Notre Dame vs. Stanford: 5 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. LB. player. 819. Notre Dame. Asmar Bilal. 22
There may be no bigger reason to the Fighting Irish’s improved defense this season than the improved play of Asmar Bilal. Bilal is basically a safety that has been playing linebacker and has excelled in that role in 2019. In fact, he is the second-leading tackler on the team with 69 total tackles even though he has struggled to record any impact plays like sacks, interceptions, or forced fumbles. He may be a mold for the linebacker position of the future in the NFL and could be an asset in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Bilal has adequate size to stay at the hybrid linebacker/safety position in the NFL. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 229 pounds. At that size, he has excellent movement skills and speed to be an asset in man coverage while making plays sideline-to-sideline. While he is excellent in man coverage, Bilal can be slow to read and diagnose route combinations in zone coverage. He also needs to get better at shedding blocks more consistently and filling gaps in the run game.
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Previously, it was talked about how much of a matchup problem Stanford tight end Colby Parkinson can present for teams. Notre Dame has a perfect weapon to use against the big playmaker in Asmar Bilal. Expect Bilal to be the main defender the Irish use to neutralize Parkinson, especially when they are in man coverage.