Scout Report: Cale Garrett

• Position: Inside Linebacker – Off-ball, Adjuster
• College: Missouri Tigers
• Gridiron Guy Position Rank: 10 of 17

Age: N/A | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 234 lbs
NFL Size Comparison: Ryan Connelly

LB at a Glance: Intelligent LB who lacks the physical athleticism needed to be more effective

RESUME:

• 100-tackle season in 2018
• Most solo tackles in the SEC during 2018 (68)
• 8th most interceptions in the SEC (3)
• Most INTs returned for touchdowns in the nation (2)
• Best Game: @ Wyoming (L 31-37)
  • 16 tackles (12 solo, 4 assists) | 1 PD
• Worst Game: v. South Carolina (W 34-14)
  • 6 tackles (5 solo, 1 assist) | 1 FR
• 1st-Team All-SEC (Pro Football Focus)
• 2nd-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2018 Team Rigman Outstanding Underclassman Leadership Award
• 2018 Team Captain
• 2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Strengths:

__________Physical___________________________________________

Within NFL average size at 6’2 234 lbs

Productivity low for 2019 campaign, but 2017 & ‘18 seasons showed good production with 100 tackle seasons

Extremely agile, with the best 3 cone time and 20 yard shuffle of all ILBs

Fairly reasonable level of power with above average Broadjump, but weak vertical

Above average lateral movement because of good agility and change of direction, best shuffle of all LBs I’ve seen so far

OK play speed, though nothing to really write home about

__________ Mental ___________________________________________

3-year starter ideal for experience

Showed consistent growth year-to-year despite 2019 being cut short

Fundamentally a proactive player

Quite tenacious on every play, can be seen buzzing around even when the play is away from him

Seems to have good preparation in his handling of different formations

Quick to diagnose plays

Seems to understand the game of football pretty well

__________ Tackling __________________________________________

Excellent at lunging toward the runner and extending his tackle range

Good tackling fundamentals, though his wrap up is weak

Average when it comes to tackle reliability

Average pursuit angles

Aggressive nature can lead to some good plays inside the tackle box

__________ Run Defense ______________________________________

Good eyes to zero in on the runner in the backfield

Good, instinctive player with a good level of preparation

Excellent vision to see what the offense is trying to accomplish

Good at finding and plugging the hole on his side of Center

Promising speed to crash downhill

Physically tough, does not shy away from contact

Better than most at reading through fakes

__________ Pass Rush ________________________________________

Average initial impact when meeting blocker

__________ Coverage _________________________________________

Adequate if asked to cover inside zone

Positions himself pretty well for a player who lacks coverage skills

Has the awareness to keep tabs of receivers around his zone and those coming out of the backfield

Weaknesses:

__________Physical___________________________________________

Extremely low top speed for position with a 4.92 forty time, the slowest of ILBs

Ended 2019 season prematurely with a torn pectoral muscle, durability may scare teams away

Low usage rate for the season because of season ending injury

Relatively weak strength when it comes to game situations, does not have the upper body strength to move others out of the way

__________ Mental ___________________________________________

__________ Tackling __________________________________________

Weak grip allows runners to slide out of his wrap ups and arm tackles

Poor footwork when tackling, often having feet unbalanced or trying to go in the middle of a stride, usually causes his upper body to initiate contact without his lower body underneath to support

Lacks the pop you would like in the shoulder pads

__________ Run Defense ______________________________________

Lacks the ability to adequately play to flow, as his lateral movement is hindered by his overall speed

Poor pursuit speed spotlights his lack of ability to defense on the outside

Has issues playing through congestion, sometimes getting lost in the chaos

__________ Pass Rush ________________________________________

Poor block shedder

Slow initial burst off the snap

Slow to shoot the gap, with little power to be able to force his way through

Does not keep his positioning when meeting a blocker, often being able to be moved fairly easily

Little to no hand usage shows lack of pass rush experience

__________ Coverage _________________________________________

Poor speed makes man coverage assignments a disadvantage

Does not pressure the route when receivers come into his zone

No closing speed to gain ground when the ball is in the air

Poor backpedal often sees him losing his balance

Outside zones such as the curl-flats are an absolute liability since he cannot clear ground quickly

Lacks the speed you would like for a QB spy, with all but two QBs running better on the 40 than he did

Bold Predictions:

• Draft Placement: 4th Round
• Status: Long-Term Project Player
• Ceiling: NFL Backup
• Floor: 4 & Out