Pittsburgh Steelers Film Room: Linebacker Darius Leonard

The Positive Traits

Darius Leonard being from a smaller school means he has to work harder to impress scouts and general managers. He doesn’t get the luxury of being well-known among the scouting community and national media.

One reason the Steelers liked Javon Hargrave two years ago was his dominance of his competition. As a small school guy you have to show you are the best player on the entire field every time out.

Leonard did enough of that to show he can compete in the NFL. This shows in his 2017 statistics where he racked up 112 total tackles, 12 for a loss, 8.5 sacks and two interceptions.

He has the quick twitch ability to change direction and attack the ball carrier. Of the linebackers I have already covered, Leonard possesses the best ability to change direction with ease.

Leonard’s speed and size combo is much like Malik Jefferson’s. He is not as strong as Jefferson but he showed in the UCF tape that he can tackle higher level competition.

His ability to close distances is his strongest asset. Once he makes the decision to go, he gets there in a hurry.

He shows great ability to apply pressure to the QB as well as be used as a spy. When the QB decides to run, he can break from his coverage and close quickly for the sack or minimal gain.

His coverage is acceptable of an inside linebacker. He has enough speed and size to stick with most running backs or tight ends.