Leo Chenal 2022 NFL Draft Profile

The 2022 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Leo Chenal 2022 NFL Draft Profile.

Leo Chenal Background

Position: Linebacker

Size: 6-foot-3, 250 pounds

Class: Junior

2021 stats: 115 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Chenal was an impact player for Wisconsin over the last two seasons. Now he is trying to carry that over to the NFL.

A Wisconsin native, Chenal decided to stay in-state as a three-star prospect to play for the Badgers. He saw the field sparingly as a freshman, totaling 17 tackles. In 2020, he stepped into the starting lineup and delivered with 46 tackles and three sacks. The Badgers went 4-3 with a win in the Duke Mayo’s Bowl that season. In his junior season, he registered 115 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Wisconsin won nine games including the Las Vegas Bowl with the help of Chenal.

Following the Las Vegas Bowl, Chenal declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a second to third-round pick.

Leo Chenal Strengths

Chenal is a well-built linebacker for the NFL level. He stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 250 pounds. His frame also includes 31-inch arms, which extends his tackling range. He can also shed blocks well because of his strength and length. Chenal won’t have to add weight or muscle to his body to fit right in among the pros.

His run defense is among the best in the class for linebackers. As mentioned, he can take on and beat blocks with his length and strength. He shows decent pursuit after shedding blocks and once he approaches the ball carrier, he can finish the play with a good tackle.

He is a good blitzer who is capable of making an impact on third downs in this way. This was proven by his eight sacks in 2021. He can get through a gap and then shows good pursuit of the quarterback. Chenal can bring down the quarterback with a good tackle. His closing speed also is apparent when he blitzes.

Leo Chenal Weaknesses

While he could stay on the field because of his blitzing on third downs, his coverage is not great. Chenal struggles to keep up with premier athletes in man-to-man coverage. He has decent eyes in zone coverage, but doesn’t quite have the speed to close down on wide receivers crossing into his zone.

Chenal isn’t the greatest athlete for the linebacker position. He doesn’t have great speed or quickness. On top of that, he doesn’t show good lateral mobility or flexibility. His strength and size helps him be productive, but he won’t win often based on movement skills.

His run defense is solid, but there are times when he can misread where the ball is going. When plays are misdirections he can be fooled. Other times he can just misread the play initially and then his lack of lateral mobility makes it tough for him to recover.

Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick

 

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