2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Leo Chenal
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Wisconsin
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 250lbs
Film Watched: Notre Dame 2021, Northwestern 2021, Rutgers 2021
Pro's:
- Body beautiful. Frame loaded with muscular weight
- Ultra-physical linebacker with immense play strength
- Explodes into tackles. If you’re within his tackle radius, you’re going down – and you’re feeling it too
- Same aggression versus blocks. Just blasts into contact with force, stunning opponents onto the back foot
- Enough sand in his pants and leg drive to absorb and conquer downblocks
- Heavy hands move blockers and allow him to work in gaps
- Impressive vertical speed, and is a true pocket terrorist on blitzes
- Production machine. 178 tackles in 25 games at Wisconsin, with 11 sacks and 25.5 TFL’s to boot
- Locker room leader, cult figure, and the heartbeat of the Badgers defense
Leo Chenal is a LB prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 4 out of 2188 LB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/unnXwkeRtl #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/P0HfQrwUdc
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 6, 2022
Con's:
- Lack of fluidity. Change of direction is laboured and can be caught out with sharp cuts
- Doesn’t possess true sideline to sideline speed. Lateral quicks a shade slower than desired
- Pass coverage inhibited with sluggish backpedal – doesn’t get great depth to his zones
- Doesn’t have the movement to mirror tight ends or running backs in man coverage
- Plays with good extension, but length is a touch short and he leaves his pads exposed to clamps
The Verdict:
“A combination of rare brute strength and fearlessness has made Leo Chenal one hell of a downfield thumper. Prowling the line of scrimmage, Chenal is at his best when he’s attacking - moving blocks and fitting gaps, or blasting into the backfield and making plays. Chenal has impressive straight line speed, backed up by his pro day numbers, which lets him infiltrate the pocket, but it’s telling he didn’t complete any of the other agility drills; his horizontal movement can be exposed, and he really offers very little against the pass. Chenal will have his fans due to the reckless abandon with which he throws his body into each and every play. And whilst he isn’t the complete prospect, he can be an immediate early down tone setter as an interior linebacker and would thrive in a scheme that lets him pin his ears back.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: CHRIS BORLAND
PREDICTION: 3RD ROUND PICK
5/5