{"id":226264,"date":"2025-04-03T16:00:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T20:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=226264"},"modified":"2025-04-03T13:59:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T17:59:27","slug":"danny-stutsman-2025-nfl-draft-scouting-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/04\/03\/danny-stutsman-2025-nfl-draft-scouting-report\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Danny Stutsman flew under the national radar for most of his time at the University of Oklahoma. An All-American season during his final year with the Sooners combined with a strong showing at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/02\/28\/linebacker-standouts-at-the-2025-nfl-combine\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Scouting Combine<\/a> has caused the linebacker&#8217;s stock to jump ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, though.<\/p>\n<p>The 22-year-old Florida native projects himself as a Day 1 NFL starter, regardless of what round he&#8217;s selected on draft day.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You obviously have to have those expectations,&#8221; Stutsman told Forbes&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/djsiddiqi\/2025\/04\/01\/danny-stutsman-on-his-expectations-entering-the-nfl-and-why-he-doesnt-regret-staying-with-oklahoma-sooners\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Siddiqi<\/a>. &#8220;I know it&#8217;s not going to be easy. I know these guys are veterans who have been in the league, who have established themselves, that aren&#8217;t just going to give up their job. That&#8217;s kind of how it is. But you have to be out there and really contribute and be ready to compete.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Danny Stutsman 2025 NFL Draft Profile<\/h2>\n<h3>Key Prospect Information<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Position<\/strong>: Linebacker<\/p>\n<p><strong>Height<\/strong>: 6&#8242; 3&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 233 pounds<\/p>\n<p><strong>School<\/strong>: University of Oklahoma<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Confirmed: Danny Stutsman is a character \ud83d\ude02<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FbStutsman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@FbStutsman<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OU_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@OU_Football<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dqJqert7Oe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/dqJqert7Oe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/1896229010058985525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Strengths<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Improved play recognition across four years at Oklahoma<\/li>\n<li>Sideline-to-sideline speed (4.52-second 40-yard dash at combine)<\/li>\n<li>Effective A-gap blitzer<\/li>\n<li>Impressive nose for the football against the run<\/li>\n<li>Elite special teams upside that provides a higher floor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Weaknesses<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Can get lost in coverage, especially in zone looks<\/li>\n<li>Must learn how to shed blocks more quickly<\/li>\n<li>Gets out of position when his initial read is too slow<\/li>\n<li>Will need to improve attack angles against NFL speed<\/li>\n<li>Could be an early liability if a Day 1 starter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Bottom Line on Danny Stutsman<\/h3>\n<p>Stutsman is no stranger to getting overlooked. He was a modest 3-star prospect coming out of Florida&#8217;s Foundation Academy, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/247sports.com\/player\/danny-stutsman-46082030\/high-school-232179\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">247Sports<\/a>&#8216; composite rankings. He was ranked outside the top 400 prospects nationally and rated as the No. 47 linebacker in the 2021 recruiting class.<\/p>\n<p>The 2024 First Team All-SEC selection made steady progress during his time with the Sooners, though. He finished his collegiate career with 376 total tackles, including 37 tackles for loss, eight sacks, eight passes defended, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions across 47 games.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A big riser in Indy yesterday was <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sooners?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sooners<\/a> LB Danny Stutsman\u2026<\/p>\n<p>This guy\u2019s a tackling machine and an absolute maniac. He looks to literally snap dudes in half when he hits them \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n<p>Running a 4.52 showed he has legit speed to go with that uber-physical mindset \ud83d\udcc8 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rdkNnLx03R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/rdkNnLx03R<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheDraftRoomNFL\/status\/1895912875325297007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Stutsman faced some questions about athleticism early in his Oklahoma tenure. Those stemmed from the fact that he looked a bit behind when chasing ball-carriers. In reality, it was more related to play recognition than speed or small-area quickness.<\/p>\n<p>The linebacker put those concerns firmly to rest at the combine. He was third at the position in the 40-yard dash, and his 10-yard split (1.55 seconds) ranked fifth. He&#8217;s more than athletic enough to put together a long and successful NFL career.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Danny Stutsman is a LB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.62 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 123 out of 3182 LB from 1987 to 2025.<a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mTakCLOtoL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/mTakCLOtoL<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nX4JicbCqD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/nX4JicbCqD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; RAS.football (@MathBomb) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MathBomb\/status\/1907445415689040207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Stutsman projects as a run-stuffing middle linebacker. It&#8217;s an area he excelled in, especially over the final couple of years at OU. He&#8217;s less refined in pass coverage, however, and could be taken off the field in obvious passing situations. That&#8217;s particularly true if he lands within a zone scheme.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, his first NFL impact may come on special teams. He has all the tools to make an impact in that niche role as a rookie if he doesn&#8217;t win a job in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oklahoma Linebacker Danny Stutsman Since 2022:<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd34 34 TFLs\/No Gain (1st)<br \/>\ud83d\udd34 86 Run Stops (1st)<br \/>\ud83d\udd34 87.6 Run Defense Grade (5th)<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OU_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@OU_Football<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WWvl3KSLlI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/WWvl3KSLlI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; PFF College (@PFF_College) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF_College\/status\/1907479417267564851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>As it stands, Stutsman said his agent, Brian Bradtke, heard he&#8217;ll likely be a Day 2 or Day 3 pick. The draft is scheduled to kick off April 24 at Lambeau Field and run through April 26.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard that for sure,&#8221; Stutsman told Siddiqi. &#8220;I&#8217;ve heard that from my agent around there. Obviously, at the end of the day, all it takes is one team that really wants you bad enough. Hopefully, I&#8217;ll have the pleasure of going in between one and seven. At the end of the day, you have to be happy where you go. A team is taking a big commitment on you and just gotta be ready to make a name for yourself once you get on the lead.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Stutsman should stick in the NFL for a long time, even if he doesn&#8217;t become a high-end defensive contributor. That makes him a safe middle-round target for linebacker-needy teams like the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/bengals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/rams\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/buccaneers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2025 NFL Draft Projection<\/strong>: Round 3 pick<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo: [Stephen Lew] &#8211; USA Today Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Danny Stutsman was an underrated tackling machine for the Oklahoma Sooners, but his 2025 NFL draft stock is rising after a strong combine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5175,"featured_media":226298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647],"tags":[32605,33023,246,32990,27083],"class_list":["post-226264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-danny-stutsman","tag-nfl-news","tag-oklahoma-football","tag-scouting-report"],"modified_by":"Michael Zimmelman","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226264"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226299,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226264\/revisions\/226299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/226298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}