Will Boler Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

Will Boler Scouting Report: University of Alabama-Birmingham, Safety, #21

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

5’11 3/8″ / 207 lbs.

Hand Size – 9 3/8″

Arm Length – 31 3/4″

Wingspan – 77 1/2″

 

Will Boler Pro Day Results

40 Time – 4.69

20-Yard Split – 2.67

10-Yard Split – 1.71

Vertical Jump – 36 1/2″

Broad Jump – 10’4″

20-Yard Shuttle – 4.59

3 Cone – 7.40

Bench Press – 9 Reps

 

Will Boler Draft Profile

Boler is a former 2-star recruit out of Opelika High School in Opelika, Alabama. 247sports had Boler ranked as the 119th-best prospect in the state of Alabama. Additionally, he was ranked as the 238th-best safety in the 2017 recruiting class. While achieving this status, Boler received offers from seven Division I programs. Some of these programs included South Alabama, Memphis, Georgia State, and UAB. After considering all of the offers for a while, Boler committed to the Blazers before his senior season.

According to UAB’s athletics website, Boler did not see the field until 2018 because he redshirted as a freshman. Then, as a redshirt freshman, he played in 14 games where he primarily lined up on special teams. However, he did rack up 5 tackles and 1 PBU. In his next season, he started all 14 games of the season at free safety. In those games, he racked up 58 tackles, 9 PBUs, and 2 INT. This was good enough to earn him All-Conference USA Honorable Mention status. Then, in his 2020 season, he started 6 out of 8 games that he played in. By the end of the season, he tallied 35 tackles and one forced fumble.

Given that the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19 restrictions, he was able to play for another two seasons. In his second redshirt junior season, he racked up 63 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. In his final season at UAB, he racked up 40 tackles, 3 PBUs, and a forced fumble.

Will Boler Strengths

Zone Coverage

Will Boler is very comfortable playing zone coverage all over the field. I am most impressed with his ability to cover deep down the field in cover 1 and cover 2 schemes. When dropping back into coverage, he does a good job of keeping his eye on the QB. This allows him to get a good jump on the ball when it is released. Although his 40 time may suggest different, Boler plays with high play speed which allows him to quickly close out on his target. I am also impressed with his ability to make plays in open space.

When watching his film, I noticed that UAB plays a lot of cover 1 and cover 2 man, which often puts Boler deep down the field on an island. If the ball carrier shakes his man, Boler does a good job of closing out on them and making a tackle in open field. He is able to bring down these ball carriers because of his long arms.

Instincts

Boler is a very experienced player and is very good at diagnosing the offense prior to the snap. After diagnosing the opposition, he turns to all of his teammates to communicate what he sees. This allows UAB’s defense to gain leverage directly off the snap and disrupt the play. Additionally, as I briefly mentioned before, he is very instinctual when in coverage. His ability to read the QB allows him to anticipate throws and get a solid jump on the target’s route.

Size

Although Boler is below 6’0″ tall, he has an ideal frame for an NFL-caliber safety. He stands at 5’11” with a 77 1/2″ wing span that allows him to make plays all over the field. Additionally, he weighs 207 lbs. which helps him to deliver powerful hits and bring down bigger receivers. If needed, he can also use his size if you need him to play man coverage against tight ends.

Leadership

Boler is a 6th-year player for the UAB Blazers and when you watch him play, he uses that experience to help out his underclassman teammates. In his several seasons playing for the Blazers, he developed his ability to read the offense and adjust his leverage. As I mentioned earlier, he also communicates with his teammates so they can watch out for what he diagnosed. Additionally, when one of his teammates make a play, there is no one on the field that is more excited than him. I noticed when watching his film, he was often one of the first people to celebrate with them.

Will Boler Weaknesses

Ball Skills

The biggest concern that I have about Boler’s game is his lack of ball skills. In his 6 year career at UAB, he only recorded 2 interceptions, both of which were during his 2019 season. Although he is good in zone coverage, he needs to improve at positioning his body where it needs to be to make a play on the ball. When the ball does come his way, he will often settle for breaking up the pass rather than attempting to intercept it.

Man Coverage

After watching countless hours of film on Boler, I rarely saw him lined up in man coverage. When he did, it was on screen plays where his man was the intended target. But when he was lined up in the slot, he did show glimpses of being able to mirror his target out of soft coverage. If he can work on developing this skill, he may be able to be more than a one trick pony in the NFL. That one trick being his ability to play deep zone coverage.

Will Boler Draft Stock

With what I have seen from his film, I was impressed with what he brings to the table. His comfortability in deep zone coverage will be very useful for whatever team he ends up on. Additionally, he has the athleticism needed to be on an island down the field and be able to make a play. He also seems to be a leader for the Blazers defense and is comfortable being the guy his teammates can rely on. Overall, given he is a slightly older prospect and a little raw, I think that Boler will go towards the backend of the 7th or even be a priority undrafted free agent.

Final Thoughts on Will Boler Scouting Report

Prior to this season, I was unaware of Will Boler as a prospect. After watching his film, I am not sure how he flew under my radar. He is talented in deep zone coverage and is completely fine if you leave him on an island. When in coverage, he shows incredible vision and instincts that allow him to diagnose the offense. After doing so, he makes it a priority to communicate with his team and tell them what he sees. Boler is also impressive at making tackles in open field due to his above-average wingspan for someone of his frame. But, if he wants to consistently see the field in the NFL, he should work on his ball skills. Before he is able to do so, he will likely be a regular on special teams.

Will Boler Player Comparison

While watching his film, he kept showing me glimpses of what Marcus Maye looked like at Florida. I should note that Maye was a way more polished prospect when he left Florida. However, they do have very similar play styles.

 

Will Boler Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis