LSU’s Duke Riley is a solid linebacker prospect who could hear his name called in the middle of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Duke Riley enjoyed a highly productive college career where he did everything from rush the passer, support the run and collect interceptions. He was a bit overshadowed by the other elite level talents on LSU’s roster, but he’s a solid player in his own right.
Riley features average to slightly below average size for the linebacker position. However, he plays tough and doesn’t shy away from contact.
He’s a solid athlete who plays with a ton of balance. This balance helps him quickly break on the ball and hold up in coverage. His coverage ability is the strong point of his game. Riley shows excellent awareness and ability to feel developing routes.
His coverage skills are helped by the fact he is committed to keeping his head on a swivel. Riley isn’t an elite athlete, but has enough quickness to mirror running backs out of the backfield. This ability to cover running backs is also connected to his natural instincts.
In the run game, Riley excels at making quick reads and shooting the gap. He has racked up a lot of tackles for loss throughout the course of his career. However, there are areas of his ability to support the run that needs work.
Riley has a tendency to get caught up in traffic too often. This is an issue because he doesn’t have the speed to reach the sideline if slowed by traffic. He isn’t the type of linebacker who takes on blockers in the hole or delivers a strong punch.
His success depends on getting a good read and attacking downhill. Riley will also miss some tackles and give up yards after contact. He needs to deliver more of a pop when reaching the ball carrier.
Overall, Riley has tools to be a solid contributor at the next level. He is someone that would benefit from a defensive line that occupies blockers. However, his ability to hold up in coverage will help teams overlook some shortcomings as a run stuffer.
Draft Range: 4th Round