What the Packers will get in South Carolina DE Kingsley Enagbare

Kingsley Enagbare's career at South Carolina is ending in the exact spot he envisioned he would be when he signed with the Gamecocks four years ago: at the NFL Draft.

Enagbare was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 179 overall pick in the 5th round of the draft on Saturday.

The four-year Gamecocks defensive end becomes the first South Carolina player taken in this year's draft, and he is the 12th Gamecock to be selected in the last four draft classes. His selection marks five straight years in which a Gamecock has been taken in the NFL Draft. There have only been two drafts in the last 23 years (2001, 2017) that did not feature a South Carolina player being selected.

Enagbare ensured that 2022 would not join that group, and he may wind up being the lone Gamecock taken in this draft – though running backs Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White and tight end Nick Muse are hoping to hear their names called on Saturday as late-round picks.

As for Enagbare, he becomes the third South Carolina defensive lineman selected in the draft since Jadeveon Clowney was taken No. 1 overall in 2014. Javon Kinlaw (San Francisco 49ers) was taken with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 draft, and D.J. Wonnum (Minnesota Vikings) was selected with the No. 117 overall pick in the fourth round last year.

When projecting how Enagbare will translate from college to the pro level, he represents many defensive players who have been evaluated with the same issue: What position will he play?

Enagbare is a 6-foot-4, 260-pounder with top-level size, strength and length. But that size may not be enough to play consistently on the interior of the line, and he doesn't possess the bend and athleticism that most teams want in an elite EDGE. Because of the way NFL defenses have been trending over the last few years, though, Enagbare might be coming into the league at the right time. He could be a versatile chess piece used in multiple spots along the defensive line as NFL defenses have adapted and want as many of those types of players in their units as possible.

With that potential for versatility in mind, Enagbare still projects as an edge player who can be used as a dynamic pass rusher, but he will need to add moves to his repertoire because he is not elite in stopping the run. But most of his value stems from two traits that can't be taught, both of which made him a top-100 player on most boards: length and motor.

Enagbare signed with South Carolina as the No. 24-ranked strongside defensive end and No. 36-ranked player in the state of Georgia's 2018 recruiting class. He was a four-star prospect out of Atlanta, becoming the Gamecocks' fifth-highest ranked signee of their class as he picked them despite offers from Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame and Penn State on the table.

He parlayed that into a successful four-year career, totaling 15 sacks and 24 tackles-for-loss. He was named a first-team All-SEC performer by the coaches in 2020 while nabbing second-team All-SEC honors by the AP.

Enagbare followed that up with an even stronger senior season, improving his draft stock substantially by tallying 44 tackles, 4.5 sackes and seven TFLs in 12 games. That was enough to earn him a spot as one of just 18 semifinalists spots for the Chuck Bednarik Award that goes to the best defensive player in college football, and he was named a first-team All-SEC performer and third-team All-American performer by Pro Football Focus.