Our prospect profiles roll on! Here’s a guy that was very productive in a non-Power 5 conference but can that translate to the National Football League?
Background
Who: Curtis Weaver 6’3″ 262 pounds
School: Boise State University
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
Three-Star recruit coming out of St. Anthony’s according to ESPN.com… Two-time letter-winner in Basketball… Helped lead his football team to first league title in 15 years… Made nine different All-America lists in 2019… Three-time All-Mountain West Division selection.
Key Combine Stats:
| 40-yard: DNP | 40-yard: DNP | — | Bench: DNP | 3-Cone: 7.00 | Vertical: 32.5 | Broad: 9-8 | Hands: 10 | Arms:32 3/8 |
2019 Stats: 52 tackles, 18.5 Tackles for Loss, 13.5 sacks, 1 INT
What’s To Like
I like his instincts and ability to read the play. Often sees what is happening before it happens… Can be an absolute bulldozer at times in rushing the QB… Really solid in his drops into coverage/takes up a lot of space in zones and reads the QB well… Good ability to see around blocks… Slips off blocks well for a man of limited athleticism… Strong, powerful hands that he uses to manhandle blockers with… While he doesn’t always show up statistically, he can be a disruption to blocking schemes allowing other players to feast.
What’s Concerning
Not a high-motor guy… If he’s stymied by a double team, he doesn’t always give great effort to fight through it… One-on-One tackling is a struggle/Often loses balance… Change of direction needs work… Does not have the ‘bend’ you want to see from an EDGE guy… Overall flexibility is not good… Not a guy that’s going to hustle down-field and there are moments on tape when he could have made plays… Pass rush arc is often high/lets himself get pushed there too often.
The Verdict
I honestly don’t know why some scouts have him rated as highly as they do (I’ve seen some suggest first round). The young man is what he is and I can appreciate that but I just can’t see him contributing consistently in the NFL unless it’s in a completely situational sense. His anticipation is pretty good (3-cone drill was impressive) and he pass rushes decently enough but the other issues I can’t get past. He’s too often turned at the point of attack and doesn’t set the edge as well as needed in the NFL versus the run. I really think his best shot at NFL stardom will be from the defensive end position. This may take some transitional time as he spent the majority of his career in a stand-up position on the edge.
Final Grade: Third Rounder
Games Watched: 2019 vs Florida State, 2019 vs UNLV, 2019 vs Washington, 2019 vs. Colorado State
Credits: sports-reference.com, youtube.com, walterfootball.com
