Tuf Borland 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-feet-⅛”
Weight: 229 pounds
Arms: 31 ⅜”
Hands: 9 ⅞”
School: Ohio State
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.98
Vertical: 32 ½”
Bench press: 15 reps
Three cone: 7.17
Short shuttle: 4.29
Broad: 109”
Tuf Borland 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Tuf Borland played his high school sports for Illinois’ Bolingbrook High School where he starred in football, baseball, and basketball. Borland earned himself a four-star recruitment rating before committing to Ohio State in 2016. Borland redshirted his true freshman season but earned himself Scholar-Athlete honors.
As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Borland played in 14 games in which he tallied 58 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss. Borland earned Academic All-Big Ten and Scholar-Athlete honors. As a 2018 redshirt sophomore, Borland played in 14 games and put together a solid season. He racked up 67 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles. The performance earned Borland an All Big-Ten honorable mention as well as again earning academic All-Big Ten and Scholar-Athlete honors.
As a 2019 redshirt junior Borland played in 14 games in which he accounted for 55 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and one interception. The performance again earned Borland an All Big-Ten honorable mention as well as Academic All-Big Ten and Scholar-Athlete honors. Borland graduated in December of 2019 but returned for his senior year of football in 2020. Borland played in seven games in which he accounted for 48 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
Strengths
- Physical linebacker with tons of experience from one of the top football colleges in the nation;
- Three-time team captain, which is just the second time in Buckeye history that has happened;
- Admirably tough player who suffered a torn Achilles during the spring of 2018 but was able to battle back for the season;
- Smart, instinctive football player who recognizes plays well;
- Aggressively breaks towards the ball carrier and has the shiftiness to scrape across would be blockers;
- Very competitive and his toughness cannot be overstated.
Weaknesses
- Very undersized for the next level;
- Just average athleticism which he makes up for with smarts;
- Does not excel in pass coverage;
- Achilles injury at a young age coupled with his lack of athleticism is a notable red flag;
- May get swallowed up by bigger linemen at the next level.
NFL Comparison: Elandon Roberts
Teams With Need at Position: New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos
Projection: Fifth Round
Bottom Line on Tuf Borland
Borland is an undersized linebacker with just average athleticism. However, his football intangibles are some of the best you will come across. Borland does not rely on his athleticism within a play, but instead relies on his smarts and play recognition to take him to a play before it fully develops. Borland demonstrates good natural instincts for the football in the running game as well as bringing leadership and toughness to a defense. While Borland is not a liability in coverage, he does not excel at it and will need time to develop his passing game awareness at the next level. Borland’s intangibles will make coaches fall in love with him but his lack of top-end athleticism and size puts his ceiling fairly low.
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