STRENGTHS - While he does not have the ideal bulk/weight, Goebel is a strong and productive 2-Gap defensive linemen who showed the ability to anchor vs run blocks consistently. He plays with excellent effort on every snap and this combines with good use of hands and ability to play with base so that he can play stronger than his size. He has the height and long arms to get hands on offensive lineman quickly, which also helps him to make up for his lack of ideal weight. He is an active player who keeps churning and fighting to free up from blocks to make tackles and is especially productive chasing down plays along the line where his speed and effort are more important than his brute strength. He flashes the quick hands to defeat pass block and pressure the quarterback.
WEAKNESSES - Goebel is a bit of a "Tweener" in that he has the linear build of a gap shooting defensive linemen, but is much more of a 2-Gapper despite his lacking the ideal bulk for the position. Despite his great effort and good hand use, he lacks the bulk and strength to hold his ground vs powerful blockers if they get their hands on him first and will have even more trouble against NFL offensive linemen. He lacks the explosiveness off the ball to threaten the gaps to get backfield penetration and has not proven to be effective as a bull rusher in the games evaluated. .
SUMMARY - Goebel is a player I knew nothing of when I began evaluating Ohio State's prospects, but his great effort and surprisingly consistent production grabbed my attention. While I like many of Goebel's intangibles, it is unrealistic to expect him to become more than a rotational backup in the NFL (If he can even stick on a roster). However, I do believe he would be an excellent candidate for the practice squad because many college defensive linemen entered the NFL weighing in the 280's and after a season or two working with NFL strength coaches are able to bulk up to over 300 pounds. If Goebel could eventually add that weight I think he could make it in the NFL as a backup defensive tackle for a team that plays a 43 scheme or defensive end for a team that plays a 34 scheme.