Fabien Lovett, IDL, Florida State (Senior)

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Strengths :

  • Good leverage
  • Good Gap eater
  • Powerful punch
  • Pursuits
  • Disrupts passing lanes effectively

 

Weaknesses :

  • Slow play recognition
  • Limited Pass rush movements
  • Minor decision-making issues
  • Age
  • Suboptimal physique
  • Random hand placement
 

TTProfil

 
If Fabien Lovett was one of the DTs to watch at the beginning of the 2023-2024 season and ended up performing very well as the defensive anchor for the Florida State defense, which finished the season undefeated but heartbreakingly missed the playoffs, it's surprising that he doesn't have much hype approaching the draft.
 
To start this section on his strengths, let's talk about the good Leverage with which Fabien often plays. He mostly tries to stay low, which gives him the advantage of Leverage and thus allows him to be quite powerful despite a relatively light weight for his role. It's not uncommon to see Fabien lower than his opponent and succeed in dominating them because of it.
 
Thanks to this ability, Fabien has gradually specialized in a role as a Gap eater which suits him perfectly (Gap eater, a role that involves occupying space on the line of scrimmage and plugging a hole to force the ball carrier to bounce and potentially lose time and yardage). It's not uncommon to see him draw the attention of two offensive linemen during a play, whether it's in a pass protection situation or a running block. If Fabien can attract double teams from the opposing offense, the most important thing is to be able to keep that attention, and Fabien knows how to do that for as long as possible. It's certainly a thankless and behind-the-scenes job, but it's this work that allows his teammates to enjoy as many one-on-one situations as possible and maximize their own potentials.

Obviously if we qualified him as a Gap eater is because he is really good on the Run stop, his presence and absence are immediately felt in FSU's ability to stop the run. While he may not be one of the biggest threats in terms of pass rush in this draft class, he is definitely among the top tier in run stopping.
Beside his good Leverage Lovett possesses a powerful punch that allows him to extend his arms well after the initial impact to maintain separation from the offensive lineman. Thanks to this tool, Fabien is not only capable of making an impact on the running game, but also indirectly on his abilities to Pass rush since, thanks to his strong punch and power, he has developed a nice Push-Pull which he doesn't hesitate to use often in order to vary his rush techniques.

Another thing I like about Lovett in the Pass rushOne more thing I appreciate about Lovett in a pass rush situation is that he constantly tries to disrupt short, quick passes by raising his arms. Thanks to this reflex and his ability to collapse the pocket from the interior, if left in a one-on-one situation, he has several times during his career been able to disturb the quarterback's or wide receiver's vision and has sometimes even managed to deflect passes. While it may not be a direct pressure on the quarterback, it remains a decisive play when, thanks to his efforts, the quarterback fails to find the receiver or the receiver drops the ball because they didn't see it coming.
 
Finally, Fabien has pleased me with his pursuit efforts. It's simple: he almost always makes them. Now, he's not particularly fast or decisive, but he at least deserves credit for executing them correctly and trying to take good angles. I'm repeating myself, but Fabien is far from decisive on his pursuits. However, it demonstrates a mindset that I personally admire for the team that selects him.
 
Now, let's discuss the points that might be concerning with Fabien Lovett, and the first thing I noticed while watching him play is his slow reading. Fabien is often static until he finishes reading the play. That being said, while it's definitely a flaw that needs correcting, Fabien at least deserves credit for continuing his penetration during his reading.
Let me explain: while he is indeed too static in his movement and stays in front of his opponent, he at least tries to push the latter, thus having an impact on the quarterback's pocket. He doesn't just stand there doing nothing as can be the case with other prospects.

I think given the player's profile, you may have guessed it, but with Lovett, we don't have a polished pass rusher ready to dominate NFL offensive linemen. On the contrary, unfortunately, Fabien is a bit too limited in his variety of Pass rush. Most of the time, he relies on his power, like most nose tackles. So, we have some Bull-rush, a lot of Bull-rush, and then some more Bull-rush (Indeed, my friends who are avid fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will undoubtedly recognize my plagiarism of Samwise Gamgee here.)
From time to time, we can see from Fabien a little Swim move or even a shy Rip move but clearly he focuses on his Bull-rush and his Push-pull to collapse the pocket and generate pressure more than really chasing the QB.
 
His hand placement will also need to be reviewed as it's still quite random, which is a shame because we can see in the footage many reps where Lovett decides to Bull-rush his one-on-one opponent and initially manages to push the blocker back very effectively before his hands, misplaced, slip on the OL's jersey, allowing the blocker to halt Lovett's progress abruptly. It's a real shame. Work could be done on this to truly help Lovett make a leap in his development.

Another issue that bothers me with Fabien is his choice of technique depending on the situation. Think of it as a decision-making problem that we rarely talk about in DL and even more rarely in DT, but it can be important because this decision-making sometimes makes the difference between a tackle for loss for your defense or a touchdown conceded because your DT got blown up in the middle and opened up a huge gap that your LBs won't be able to fill.
These are small errors, but they can be costly if they happen at the wrong time. For example, Fabien tries to execute a Swim move while he is caught in a double team composed of 2 OLs larger than him, causing him to lose balance and get pancaked. Another example is when Fabien is slightly pushed outside by a guard and decides to jump (i.e., change his gap responsibility by abandoning his primary assignment) to rush the QB on the edge. However, against a scrambling QB or a Drawthere's no one left inside, which can lead to a big play. So, attention should be paid to this point.

His age doesn't play in his favor either. Once again, opinions may vary on a player's age, but it's undeniable that most coaches/GMs prefer younger players. The younger you are, the more potential they see in you, the longer you can play, and the more valuable you are in the eyes of the team's key decision-makers. I know for a fact that some teams will let him slide because of his age and prefer to take players who might not be better or fit better into their system, but who will be younger.
 
Finally, in my opinion, Fabien could also lose some value due to his size, which may not be ideal for the role expected of him given his qualities. At less than 320 lbs, Lovett, who seems to be heading towards a role as a Tech-1 NT (or even Tech-0 in some packages), will need in my opinion to gain a little weight to really be in the best conditions to do the job in the NFL, where the opposition is very different. Moreover, when we consider the strengths and weaknesses of his current game, a few extra pounds won't drastically change his playing style.

 
 
Fabien Lovett, like many others before him, presents with both strengths and weaknesses. However, unlike many other names that have passed through the draft over the years, few of his weaknesses are truly prohibitive, especially when considering how Fabien will be utilized. So, the question arises: how will he be used? And if you've read this far, you probably have a good idea of where we're heading.
Between his significant ability to defend the run, his strengths in power, his Leverage, his ability to eat up double teams and free up his teammates, the fact that he's not extraordinary at Pass rush due to average explosiveness, not particularly high speed, and a relatively limited technical repertoire, everything in Fabien Lovett's playing style screams to place him as a Nose Tackle, regardless of the system.
In my opinion, where he could shine the most is in a 4-3 front as a NT/1-tech DT. I believe he still lacks the weight and power to be a constant threat as a 0-tech NT in a 3-4 front (where the nose is head-up on the center and will crush him on every play to force one, or if he's truly exceptional, both guards to come help the center, thus leaving the two DEs in one-on-one matchups and freeing up one or two OLB Edge rushers). I'm not saying he is or will be incapable of doing it, just that it's still a bit early to make that role his full-time job. On the other hand, I see no problem in sliding him to a 0-tech in certain obvious passing situations like a Dime Package when the opposing team is facing a 3rd and 30, for example.

That being said, Fabien Lovett is a safe bet in the sense that you know what you're getting. You know his floor, and honestly, it wouldn't be surprising to see him quickly get playing time. The question is his ceiling. Lovett already has a lot of experience in college football, and realistically, there are few areas where he can make significant improvements. Will he be able to become a dazzling pass rusher in the future? I have serious doubts. However, that doesn't mean he won't be selected anyway. So, what value should be placed on Lovett?
 
Personally, I wouldn't be against selecting him in the middle to late third round. Once again, it's about knowing what you want, what you're looking for. Do you need to bolster your run defense directly with a solid, experienced player without spending too high of a pick in your roster construction? In that case, I wouldn't mind using a third-round pick on him. If he slides due to his age, even better; that's just a bonus. But don't expect dazzling statistical performances from Fabien Lovett; that's not what he's there for. However, his addition to a roster could suddenly help improve your entire defense because he'll be ready to do the dirty work, and he'll take that very seriously.
3rd round value for me, but late 3rd round..
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