Denzel Perryman: NFL Draft Scouting Report, Staff Notes
By Joe Wedra
Oct 11, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, Miami Hurricanes linebacker Denzel Perryman (52) looks on prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
"Perryman is a hard-nosed and extremely physical linebacker. He is always looking for contact on every play and wants to deliver any type of hit he can. He is as tough as it gets and you can count on him giving you all he’s got. His real issue is his pass coverage ability. The NFL has changed and being a linebacker who can’t cover is a huge problem. He’s not quick at all and struggles on side-to-side movements. If you’re looking for an old-school linebacker who appreciates contact and setting a physical edge on his opponents, then Perryman is the guy for you. He is in my top-50 and is deservedly one of the top prospects in this class."
"Perryman is a bull in a china shop. What he lacks in size or athletic ability compared to other inside linebackers, he makes up for with range and the ability to absolutely shatter someone’s earth with a bone-jarring hit. As other staffers have mentioned, he’s great at playing downhill and attacks his gaps and makes plays behind the line of scrimmage. I also think Perryman can be effective playing zone coverage due to his ability to play fast laterally, but isolated in man-to-man situations, he could be exploited, especially with his size. Overall, he’s one of the best inside linebackers in this class and I think could be putting up hundreds of tackles annually."
"If the year was 1985, Denzel Perryman may very well be a top 5 pick. However, the passing game has evolved so much that linebackers must cover like safeties. He is a downhill player that reads and reacts to the play well in the hole and finishes the tackle with absolute power. His production in college was impressive as the anchor of the Miami defense. However, he was exposed in some coverage situations, particularly with the running back in man coverage. Because of his lack of sideline-to-sideline ability, he is probably not going to play on third downs early on in his career. Despite all of this, he has the uncanny ability to diagnose the play before it occurs and can make the play by shedding blocks with ease and finishing with a pop. Overall, he is a top-40 player in my opinion, and one of the top inside linebackers in the 2015 NFL Draft."