Scout Report – David Woodward

• Position: Inside Linebacker – Off-ball
• College: Utah State Aggies
• Gridiron Guy Position Rank: 13 of 17

Age: 21 | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 230 lbs
NFL Size Comparison: Mark Barron

LB at a Glance: Average Jack-of-all-trades LB who lacks the athleticism you would like

RESUME:

• 100-tackle season in 2018 (134)
• 7th most forced fumbles in MWC history since 2005 (6)
• Best Game: @ Wake Forest (L 35-38)
  • 24 tackles (18 solo, 6 assists) | 1 sack | 2 FF
• Worst Game: v. Stony Brook (W 62-7)
  • 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists)
• Pro Football Focus (PFF) First-Team All-American (2018)
• Associated Press (AP) Third-Team All-American (2018)
• Pro Football Focus (PFF) Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (2018)
•  Second-Team All-Mountain West (2018)
• Academic All-Mountain West (2017, 2018)

Strengths:

__________ Physical __________

Within average NFL size at 6’2 235 lbs

2018 & 2019 were productive years (134 tackles, 93)

Extremely productive in 2019 as he averaged 13 tackles a game

__________ Mental __________

Patience is a virtue, and he is not stupid to jump the gun on defense

Fairly quick at diagnosing plays, though not as fast as the best peers

Seems to be able to identify offenses every now and then, shows level of preparation

Average football IQ

__________ Run Stop __________

Acceptable ability to read fakes, and not bite on PA

Adequate vision to see the field

Physically tough to stick his nose into congestion

Excellent at playing to flow

Shows good instincts to know where the ball is trying to go

__________ Tackling __________

Strong fundamentals to tackling, with a good jab step, wrap up, and drop

Excellent pursuit angles can force a runner to the sideline

Quite aggressive when meeting a runner or even when taking them to the sideline

One of the most reliable tacklers in the college game

Strong grip to hold onto runners when he gets a hand on them

__________ Pass Rush __________

Xxxxx

__________ Coverage ___________

Good awareness to remember where receivers are

Can be a danger to QBs by robbing underneath outside zones

Can put himself in good positioning on the outside as he is asked to rob underneath many times

Weaknesses:

__________ Physical __________

Poor lateral movement and change of direction

Slow play speed makes his playmaking ability lackluster

Poor balance, runs with his shoulders, not his hips

Little examples of strength and power when playing on the field

Below average top speed with a 4.7 forty time

__________ Mental ___________

Fundamentally a reactive player who waits for the offense to attack rather than being aggressive

Lacks the tenacity you would like in a LB

2-Year starter less than ideal compared to others in his draft class

__________ Run Stop ___________

Has trouble tracking the runner in congestion, often losing them only for the RB to bounce

Slow to crash downhill

Disappointing pursuit speed, does not routinely chase down runners from behind

Inconsistent ability to find the hole, sometimes he does sometimes he doesn’t

__________ Tackling __________

Poor tackle range because of a lack of extended arms during a tackle attempt

Poor pop on tackles

__________ Pass Rush __________

Overall poor at shedding blocks

Weak initial impact when meeting the block, usually sees him bounce off rather than the other way around

Slow initial burst off the line, rarely if ever beats OL to advantageous positioning

Does not possess the speed or power needed to consistently break the pocket

Easily moved out of the way, does not maintain positioning when in contact

Little to no hand usage when rushing

__________ Coverage __________

Does not pressure the route as much as he should

Slow on man coverage, routinely lagging behind his assigned man

Lacks the closing speed you would like, though he can crash down into the flats respectably

Bold Predictions:

• Draft Placement: 4th – 7th Round
• Status: Long-Term Project Player
• Ceiling: NFL Sub
• Floor: Practice Squad