Daiyan Henley NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6′-1″
Weight: 225 pounds
School: Washington State
2023 NFL Draft: Daiyan Henley Scouting Report
After a six-year college career, Daiyan Henley is finally ready to enter the NFL Draft on the heels of his best season. 2022 marked the linebacker’s first year with Washington State, and Henley thrived in his new environment. Appearing in 12 games, Daiyan Henley finished the season with 106 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, and one interception.
Daiyan Henley originally began his college football journey with Nevada. Originally signed as a wide receiver, Henley moved to the defensive side of the ball after the 2018 season. After an understandably slow 2019, he started to earn a larger role in 2020. Appearing in eight games, the linebacker recorded 49 tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. He continued to improve in 2021, recording 94 tackles, two taclkes-for-loss, and four interceptions.
Strengths
- Rangy with the speed to go sideline to sideline;
- Smooth, fluid movement – you can tell he used to be a receiver;
- Astonishingly good tackler – only 5.2% missed tackle rate per PFF;
- Potential to be a great coverage linebacker in time;
- Aggressively goes after the running back – limits plays to as few yards as possible;
- Takes great angles to get to the ball carrier.
Weaknesses
- Inexperience at the position shows in coverage assignments – still figuring out zone drops;
- Takes a while to process opposing offense when motion is used;
- Already 23 years old – how much development does he have left?
- Doesn’t get deep enough in zone;
- Needs to learn to trust his isntincts and attack earlier in the play.
NFL Comparison: Less developed Deion Jones
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots
Projection: Round 2
Bottom Line on Daiyan Henley
Daiyan Henley is a medium-risk, high-reward prospect that is probably the best linebacker in the NFL Draft class. The Nebraska and Washington State product used to be a wide receiver, and you can see the smoothness required to play the position every single time he moves around. Henley’s quick, easy movements allow him to easily cover both sides of the field when chasing down ball carriers, and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. Most offensive converts have a tough time tackling, but Henley is one of the soundest tacklers in this class. Additionally, while he’s probably going to be more of a weak-side linebacker, he shows no hesitation when charging into the box. His aggressive play combined with his above-average strength allows him to hold up to blockers and rack up tackles.
Daiyan Henley has a safe floor, but it’s very hard to project his ceiling. The linebacker is still figuring out coverage assignments, doesn’t drop back far enough in zone, and he still struggles to process complex route formations and blocking schemes. On paper, this is something you can forgive, as he only began playing defense in 2019. However, he’s also a sixth-year Senior entering his age-23 season, so you have to wonder how much more he can develop. The old saying goes that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and Henley is definitely on the older side.
Even if Daiyan Henley never lives up to his full potential, he will still be a good starting linebacker in this league that will get after ball carriers and rarely miss a tackle. A player like that is easily worth a second-round pick, and if he reaches his upside, then he’ll be a great steal.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
