Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 234 pounds
School: Buffalo Bulls
Khalil Hodge 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Getting to the ball-carrier was Khalil Hodge‘s forte in high school. That’s fairly evident considering he made a whopping 262 tackles during his senior year at St. Mary’s in Stockton, CA. Still, he received little to no interest from FBS schools and began his college career at the City College of San Francisco. During his lone season there, he tallied 72 stops, five of which were for loss, and added two interceptions on a team which won the 2015 state title.
Hodge came onto the radar of the Buffalo coaching staff and he made the cross-country journey as part of Lance Leipold‘s second recruiting class as Bulls head coach. It was the beginning of a run that saw Hodge rack up absurd tackle numbers. He led UB in the statistic in all three of his seasons in Western New York. It included a 153-stop effort in 2017 which led all MAC players. For his career, he finished with 419 tackles, a total that ranks ninth in the history of MAC football. He also registered 21 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and three interceptions during his time with the Bulls.
Strengths
- quality leadership skills, work ethic, and other intangibles;
- put up highly impressive tackle numbers during his three seasons with UB;
- body held up to the workload and physicality he endured;
- plus read and react instincts;
- reliable as a wrap-up tackler;
- consistently sheds blockers as a means towards making a move on the ball;
- functional ball skills when dropping into coverage.
Weaknesses
- a tad undersized for an NFL-level MIKE linebacker;
- will struggle to consistently beat elite speed to the perimeter;
- sometimes pursues incorrect gap and lets ball-carriers blow by him;
- needs to be more assertive at hitting gaps in pass-rushing situations;
- below average initial burst and overall athleticism;
- ran a 5.02 second 40 at his Pro Day.
NFL Comparison: Tahir Whitehead
Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Seventh round / priority free agent
Bottom Line
Hodge put up three years of highly impressive numbers in college. As soon as he arrived at Buffalo, he quickly emerged as one of the top tackling machines in the MAC. He brings relentless effort on every play and has the work ethic necessary to make it in the pros. He has plus instincts and is able to react to keys while defending both the pass and the run. And the tape confirms the stats with respect to his tackle numbers as he consistently finishes when wrapping players up.
But Hodge needs a lot of work if he’s to see the field consistently at the next level. His athleticism and sideline-to-sideline range are both subpar and will make it difficult for him to make an impact when plays break to the outside. He’s also too static in the second level which allows climbing linemen to anchor and contain him. Though he showcased incredible durability in college given his workload, the rigors of playing middle linebacker in the NFL might prove a challenge to a player with his physical traits.
Look for Hodge to come off the board late in the draft as teams with a need at linebacker look to bolster their depth on the back end of the roster. It’s also possible he signs as an undrafted free agent. Ultimately, Hodge’s ability to carve out a pro career will hinge on teams being able to successfully harness his football I.Q. to make up for his deficiencies in athleticism.
