{"id":294148,"date":"2026-07-27T16:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T20:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=294148"},"modified":"2026-07-27T16:38:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T20:38:51","slug":"kyngstonn-viliamu-asa-2027-nfl-draft-early-scouting-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/27\/kyngstonn-viliamu-asa-2027-nfl-draft-early-scouting-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 2027 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/fbs\/independents\/notre-dame-fighting-irish\/\" target=\"_self\">Notre Dame<\/a> linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa started just two games in 2025.\u00a0 He then suffered a torn ACL in the penultimate game of the season against Syracuse.\u00a0 The injury clouds his evaluation, but what does the tape show?<\/p>\n<h2>Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 2027 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report<\/h2>\n<h3>Measurables<\/h3>\n<p>Height: 6\u20193\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Weight: 230 lbs<\/p>\n<h3>Statistics<\/h3>\n<p>2025: 48 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 2 passes defended.<\/p>\n<p>2024: 37 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 1 pass defended.<\/p>\n<h3>The Tape<\/h3>\n<p>Games Watched: Georgia Southern, at Purdue and at Nebraska.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB5Yd0FNyB\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 6000px; aspect-ratio: 6000\/4000;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h3>Strengths<\/h3>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa lined up in a variety of positions.\u00a0 He played as a traditional off-ball linebacker, but also as an edge, and at times over slot receivers.\u00a0 At his size, this chess piece-type role is perfect for him and shows that the Irish have a creative defensive coaching staff.<\/p>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa\u2019s athletic ability stands out on tape.\u00a0 He can come downhill at speed and is fast enough to beat blockers to their spot and make plays.\u00a0 He\u2019s also athletic enough to be used as a spy against mobile quarterbacks.\u00a0 His lateral range is excellent, showing the ability to move to the sideline while keeping his shoulders square.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is lined up on the edge here (left of screen).  Watch how he beats the Miami HB who is trying to come across the formation to make the block.  Viliamu-Asa just too athletic for him and he blows the play up.<a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NFLDraft<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sZS8tYe7PR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/sZS8tYe7PR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UKDraftFan\/status\/2081310922027491532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Coupled with the athletic ability is a motor that never stops.\u00a0 Viliamu-Asa keeps working and chasing plays until the whistle.\u00a0 The two put together mean that he makes a lot of plays others can\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s always exciting when you see a linebacker reading his keys and making plays.\u00a0 There\u2019s no doubt Viliamu-Asa\u2019s speed helps him, but there are numerous examples on his tape where it\u2019s looked like he\u2019s been in the offensive huddle, as he reads plays so well.\u00a0 NFL defensive coaches will love this when they get to watch his tape.<\/p>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa plays bigger than his listed 230 lbs.\u00a0 He is able to convert his speed into power when taking on blocks.\u00a0 This means he\u2019s better than many linebackers of his size at getting off blocks.\u00a0 His motor also helps him in this area, as he never stops fighting to get off blocks.<\/p>\n<p>While Viliamu-Asa lacks the bulk to play the edge position, he is a dangerous pass rusher.\u00a0 His speed and motor form a platform which by itself gives results.\u00a0 He\u2019s also a naturally flexible athlete, so he can win with speed, dip, closing burst, and his relentless nature.\u00a0 He also has a nice inside move, swim move, and will also use speed-to-power.\u00a0 This gives him a toolset wider than many pure college edge rushers.<\/p>\n<p>In coverage, Viliamu-Asa is mostly used in zone.\u00a0 His hips look loose, and he\u2019s able to read the quarterback well.\u00a0 On occasions when he\u2019s used in man coverage, he\u2019s able to stay in phase with receivers down the field.<\/p>\n<h3>Areas to Improve<\/h3>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa\u2019s medical is the key cause for concern.\u00a0 If he needs further cleanup surgery, or suffers a soft tissue injury in his comeback, it could derail his 2026 season.\u00a0 The fact that he\u2019ll <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/football\/notre-dame-gets-encouraging-injury-update-on-star-linebacker-kyngstonn-viliamu-asa\/ar-AA28t3x6?cvid=6a611a815c1f4d93aa4c7192769df807&amp;ocid=iehpTS\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">take part in fall camp<\/a> is encouraging, however.<\/p>\n<p>The key area for Viliamu-Asa to improve on the field is his tackling.\u00a0 There are too many missed tackles on his tape.\u00a0 At times, his motor can work against him as he\u2019s not always under control.\u00a0 Ball carriers can change direction, and he\u2019ll fly by the play.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There are some missed tackles on Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa&#39;s tape (#27, left of screen).  Here&#39;s one such example.<a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NFLDraft<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ut2bN81nWm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Ut2bN81nWm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UKDraftFan\/status\/2081312547441910239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>At times against bigger blockers, Viliamu-Asa can get engulfed.\u00a0 No matter how hard he fights, offensive linemen 100+lbs heavier than him do cause him problems.<\/p>\n<p>His pass rush repertoire is good, but the bull rush is the least effective part of his arsenal. \u00a0Again, bigger offensive linemen can absorb this effectively, and he can then struggle to counter when they get into his chest.<\/p>\n<h3>Key Tests in 2026<\/h3>\n<p>The Irish have just three preseason top 25 teams on the 2026 schedule.\u00a0 The first of these is not until October 17 (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/big12\/byu-cougars\/\" target=\"_self\">BYU<\/a>), which gives Viliamu-Asa time to get back to full health.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest test is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/miami-hurricanes\/\" target=\"_self\">Miami<\/a> in South Bend on November 7.\u00a0 Going up against this team\u2019s excellent speed will be a good barometer to show how healthy Viliamu-Asa\u2019s knee is.<\/p>\n<p>The other top 25 test is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/smu-mustangs\/\" target=\"_self\">SMU<\/a> on November 21.<\/p>\n<p>The full schedule<a  href=\"https:\/\/fbschedules.com\/2026-notre-dame-football-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 2027 NFL Draft Projection<\/h3>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa is scheduled to practice at the start of fall camp, but it\u2019s not yet known when he will be cleared to play.\u00a0 It\u2019s encouraging that he will be taking some part in fall camp.<\/p>\n<p>Should Viliamu-Asa suffer a setback and not play much, or at all, in 2026, then he will likely return for the 2027 college season.\u00a0 However, if he returns early in 2026 at the same level as last year, or better, then he will have a decision to make regarding the NFL.<\/p>\n<p>Should he declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, NFL teams will look closely at his knee.\u00a0 If there are signs of future problems (arthritis, for example), it will hurt his stock.<\/p>\n<p>Viliamu-Asa\u2019s 2025 tape is exciting.\u00a0 Despite only starting two games, he looks like a first-round pick.\u00a0 He plays bigger than his size and his athletic ability is clear.\u00a0 He fits an attacking scheme where he can continue to be used as a chess piece to help keep him clean.\u00a0 Hopefully, he returns early in the season and hits the ground running.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa started just two games in 2025.\u00a0 He then suffered a torn ACL in the penultimate game of the season against Syracuse.\u00a0 The injury clouds his evaluation, but what does the tape show? Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 2027 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report Measurables Height: 6\u20193\u201d Weight: 230 lbs Statistics 2025: 48 tackles, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5857,"featured_media":294199,"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":[1647,33760],"tags":[33861,35054,34074],"class_list":["post-294148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-profiles","tag-2027-nfl-draft","tag-kyngstonn-viliamu-asa","tag-profiles"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294148","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\/5857"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294148"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":294200,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294148\/revisions\/294200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}