Overview

Position: LB

College: Washington State

Class: Senior (RS)

Age: 23

Measurables

Height: 6’0 7/8”

Weight: 225 lbs.

Arm length: 33”

Hand size: 9 1/2″

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.54 sec.

10-yard split: 1.55 sec.

Vertical jump: 35.0”

Broad jump: 125.0”

Bench press: N/A

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: N/A

Strengths

Long arms at his size. Exceptional speed. Keeps a wide and athletic base. Extremely fluid in coverage. Smooth in zone drops. Has the athleticism and cover talent to stick with tight ends on downfield routes. Length can be disruptive in coverage. Lined up on wide receivers in the slot. Has played man coverage versus running backs outside the numbers. Very aggressive wrapping up to tackle. Strong hands when he grabs a ball-carrier. Excellent as a backside run defender. Knows how to dip around blockers. Shows some physicality taking on blocks. Takes excellent pursuit angles to the sideline. Tremendous ability to split blockers in space. Hustles when away from the ball. Experience in overhang linebacker/slot position. Held up when matched against Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid in coverage (2022). Former high school quarterback. Still growing as a linebacker after starting his career as a wide receiver at Nevada.

Weaknesses

Play recognition and instincts are a work in progress. Run fits are inconsistent. Will overrun defending off-tackle runs. Needs to come downhill with better control. Can be slow to react. Struggles to disengage from offensive linemen. Did not play very well versus Oregon (2022)

NFL comparison

Matt Milano

Conclusion

Overall, Henley is a potential high-end cover linebacker that is still developing his run defense between the tackles. Despite often playing in the middle at Washington State, his best fit will be as an outside linebacker that can line up in space.

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: LB Daiyan Henley