Since high school, Logan Lee has been a diverse and gifted athlete.
Lee was the epitome of an All-American athlete while attending Orion High School in Orion, Illinois. Aside from football, Lee also lettered in track and wrestling. He won the state wrestling championship twice, first as a 220-pound sophomore and then again as a 285-pound senior. Lee thrived on the football field as a tight end and defensive end. Throughout his three years, he received unanimous all-conference honors on both offense and defense. In his final two seasons, he recorded 120 tackles and 27 sacks on defense, while also catching 54 passes for 934 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense. Lee committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes before the 2019 season, after receiving offers from several Division I schools.
In his first two years, Lee saw a total of two games in which he recorded a total of two tackles. In 2021, Lee played 14 games and would finish the season with 48 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and a pass deflection. In his junior year, he earned honorable mention in the All-Big Ten by league coaches and media for his performance that season. He would register 54 tackles, a career high of eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and three pass deflections. In his senior year, Lee would start all 13 games at defensive tackle and would receive several All-Big Ten honors from coaches and several media publications.
Despite being relatively undersized for the position, he has been successful in compensating for this weakness with high-level athleticism and an arsenal of moves that have made him the type of player capable of causing disruptions in the backfield. Though he is still a work in progress, his tape suggests that he has the potential to be far greater than his draft position would suggest.
Improved Pad Level
Lee's pad level is one of the most visible ways he has improved over time. In general, he tended to stand too stiff and come out of his posture, which resulted in him losing one-on-one battles in the trenches. When seeing his later films, he has made an effort to lower his pad level, which has resulted in more positive outcomes.
In sequence against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes defense is showing a hybrid 4-3 alignment, with Lee positioned as the right defensive tackle in 3-technique. When the ball is snapped, Lee does a good job coming low out of his stance and getting underneath the Cyclones lineman's shoulder path. When he attempts to seal him on the outside, Lee keeps his pad level low and stands his ground. Though he doesn't make the tackle, his presence as well as the collective work of the Hawkeyes defensive line result in no open gaps for the running back and the eventual stop.
Pass Rush Arsenal
Lee's ability to rush the passer is arguably his biggest strength. In addition to his active and violent hands, he has exceptional quickness and explosiveness for a defensive tackle his stature.
This scenario from the East-West Shrine Bowl displays his ability to pass rush with little space. He is positioned as a defensive end in 5-technique. One of the requirements for being a great pass rusher is having a plan of attack and backup plans in case plan A fails. Lee might easily attack his outside shoulder, but he takes a different strategy. When the play begins, observe how he makes a tiny step outside, which causes the offensive lineman to move slightly in his direction. When Lee engages, he jabs his inner shoulder with his left hand before swimming over him with the lineman off balance. The overall sequence is neat and smooth, as he wins the rep with ease.
Making Plays In The Backfield
This sequence against Purdue is a good example of how Lee is able to use his full skillset to make big plays.
Lee is seen positioned as the left defensive tackle in 3-technique. In this sequence, the Boilermakers offense will run a power on Lee's side with a pulling guard and a tight end. What ruins this well-designed play is how quickly Lee beats the right guard. When the ball is snapped, he executes a beautiful swim maneuver that immediately gets him in the backfield. Notice how the guard tries to hold him to prevent him from making the play. Ironically, that slight hold helped him avoid being obstructed by the Boilermakers' tight end and make his way to the second level. As a result, Lee is able to stop the running back in his tracks for a loss. Speed, quickness, and pass-rush arsenal on full display.
Lee is far from a perfect player, but there is more to him than meets the eye. Though his overall size is a concern, Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar will have to help him overcome this minor disadvantage by utilizing his impressive skill set. If given the opportunity to exploit his skills, he has the potential to become a playmaking asset for the squad in the near future.
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