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Round 4 Selection: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Western Kentucky

| April 28th, 2018

I had never heard of this linebacker (edge?) from WKU. So here’s some professional analysis from Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

Overview

Iyegbuniwe put together a very strong campaign this season, but some of those numbers don’t look translatable on the next level without a lot more work. His speed and athletic ability in coverage are big pluses in his favor. His NFL role may have to be as a backup weak-side linebacker with some cover talent who can become a top special teams worker.

Strengths
  • Rangy, athletic frame
  • Plays with good speed in pursuit
  • Shows early burst in his scrapes to play past climbing blockers
  • Actively searches to strip the football and create opportunities to flip the momentum
  • Finished 2017 with three forced fumbles
  • Very smooth in his backpedal and when driving into space
  • Has athletic ability to warrant consideration as a cover linebacker in subpackages
  • Special teams talent to cover
  • Finished career with 11 tackles on special teams
Weaknesses
  • Gets caught coasting too much when the play is developing away from him
  • Needs to keep the motor activated
  • Slow to balance eyes between blockers and ball-carrier
  • Will need to improve ability to slip blocks on the next level
  • Gets stuck on blocks when he gets squared up
  • Too accepting of his fate and needs to fight it early with a strong punch
  • Awareness in zone coverage can be improved

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