Green Bay Packers: Eyes on Ryan Glasgow, Big Ten punisher
Ryan Glasgow … the possibilities
In a recent interview, Ryan Glasgow, a fifth-year senior, revealed that his secret to his success was hard work and doing whatever it takes to overpower enemy blockers inside the tackles where a number of underhanded yanks, hooks and even facemasks often go undetected.
Fresh off a Senior Bowl performance in which this Big Ten man of steel distinguished himself by outmuscling fellow prospects throughout the week in Mobile, Ryan Glasgow seems primed to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Graham, and become the second of his clan to become a Day-2 selection in a little over two months.
Week in and week out, Wolverines’ coach Jim Harbaugh knew what to expect from the 6-foot-3, 299-pound defensive tackle who made a habit of using his massive hands and powerful lower body to collapse the pocket against one-on-one blocking.
In a 2015 meeting versus Northwestern, Glasgow was a constant thorn in the Wildcats’ side by coming off the ball the moment it was snapped, delivering the initial punch to his man and proceeding to get underneath his pads before discarding the overmatched interior blocker.
And when the offense resorted to double-teaming him, the two-time All-Big Ten honoree stood his ground and wouldn’t give up an inch of territory.
Glasgow’s 2016 senior campaign was highlighted by a dominant Oct. 1 outing versus a formidable Wisconsin running attack in which No. 96 made his presence felt by barricading opposing running lanes against double-teams.
And while the Badgers would end the season averaging 203.1 yards per game on the ground, Glasgow continually stoned every two-man combination he faced and earned himself an 86.4 grade by Pro Football Focus (PFF) on a day when the Maize and Blue held Wisconsin running backs to 77 yards.
During the pre-draft period, the 23-year-old has nothing to prove to NFL evaluators as a pure run defender. Instead, his challenge will be to demonstrate that he has what it takes to be an effective pass rusher.
The strength and balance (see wide-base technique) are certainly there, but versus the pass Glasgow flashes a power club move to knock pass protectors off balance when pressuring the quarterback.
He claims to have the hips to turn and close in on opposing signal callers, but his game is all about leverage and strength much like (Mike) Daniels.
What better way, in fact, to help relieve Daniels of the many double-teams he’s subjected to than by putting a similar version of himself right alongside the five-year veteran?
In addition to possessing the ability to win inside brawls, Glasgow does a solid job pursuing plays laterally inside his box area and can come down the line to chase ball carriers on the opposite side.
He also measures up from a purely physical standpoint with 32 ¾-inch arms on a solidly-built frame that doesn’t feature the amount of body fat with which most inside linemen are insulated.
The fact that this Aurora, Ill., native shares the same kind of competitive fire his brother brings to the football field is another plus that gives the younger Glasgow the look of a money-in-the-bank type of pick.
Next: Tundra Talk: All about the Senior Bowl
Yes, this Wolverine has claws and the Packers can fill a major need by investing a high pick in Glasgow, who would bring heart and production, but can additionally provide a pocket-pushing prowess that can enhance the outside rush.