Henry To’oTo’o NFL Draft Profile and Scouting Report
Henry To’oTo’o Scouting Report: Alabama MIKE #10
Measurements
Henry To’oTo’o 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.50 (estimate)
6’2” / 228 lbs.
Henry To’oTo’o Draft Profile
Henry To’oTo’o is a former 4-star recruit from De La Salle High School in Concord, California. According to his 247sports recruiting profile, he was the 8th-best player in the state of California. He was also the 4th-best outside linebacker in the nation. While in high school, he played running back where he was pretty solid. According to MaxPreps, he played 2 seasons as a running back where he racked up 976 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Although he was a solid back, he was recruited as a linebacker. He received 19 total offers, most of which were from power five programs. After visiting Washington, Utah, Tennessee, and Alabama he decided to play for the Volunteers.
Upon arrival at Tennessee, he got to play lots of snaps as a true freshman. According to ESPN, in 2019 he racked up 72 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 pass deflections. In his 2nd season at Tennessee, he had 76 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pick-six, and 2 pass deflections. After these two productive seasons at Tennessee, he decided to transfer to Alabama and finish his career at Alabama.
In his first season at Alabama, he racked up 100 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass deflection. After these three incredible seasons, many believed that he would enter the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he decided to come back for one more season in hopes of raising his draft stock. This season, he had 94 tackles 45 of which were solo, and 2.5 sacks.
Strengths
Zone
Henry To’oTo’o is at his best when he is in zone coverage in the middle of the field. He has good foot speed that allows him to quickly work toward his zone after the snap. When sitting in his zone, he shows incredible awareness to know where all offensive players around him are at. He also shows off his awareness by keeping his eye on the ball throughout the play. This allows him to read the QB’s eyes and get a good jump on the ball. When tight ends enter his zone, he does a good job of disrupting the pass given his below-average size.
Run Defense
When lined up in the box, To’oTo’o does a good job of stopping the run shortly past the line of scrimmage. This is due to him having good field vision which allows him to clog inside lanes as well as quickly get to the outside. When lined up on the line of scrimmage, he does a good job of taking on blocks. Although this often takes him out of plays, he is opening up a lane for a teammate to make a play.
Instincts
As I have mentioned several times already, Henry To’To’o has very good vision and awareness. Prior to the snap, he does a good job of diagnosing the offense and communicating with his team what he sees. After the ball is snapped, he can quickly react to the offensive play and make a stop. To’oTo’o also has good instincts when covering a tight end in zone coverage. When the tight end is stemming his route, To’oTo’o does a good job of backpedaling quickly. Then at the top of the stem, he can mirror the TE’s movements and stay with them throughout their route.
Weaknesses
Size
The biggest concern that I have surrounding To’oTo’o’s game is his below-average size and strength. Although he is about the average height for an NFL linebacker, he is about 25 lbs. underweight. This hinders his ability to win blocks against offensive linemen and bigger tight ends. When he can’t win blocks, he is often taken out of plays, and given the impact he has on a defense, can be very detrimental. In order for this to no longer be a concern, I would like for him to put on at least 12 lbs. This would put him at 240 lbs. which would still be undersized but would allow him to keep his speed.
Pass Rush
As I just mentioned, Henry To’oTo’o is small compared to other NFL linebacker prospects. This is the main reason why he is below average when rushing the passer. He often tries to penetrate the A and B gaps. Given his lack of size, he doesn’t possess the strength to force an opposing lineman to drop the anchor. This often leads to him being absorbed to the middle of the lineman’s body and neutralized for the entirety of the play.
Henry To’oTo’o Draft Stock
Henry To’oTo’o is my second favorite inside linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft class behind Trenton Simpson. Although To’oTo’o is better in coverage than Simpson, he is not as versatile. This leads me to believe that he will not be a first-round pick. On draft day, the lowest I see him falling to is the end of the 2nd round.
Final Thoughts On Henry To’oTo’o Scouting Report
Henry To’oTo’o is one of the best coverage defenders in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has a high football IQ which allows him to read the offense before and after the snap. Once the ball is snapped, he does a good job of keeping his eye on the ball when in coverage. This allows him to read the QB and get a good jump on the ball when it is thrown. He is also very impressive against the run. Since he is primarily lined up in the box, he does a good job of stopping the run shortly past the line. Although this doesn’t take away yards from the offense, it minimizes the potential gain.
Henry To’oTo’o Player Comparison
Henry To’oTo’o reminds me a lot of two players. The first player being former Notre Dame inside linebacker Manti Te’o. Both of these players do a good job of communicating with their team when on the field. They are also good at taking on blocks to allow their teammates to make a play. The other player he reminds me of is someone who fell very far in the 2022 NFL Draft and that player is Nakobe Dean. Although he hasn’t gotten much time on the field as a rookie, we believe he may be the most valuable pick in the draft for how far he fell.
Henry To’oTo’o Scouting Report- Matthew Lewis
