Genard Avery, ILB, Memphis: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Genard Avery is among the more intriguing defensive prospects in the 2018 NFL draft. Does his scouting report reflect a future starter?

Position:  ILB

School:  Memphis

Year:  Senior

Height:  6’1″

Weight:  255 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Despite being on the heavier side for an inside linebacker he shows decent fluidity and quickness in space, offer help in zone coverage.
• Not blazing fast but can move. He has a sideline-to-sideline range and has chased down a few ball carriers from behind.
• Shows an ability to navigate through the mess around the line of scrimmage and find his way to the football.
• Has certain pass rush qualities that are worth exploring. When moved to the edge he shows surprisingly good burst and snap anticipation.
• Strong tackler. He’s not one of those guys looking to just lower his shoulder and hit. He uses good technique to wrap up and get his guy on the ground.
• Shows a good motor in his playing style. Not one to give up on plays even when they aren’t near him. He chases the football all over the field.

Everything about this play exemplifies Avery. He does a good job making a quick read and flowing to the ball. He uses strong, violent hands to keep the blocker at bay. Then he keeps going. He maintains the chase down the field, showing his motor to not give up on the play and finally proper tackling technique to get the ball carrier on the ground.

• A quick decision-maker. There isn’t much hesitation in his action. He reads and reacts in the space of a second, getting downhill to stop the run or dropping into a coverage assignment.
• Violent hands. Does a great job of getting the initial punch on blockers both in rushing situations and when trying to shed blocks to make a tackle.

WEAKNESSES:

• While he has pass rush qualities, he does not have a typical pass rusher body. He’s only 6’1″ with 31-inch arms. That puts him at an immediate disadvantage against NFL tackles.
• These problems also show up in run defense situations. Bigger offensive linemen can swallow him up if they get to the second level before he can react.
• Lacks sufficient power in his lower body to provide the necessary force in a bull rush, limiting the number of ways he can rush the quarterback.
• Though he has enough athleticism to play in coverage, he doesn’t always show the awareness. He tends to get lost a bit at times, leaving gaps for QBs to attack.
• Has shown he can be baited at times by misdirection plays, particularly the read-option types. Doesn’t put the squeeze on enough, leading to big running lanes.

Pro Comparison:  James Harrison

Okay, this one is a bit difficult but hear me out. Harrison came to the NFL with everybody questioning his size. He was way too short to be an effective pass rusher. Eventually, he got his shot in Pittsburgh and became a star. Now Avery doesn’t have the ridiculous power Harrison did but he’s got similar qualities from the violent hands to the quickness, burst, and natural leverage to get under tackles. He’s also got the ability to drop into coverage.

Projection:  4th Round

Avery has a number of qualities that teams will like. He’s big enough to play inside linebacker in the NFL but athletic enough to play outside. His surprising prowess as an edge rusher adds to his value as well. That said he’s coming from Memphis, not exactly a hotbed of defensive NFL talent. He feels like a perfect 4th round option who can be developed into a long-term starter if he finds the right system.