2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Devonte Fields, OLB, Louisville

Devonte Fields, a 2012 four-star recruit, began his college career at TCU where he started all 13 games as a freshman and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He recorded 53 tackles, 18.5 for a loss and 10 sacks during that freshman campaign.

In 2013, he was awarded a medical redshirt after a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules and a foot injury limited him to just one start and three games total. The following season, Fields was dismissed from the program after he was charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

After the NCAA denied his request to play football at Stephen F. Austin, Fields would spend the 2014 season at Trinity Valley Community College. There, he amassed 6.5 sacks in 12 games before transferring to Louisville in 2015.

In his first season with the Cardinals, he started all 13 games and totaled 64 tackles, a team high 11 sacks (8.5 of which occurred in the season’s final four games) and 22.5 tackles for a loss. He led the FBS in tackles for a loss per game. After the 2015 season, he underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered during the season.

Fields was named to the 2016 All-ACC Preseason Team and is projected to start at outside linebacker in Louisville’s 3-4 defense. He possesses adequate size on a lanky frame with very good athletic ability.

Measureables

Height: 6’3″ 1/4

Weight: 245 pounds

Games Watched

2015 with Louisville: Florida State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Wake Forest

2014 with TCU: Michigan State

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Strengths

Devonte Fields displays very good short area quickness as he bursts off the line of scrimmage at the snap and is consistently the first defender in the backfield. He’s able to get his shoulder under and past the offensive lineman’s shoulder and utilizes impressive balance and flexibility to gain an advantage around the edge.

He displays that athletic ability in the play below as he makes an outside move and lowers his shoulder to beat Florida State’s Roderick Johnson; one of the top left tackles in college football. Johnson only allowed one sack in 2015, but this play nearly resulted in a second. Fields is unable to finish off the sack, however he disrupts the play and forces the quarterback to throw the ball away.

The end result of that play is atypical as Fields usually demonstrates a solid closing burst and the play speed to execute and finish plays. When he’s unable to get to the QB, he shows off his football intelligence by getting his hands up in the passing lanes to break up the play.

In the run game, Fields diagnoses the play quickly and displays good patience before making his move as a result of solid mental processing skills. In the following play, rather than just take off after the passer, he allows the play to develop and forces the QB into a no-win situation on the read option. This time he finishes the play and brings down the running back in the backfield for a loss.

Fields is a solid finisher who tackles with force and has the awareness to go for the strip. He’s forced six fumbles in 41 career games. He’s also one of the more versatile defenders on the Louisville roster as he’ll lineup at both defensive end positions as well as outside linebacker.

Weaknesses

Devonte Fields relies so heavily on his speed around the edge that he possesses a very limited repertoire of moves. His adequate play strength limits his ability to convert speed to power. As a result, he’s unable to drive through an offensive lineman or force them off balance. This also allows offensive linemen to easily turn him away from the play or drive him well off the line of scrimmage.

Relying on a speed rush makes him a one-dimensional pass rusher, however a lack of power also hampers his ability to stop the run. In the play below, Fields tries to go around the edge, but the left tackle is able to get his hands inside of Fields and turn him away from the play to create a big running lane.

In coverage, Fields displays marginal awareness as he struggles to locate receivers in his zone. When playing man coverage, he does a poor job mirroring routes and allows the receiver too much space to catch and run with the ball. In this play against Florida State, he’s matched up against RB Dalvin Cook and is unable to prevent Cook from getting around the edge for a big gain.

Versus the run, Fields demonstrates adequate lateral quickness down the line of scrimmage, which limits the amount of space he can cover. He also displays an inconsistent motor and will give up on plays too easily as a result of adequate competitive toughness.

Overall

Overall, Devonte Fields is a pass-rush specialist at outside linebacker who wins with athletic ability and speed around the edge. He’s not someone who currently possesses the coverage skills necessary to be a three-down defender. This will be the fifth season of college football for Fields, and if he stays healthy, the first in which he’ll play back-to-back full seasons for the same program. This could have a significant positive impact on his development.

While he’s been extremely successful rushing the passer in college, Fields will not be able to rely solely on his speed and flexibility around the edge in the NFL. He’ll need to improve technique and add to his repertoire of pass-rushing moves, as well as improve in coverage in order to be considered early in the 2017 NFL Draft.

His off-field issues will also have a negative impact on his stock, however another season staying out of trouble should help ease some of those concerns. Entering the 2016 season, he’s a projected second-round pick.

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