The 2023 NFL offseason is here and that means it’s time for mock drafts, draft profiles and everything that goes with them. So without further ado, here’s one of many Draft Profiles for the 2023 NFL draft.
Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington St.
HT: 6’1
WT: 225 lbs
Accolades:
• 2022 named to All-America Second Team by College Football News
• All-Pac-12 Conference First Team as a linebacker and All-Pac-12 Second Team as an all-purpose/special teams player 2022
• 2022 named Butkus Award Finalist (top college linebacker), first Butkus finalist in program history
• 2021 Named to All-Mountain West Conference Second Team
Video:
Pros:
• The talent is there as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker who can run with pretty much any back
• Looks the part with a solid, muscular build, and surprisingly long arms for his height. Good overall athleticism and straight-line speed.
• He’s very good in coverage when looking into the backfield in zone coverage – can even handle WRs on intermediate routes
• An elite tackler who rarely fails to wrap up
• As a pass rusher – he’s got better each year and now presents as a serious option as a situational pass rusher
• Has some nice versatility – probably best as a weakside LB, but could easily handle the strong side and match up well against tight ends
• Adds an extra dimension as an elite special teamer
• A much better athlete than originally billed – surprised a lot at the combine with 4.54 forty along with an elite broad jump – showing real explosion
• A real ball hawk – always manages to seem to be in the right place at the right time. He’s an interception machine
• A bit stiff but makes the clean open-field tackle. Good effort in pursuit.
• Handles misdirection well with quick change-of-direction ability. Comes downhill quickly against the run when Henley has an open lane.
• He’s at his best in coverage. He’s a fluid mover capable of turning and running with tight ends or mirroring backs coming out of the backfield.
Cons:
• He seems to have been in college forever and while it’s helped develop him as a prospect – he’ll be 24 as a rookie
• Has been a full LB for just three years and doesn’t display the kind of instincts you expect to see from a player who has played the position since high school
• Sometimes a little late reacting to a play that he doesn’t expect and needs to improve his basic play recognition. You hope this will come with time
• Henley is very much on the small side (at 6-0 and 225lbs) and struggles to slip blocks; he’ll need to be covered up in order to make plays
• He’ll need to be covered up to be effective as a short-area run defender. He’s not the kind of guy you can line up in the pass rush and have him bend the edge; he’s limited to shooting through gaps
• As a pass rusher, Henley lacks the ideal length to consistently win off the edge, even if he manages to improve his
Summary:
Daiyan Henley is a quality pro linebacker prospect, who possesses outstanding overall agility and speed, an equally impressive ability as a consistent tackler, and also displays some nice potential as a pass rusher. Despite this, he’ll unlikely be viewed as a full-time starter due to his limited size and could become a liability defending the power run game.
Henley offers some versatility as a special teamer while he grows into the position, still, it’s unlikely he gets picked any higher than the third round in the 2023 NFL draft due to his obvious size limitations.
Information in this article first appeared on NFL Draft Buzz and is used with permission. Find the latest coverage, analysis, and player rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft at nfldraftbuzz.com
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