Position	OLB	Height	6’2
School	West Virginia	Weight	245
Class	Senior	40 Time	4.55
Grade	2nd Round

Athleticism:

Gifted athlete with a very quick first step. Is fluid and displays natural pass-rushing ability. Shows nice flexibility and the ability to bend around the edge. Has good range and can chase down plays from the backside. Needs to get stronger as he is a bit of a tweener.

Grade: 4.0

Instincts:

Raw athlete who hasn’t played on the defensive side of the ball for long but plays smarter than you’d expect. Does a good job of keeping contain and defends the option rather well. Reads the 3 step drop and gets his hands in the air to attempt to block the passing lane. Still learning the position but is on the right path.

Grade: 2.5

Point of Attack:

Severely undersized at the point of attack and cannot be counted on to defend the run at the moment. Lacks strength to take on and shed blockers in the run game. Gets pushed around easily as he lacks the strength to anchor. Can occasionally shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield as he beats lineman with his quickness. Plays in a situational type role at West Virginia where he can do what he does best, rush the passer.

Grade: 1.0

Coverage:

Almost never asked to drop in coverage as he plays end at West Virginia. Will likely make the transition to 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL so he must work on his coverage skills. Has the athleticism to hold his own but still has to learn the techniques to succeed.

Grade: 2.0

Pass Rush:

Rushing the passer is what he does best. Has a very quick first step and a dangerous speed rush. Shows the natural ability to dip his shoulder and has good flexibility. Lacks a wide variety of moves as his bull-rush is still weak as he has to gain lower body strength. However, displays violent hands on occasion and can extend his arms and shed blocks when rushing up field. Has a nice club move and does a good job of taking advantage of lineman going out wide on him to stop his speed rush, as he quickly cuts back inside. Still has to work on disengaging when originally stood up. Has a great motor and will chase down quarterbacks all over the back-field.

Grade: 4.0

Tackling:

Solid tackler but could do a better job of wrapping up. At times will just lunge with his shoulder to bring the ball carrier down. He’ll have a tough time doing that in the NFL especially since he’s already undersized. Has to finish more often in the back-field as more elusive quarterbacks can side step him as he doesn’t routinely breakdown and make a controlled hit.

Grade: 2.5

Intangibles:

Had a rough childhood where he was essentially making a living on the streets and was just another hood rat. Decided to turn his life around and got his GED. Walked on to a junior college where he excelled as a pass-rusher. Went to West Virginia and has become a tremendous pass-rusher and fan favorite. Has worked hard to get where he is now and seems very determined and motivated. Desire can be seen as he is relentless when rushing the passer. Has to stay out of trouble though or people will be quick to turn against him. Right now is limited as a player. Best projects to 3-4 OLB but has never played the position and coverage is still very foreign to him. At the same time would only be a situational pass-rusher in a 4-3. Whatever the case he’ll need some time to develop before he can make an impact consistently in the NFL.

Grade: 3.0

Outlook:

Irvin is a bit of a project. He has drawn some comparisons to Von Miller but Miller was a better athlete and much more polished. It’s why he’s having a tremendous rookie year in the NFL. Right now, Irvin is strictly a situational pass-rusher. I think he’s best suited in the 3-4 but he doesn’t rush from a 2-point stance often and he’d have to learn the linebacker position. He’ll likely be a situational guy for his first few years in the NFL but he has a lot of potential and pass-rushers like him are at a premium. Being on a team with great veteran leadership wouldn’t hurt as it will help him progress not only as a football player, but as a person.