Dylan Horton NFL Draft Overview
Position: EDGE
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 257 pounds
School: TCU
2023 NFL Draft: Dylan Horton Scouting Report
After spending his college years at New Mexico and TCU, Dylan Horton has decided to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. The versatile edge rushing is coming off what is easily the best season of his career, recording 51 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, and an impressive 10.5 sacks in 15 games. All of the aforementioned statistics match or exceed his career highs.
Dylan Horton originally began his college football journey with New Mexico. Originally joining the squad in 2018, the edge defender spent two years with the Lobos, recording 36 tackles, four tackle-for-loss, and 2.5 sacks before transferring to TCU prior to the 2020 season.
COVID limited Horton to just four games in 2020, so he had to wait until 2021 to truly establish himself on the NFL Draft radar. Appearing in 12 games, the Texas native recorded 51 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, and four sacks.
Strengths
- Experienced as a linebacker, edge defender, and interior lineman – can move around when necessary;
- Above-average power shows up as a bull rusher;
- Explosive out of his stance;
- 73rd percentile broad jump and 60th percentile vertical jump imply there’s some untapped athleticism here;
- Decent spin move to get by blockers inside or outside.
Weaknesses
- Lacks balance in the run game – gets pushed around easily;
- North-south player – not good at quickly changing direction to get at the ball carrier;
- Struggles to shed blocks when fully engaged;
- Needs to refine more pass rushing moves – one trick won’t always work in the NFL;
- Only 18 reps on the bench press – might not be strong enough for bull rushes to work against NFL blockers.
NFL Comparison: Keionta Davis
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Rounds 5-6
Bottom Line on Dylan Horton
Dylan Horton should never be a starter in the NFL, but he has a few interesting traits that could make him a valuable backup. The most important trait for any non-starter is having the ability to step up when your number is called, and Horton’s experience at multiple positions should help him there. While he is best on the edge, he played linebacker and defensive tackle in college, so having him as a backup could free up roster spots at other positions.
When he’s actually on the field, however, Horton can be pretty decent at getting after the quarterback. In college, he was able to push tackles back and, once they were off balance, use a spin move to get past them and get after the quarterback. While he could use an extra move or two, this ability should earn him some playing time in passing situations.
Unfortunately though, it’s hard to see him ever becoming anything more than that. Horton doesn’t have the anchor or play strength to hold up against the run, which isn’t the biggest deal in today’s pass-happy NFL, but it will keep him off the field on early downs. Additionally, his testing performance is a little worrisome. You always need to trust the tape over the testing metrics, but it is a noteworthy that he only managed to do 18 reps on the bench press.
If his strength is truly that limited, then will his bull rushes work against NFL competition? Only time will tell for sure. If his power can translate, then he should be able to carve out a role as a situational pass rusher and do-it-all backup. If it can’t, then he might be out of the league in a couple years.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
