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