By james art 
The 2025 NFL Draft is three months away, and pre-draft will kick into overdrive with the Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and more in the next few weeks. The Sanctuary in 2025 is next Thursday, but practices are underway and one of the players turning heads early is former Virginia Tech defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who was one of the top pass rushers in the country last season. If he can continue to perform well leading up to the draft, his stock could rise.
First 1-1 rep for Virginia Tech Ed Antwaun Powell-Ryland in Sline.
Twitch and Deep Pass Rush repertoire was all over his feed .
pic.twitter.com/x1xominkha
– Ryan Fowler (@_ryanfowler_) January 25, 2025
A period of @Shrinebowl 1 on 1 ol/dl training and we now have a @Hokiesfb Antwaun Powell-Ryland Vintage Spin Move
Guest on his tape. It is also beauty in person pic.twitter.com/mb1ig2oehk
– Trevor Sikkema (@tampabaytre) January 25, 2025
A few highlights from the first day of work at the sanctuary –
• Virginia Tech Ed Antwuan Powell-Ryland
• Indiana Idl CJ West
• UNLV WR Ricky White
• Colorado WR Lajohntay Wester
• OLE MISS IDL JJ PEGUES
• Auburn Te Rivaldo Fairweather
• Ewu wr efton chism iii
• Smu Ed Elijah …– Ryan Fowler (@_ryanfowler_) January 25, 2025
After the conclusion of the 2024 season, ESPN ranked the top 100 players from the 2024 season. and listed at No. 44 was Virginia Tech defensive end/OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland:
“Powell-Ryland finished just shy of Donovan Ezeiruaku’s Power 4 lead, but when he was on his game, there might not have been a better pass rusher in the country. Powell-Ryland had three different games with at least three sacks each—against Old Dominion, Boston College and Virginia—something no conference quarterback had done since Missouri’s Michael Sam in 2013. Powell-Rylands 15.1 percent pressure ranked in the top 10 among Power 4 quarterbacks, and he added three forced fumbles and a blocked punt for good measure.”
While the Hokies had a disappointing season, Powell had one of the best individual seasons ever for Virginia Tech.
Here’s what Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler had to say about Powell-Ryland’s NFL potential:
”Antwuan Powell-Ryland is a diversified passer with different speeds, angles and hand counters to consistently gain the advantage from the alignment change. He is a highly productive pass in the ACC with success as both a LE and RE in a defensive architecture.
As a pass, Powell-Ryland displays a mature repertoire with an outstanding combination of speed, power, cornering and positional technique. Can win strictly as an athlete with speed to the outside shoulder or with a powerful and smooth and floor, swimming, club-striking and inside rotation. What’s also impressive about his game is his poise when faced with contact, where Powell-Ryland rarely rocks back, consistently working through blocks and into the opposition’s chest. Casters who can’t establish leverage quickly can get flustered at the start of a rep.
While not the biggest or strongest athlete on the roster, Powell-Ryland plays with springy hands that can put opponents of all sizes on their heels. He has excellent striking technique and can vary his timing and speed from different alignments and angles at the top of his rush. He is a high-effort player who never stops rotating his feet in contact. Has good burst from the Snap and does well to stay low most of the time to reduce the surface for opponents to target. “
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