than speed rushing. DeMarcus Ware proved that with a deeper stable of moves and some strong bull-rushing.

Now there, Za’Darius Smith has a chance to be effective. As the season progressed, Smith started flashing some rush moves and block shedding ability, and his strength seemingly progressed as well. By the end of his first season, Smith already was a more dangerous and polished pass rusher than fourth-year outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.

If the Ravens elect to go after a power based edge rusher in the draft (they need speed more, but it’s not a strong draft for speed rushers), Joey Bosa and Shaq Lawson are the stand outs.

Bosa has J.J. Watt-esque strength, though he may not be as fluid as Watt. Check out Bosa destroy a right tackle with a bull rush.

Lawson, on the other hand, is a true technician, with the deepest array of rush moves of any prospective I’ve scouted this year. Lawson had a tremendous game against first-round left tackle prospect Ronnie Stanley, he dominated North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game, and he had a strong game against Alabama in the National Championship game as well. There will be much more on Lawson forthcoming, but for now, just enjoy Lawson’s spin move, the best spin move this side of Dwight Freeney.

All of the prospects I’ve mentioned so far have played almost exclusively as 4-3 defensive ends, though Lawson and Bosa have both shown something in coverage as well. Miller played outside linebacker in college, while Ware (as well as Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil) were defensive ends in college, so there are multiple paths to success as a 3-4 edge rusher.

Despite my focus on draftable prospects this year, I like Za’Darius Smith. Though expectations were low for the raw rookie, Smith developed quickly and became an impact player by the end of the year. He is part of the future of this defense.

That said, the Ravens need a difference maker, and Smith is not that. Bosa, Lawson or Calhoun could be. The Ravens need to pounce on one of the many pass rushers in this draft so they too can flummox Tom Brady.

Shawn Brubaker
Shawn Brubaker

Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.

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