Draft Season At Vikings Territory: OLB Kyler Fackrell Scouting Report
Brett Anderson
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[This Kyler Fackrell Scouting Report, with a Vikings slant, has been provided to Vikings Territory by Draft Season. Be sure to check back for more and also be sure to visit Draft Season to quench your NFL Draft thirst. All previously published scouting reports can be found by clicking here.]
Kyler Fackrell | OLB, Utah St.
Measurements
Height – 6’5″
Weight – 245 lbs.
Age – 24
At First Glance
All-Mountain West 1st Team
Current Draft Projection
2nd – 3rd Round
Pros
Great size. His 6’5 frame really sticks out on tape and he’s got some gangly arms to go with that.
Smart player who can diagnose plays in a hurry and then fly to the football.
High character guy who is married and has a young child.
Strong run defender. Sets the edge well and rarely lets ball carriers get to the outside.
Powerful. Can use brute strength to push through would be blockers.
Good bend when pass rushing. For a guy Fackrell’s size it’s important to get low when blitzing from the outside, and he does this well.
Very productive college career. 253 Tackles, 36 Tackles for a Loss, 13 Sacks, 1 Interception, 5 Forced Fumbles. Impressive considering he missed all of the 2014 season.
Cons
Tore his ACL and missed the 2014 season. So medical check will be important at the Combine.
Doesn’t have elite speed. Fackrell is a long strider who can cover a lot of ground, but he doesn’t possess great speed.
Occasionally will fall for misdirection plays, as he over pursues inside.
Needs to get off blocks better. Fackrell can sometimes get swallowed up by linemen and will need to add a few moves to his pass rushing arsenal.
Bit of a ‘tweener. Teams are trying to figure out if he fits best in a 3-4 front or as a traditional 4-3 outside linebacker.
Only 1 career interception. For a guy Fackrell’s size, you would think he’d have picked off more than one pass in his career at Utah St.
NFL Player Comparison
Manny Lawson, Buffalo Bills
The Vikings Slant
Vikings fit? It depends.
The Vikings definitely have a need at outside linebacker with Chad Greenway approaching the end of his career. How immediate that need is remains unclear at this point. The Vikings could bring Greenway back on a one year deal, pushing that need back a bit. If Greenway isn’t brought back, that’ll push this need to the forefront, causing the Vikings to consider using a high draft choice at the position. Fackrell himself is a factor in determining his fit in Minnesota. He’s seen by many as an edge rusher in a 3-4 front so it’s unclear how he would do as a traditional linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. However, he’s been working at both positions at the Senior Bowl in an attempt to showcase his versatility. The Vikings were successful transitioning Anthony Barr into a 4-3 backer and will need to thoroughly vet Fackrell to see if they can make a similar transition. If they believe he can be a productive linebacker in Mike Zimmer’s defense, they could look at adding Fackrell with their second round choice assuming he’s still on the board.
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