Daiyan Henley ILB Washington State: Scouting Report

Height: 6’1

Weight: 225

Overall

Daiyan Henley is an athletic off-ball linebacker in Washington State’s 4-3 defense. Henley began his career at the University of Nevada where he played wide receiver before transitioning to the defensive side of the ball after two seasons. In his 5 seasons at Nevada, he played in 49 games, starting 21 of them. He then transferred to Washington State University this past season where he played in, and started, all 12 games. He is a very good athlete at the linebacker position and had a lot of production for the Cougars in 2022.

Pass Game

Henley was used often in coverage on film and showed the speed and quickness to cover a lot of ground and make quick breaks on the ball in zone coverage. He was not often used in man coverage but he has the physical tools to match up well with running backs out of the backfield and even some undersized tight ends. As a pass rusher, he is explosive through the line of scrimmage and is elusive in getting around blocks and finding a path to the quarterback. With his speed and experience and ball skills from his time playing wide receiver, he can develop into a very good coverage linebacker.

Run Game

Against the run, Henley shows flashes of quickly accelerating to the ball-carrier and making big plays all over the field but shows a lot of inconsistencies on film. At times, he shows poor vision in finding the ball-carrier resulting in him getting out of his gap and opening up big running lanes. He does not show very good instincts on film and he uses his athleticism to make up for a lot of his mental mistakes. As a tackler he needs to be more consistent in wrapping up when moving laterally. When he gets moving downhill to chase the running back he is a very good tackler but when his feet are planted and he is forced to take on runners head on, he struggles bringing them down consistently. He also has a lot of struggles getting off blocks when linemen get to him at the 2nd level.

Last Word

Henley projects best as an off-ball linebacker who is used primarily in coverage and blitzing the quarterback. He plays his best when he is constantly in motion and he should excel against the pass in the NFL. HIs lack of size and strength will make it difficult for him to have a consistent impact in stopping the run but if he continues growing mentally and uses his athleticism more precisely he can develop into a sufficient 3-down linebacker. If he does not develop as a linebacker though he has the physical makeup to be an elite special teams player early in his career.

One-Liner: Daiyan Henley is an athletic off-ball linebacker who has the physical tools to excel against the pass but his inconsistencies in the run game will limit his value.

Grade: 6.6 (Lower End Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2022 - Oregon, USC

Team Fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots