Daiyan Henley Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

 

Daiyan Henly Scouting Report: Washington State Cougars, Linebacker

 

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

6’0 6/8″ / 230 lbs.

Wingspan – 79 1/4″

Arm Length – 32 3/4″

Hand Size – 9 5/8″

Daiyan Henley 40 Time – 4.54

 

 

Daiyan Henley Draft Profile

Henley is a former unranked prospect out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, California. Given that he was unranked, he flew under the radar as a high school prospect. But his senior year, he received a scholarship offer from the University of Nevada. Henley would go on to play for the Wolf Pack for five seasons. In those five seasons, he played a total of 50 games and recorded 160 total tackles, 4 interceptions, 8 PBUs, and 3 fumble recoveries. After his incredible senior season at Nevada, he entered his name in the transfer portal and took his talent to Washington State.

In his final season at Washington State, he played in all 12 games of the season. He racked up 106 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PBUs, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Additionally, he recorded a reception for 36 yards.

 

Daiyan Henley Strengths

 

Length

Although Henley’s frame is not above average, he does have a 79″ wingspan. This allows him to grab onto the ball carrier in the open field and bring them down. His long arms also allow him to reach out and grab the ball carrier while being blocked. Whether he brings them down or not, he does a good job of slowing them down.

 

High Motor

The first thing that stood out to me when watching his film is his high motor. On every play, he makes sure to give it all in an effort to be in the right spot. He also makes sure to never give up on a play if he is taken out or neutralized during blocks. There is one downside to his high motor, and that is he has a tendency to overcommit and give up easy yardage.

 

Pad Level

Regardless of where he is lined up on the field, he does a good job of keeping his hips and pad level low. When lined up in the middle of the field in zone coverage, this allows him to move laterally and make open field plays on the ball carrier. Meanwhile, when on the defensive line he is able to gain leverage on the offensive lineman because he can sink his hips and force them onto their heels.

 

Run Defense

Although Henley doesn’t have a very good run defense grade, I think it is one of the best parts of his game. His ability to accelerate downhill and bring down the ball carrier in the backfield is pretty impressive. Additionally, he is able to do the same on screen plays to the outside. When lined up in zone coverage, he does a solid job of following the ball and finding a lane to make a play. However, he also does a good job of using the arm length that I mentioned earlier to make a play past the line of scrimmage.

 

Daiyan Henley Weaknesses

 

Instincts

Personally, the biggest reason why he is only graded as a 3rd round pick is due to his lack of instincts. Prior to the snap, he needs to work on improving his ability to diagnose the offense or what his target is going to do. Additionally, he needs to improve his ability to adjust his leverage and play speed to make a play on the ball carrier. When you watch his film, you will see he plays with a lot of heart, but is not able to play to his full potential due to his lack of instincts.

 

Daiyan Henley Draft Stock

As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Henley as the 70th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. Personally, I would have to agree with this ranking. I have Henley as my 5th favorite linebacker prospect in the draft. This rank is good enough to earn him a 3rd round grade.

 

Final Thoughts on Daiyan Henley Scouting Report

Daiyan Henley is one of the most interesting linebacker prospects in the draft. He plays with a very high motor and is good at bringing down players in open field. Henley is also good at using his length to make plays in congested areas and in the backfield. But in order for him to reach his full potential, he needs to work on improving his instincts to diagnose offenses and not overcommit when chasing ball carriers.

 

Daiyan Henley Player Comparison

Chad Muma

Daiyan Henley Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis