dentfan
No gods! No Masters!
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Soon, I will be putting a new Mock draft up, but I want to take care of this animal in a post all of his own. I just want you guys to understand why Leo Chenal, out of Linebacker U Wisconsin, is NECESSARY with our 3rd round pick.
Leo Chenal is 6’3” and plays at 260 lbs.! He is a Defensive super-weapon! Yes, he is a MLB who excels at pass rushing and stopping the run. The knock on him is that he’s not able to cover very well, but he can cover within the confines of a zone and, more importantly, is able to run with TEs and RBs for the duration of the zone. So, this is perfect for a 1 or 2 high zone where a DB can be bled into his zone to account for his blitz or to provide backside support.
Now, I’ve seen several pundits I usually like, Robert S. and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., saying that we should not draft a Linebacker in this draft. I disagree. I think we are moving to a 4-3 and need a guy that plays the game with extreme violence and ends plays.
Having two high motor Linebackers that excel at stopping running backs, Roquan being one of the best in the league at it, will force teams to be one dimensional.
A big thank you to Robert S. and Windy City Gridiron for providing this video. I’ll try to pull some screen shots and break it down.
This is a key screenshot. It shows the tendencies that Flus’ D has: 1st down blitz with a 1 high (my guess is that there is a fill to the zone where the blitz comes from), 2nd down is a 2 high, and they love to play big blitz on 3rd down.
Now, the big criticism I’m seeing right off the bat was how terrible Indy’s D was in terms of actually sacking the QB. We have Quinn and Mack. We need somebody to slam the middle of the O line; usually, this is a DT like Hicks, but let’s think about what a 6’3” 260 lb. Defensive weapon can do. This savage hates fucking QBs. He eats them. He’s underrated.
My dude Jacob Infante actually tweet that we should draft Muma! Are you fucking kidding me? He can’t handle any, and I mean any, contact. He needs a clean line to finish and is cover guy who didn't do a good job covering. News flash y’all, this D doesn’t need the MLB to run sideline to sideline; that’s the Lovie adaptation to the fucking cannibalistic unicorn that was Urlacher.
We need a dude that will cover a TE coming across his face within the confines of his zone. In this D, the space eating sideline to sideline guy is the Will, who will most likely happen to be Roquan.
Bringing Chenal in on a blitz means that the O has to account for him with a lineman. He can’t be blocked with a TE or a back. Now, with Mack on one side, Quinn on the other, and a penetrating DT hitting a gap, who is left to protect against the rampaging Chenal. With his size, he can actually fill into the gap with three DLinemen, thus allowing for a nickel to come in and still be in a 3 LB set!
Chenal’s weight-room prowess has been the stuff of legends since high school. In May 2020, entering his sophomore season, he bench pressed 225 pounds an astounding 40 times. He maxed out this offseason on the bench press at 420 pounds and hang-cleaned 385t No. 22 on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List.
Pass Rush Skills (9/10)
During the 2021 season, Chenal came into his own in this regard with an eight-sack season, including 3.5 against Purdue. Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard used Chenal in many different ways throughout the season, which included the linebacker being sent on a delayed blitz through the A gap on multiple occasions. He is quick in short areas, and if he sees a glimpse of the quarterback, he’ll take off like a missile on the way to a sack. Chenal could’ve had more on the year, but he was just a few steps short on multiple occasions.
Versatility (4.5/5)
Thankfully, the report ends on a high note. It looks as though Chenal could play SAM or WILL linebacker at the next level or one of the two inside linebacker spots in an odd-front defense. A defensive scheme that puts him at many different spots will fit him best. Chenal was lined up at the second level, in the A gap to drop into coverage, and also blitzed from his linebacker spot, off the edge, and from the A gap.
2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Leo Chenal - Prime Time Sports Talk
Motor/Effort: One of the best motors I’ve seen this cycle. Impressive pursuit effort at all three levels of the field, and he almost never comes of the field for a break.
Tackling: Exceptional tackler with good form and hit power. He can bring down bigger ball carriers with ease. He also showed he could bring down shiftier ball carriers in space while making tackles outside of his frame. I think he missed just one tackle in the three 2021 games I watched.
Block Shedding: Super impressed with how Chenal uses his hands and length to shed blocks. His hands hit like bricks, and he’s got the swim shed move down pat. He can also push-pull blockers to the dirt with ease.
Blitzing/ Pass Rush: Chenal is an impressive pass rusher, who should get looks as a frequent blitzer at the NFL level. He excels as a “mug linebacker” tasked with blitzing the A-gap. He’s got great hand usage to beat offensive linemen like two-handed swipes, swim, and rip moves. He’s an impressive tackler when he gets home too.
Run Defense: Chenal is a between the tackles bruiser, who is a proficient and violent run defender. He’s great at reading run keys, exploding downhill, and working his way through the weeds to make tackles. He’s an impressive gap shooter thanks to his above-average downhill burst.
Toughness/ Power POA Chenal is one of the hardest hitting and toughest linebackers this class has to offer. He’s consistently asked to fill gaps almost like a defensive tackle, and he proved he could do the job no problem. He hits hard at all levels of the defense and will seek contact with pulling linemen
Summary: Chenal is a uber physical and surprisingly athletic inside linebacker, who improved greatly from 2020 to 2021. He makes an impact as a pass rusher with legitimate pass rush moves. He’s a smart player who keys on the run quickly and combines that with good downhill speed to get into the backfield for impact plays.
Leo Chenal, Wisconsin — BLUE CHIP SCOUTING
Now, if we draft Leo, we will probably be able to sign his brother as an UDFA. In case you don’t know, his brother is a 250 lb. FB that also played LB! He could be a great addition to our ST and possibly be our FB of the future. We all know how much the Bears love nepotism with the Mack brothers.
So, I’ll leave you guys with this video. It’s by a Lions fan, so everywhere he says the Lions, just think Da Bears.
Leo Chenal is 6’3” and plays at 260 lbs.! He is a Defensive super-weapon! Yes, he is a MLB who excels at pass rushing and stopping the run. The knock on him is that he’s not able to cover very well, but he can cover within the confines of a zone and, more importantly, is able to run with TEs and RBs for the duration of the zone. So, this is perfect for a 1 or 2 high zone where a DB can be bled into his zone to account for his blitz or to provide backside support.
Now, I’ve seen several pundits I usually like, Robert S. and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., saying that we should not draft a Linebacker in this draft. I disagree. I think we are moving to a 4-3 and need a guy that plays the game with extreme violence and ends plays.
Having two high motor Linebackers that excel at stopping running backs, Roquan being one of the best in the league at it, will force teams to be one dimensional.
This is a key screenshot. It shows the tendencies that Flus’ D has: 1st down blitz with a 1 high (my guess is that there is a fill to the zone where the blitz comes from), 2nd down is a 2 high, and they love to play big blitz on 3rd down.
Now, the big criticism I’m seeing right off the bat was how terrible Indy’s D was in terms of actually sacking the QB. We have Quinn and Mack. We need somebody to slam the middle of the O line; usually, this is a DT like Hicks, but let’s think about what a 6’3” 260 lb. Defensive weapon can do. This savage hates fucking QBs. He eats them. He’s underrated.
My dude Jacob Infante actually tweet that we should draft Muma! Are you fucking kidding me? He can’t handle any, and I mean any, contact. He needs a clean line to finish and is cover guy who didn't do a good job covering. News flash y’all, this D doesn’t need the MLB to run sideline to sideline; that’s the Lovie adaptation to the fucking cannibalistic unicorn that was Urlacher.
We need a dude that will cover a TE coming across his face within the confines of his zone. In this D, the space eating sideline to sideline guy is the Will, who will most likely happen to be Roquan.
Bringing Chenal in on a blitz means that the O has to account for him with a lineman. He can’t be blocked with a TE or a back. Now, with Mack on one side, Quinn on the other, and a penetrating DT hitting a gap, who is left to protect against the rampaging Chenal. With his size, he can actually fill into the gap with three DLinemen, thus allowing for a nickel to come in and still be in a 3 LB set!
Chenal’s weight-room prowess has been the stuff of legends since high school. In May 2020, entering his sophomore season, he bench pressed 225 pounds an astounding 40 times. He maxed out this offseason on the bench press at 420 pounds and hang-cleaned 385t No. 22 on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List.
Pass Rush Skills (9/10)
During the 2021 season, Chenal came into his own in this regard with an eight-sack season, including 3.5 against Purdue. Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard used Chenal in many different ways throughout the season, which included the linebacker being sent on a delayed blitz through the A gap on multiple occasions. He is quick in short areas, and if he sees a glimpse of the quarterback, he’ll take off like a missile on the way to a sack. Chenal could’ve had more on the year, but he was just a few steps short on multiple occasions.
Versatility (4.5/5)
Thankfully, the report ends on a high note. It looks as though Chenal could play SAM or WILL linebacker at the next level or one of the two inside linebacker spots in an odd-front defense. A defensive scheme that puts him at many different spots will fit him best. Chenal was lined up at the second level, in the A gap to drop into coverage, and also blitzed from his linebacker spot, off the edge, and from the A gap.
2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Leo Chenal - Prime Time Sports Talk
Motor/Effort: One of the best motors I’ve seen this cycle. Impressive pursuit effort at all three levels of the field, and he almost never comes of the field for a break.
Tackling: Exceptional tackler with good form and hit power. He can bring down bigger ball carriers with ease. He also showed he could bring down shiftier ball carriers in space while making tackles outside of his frame. I think he missed just one tackle in the three 2021 games I watched.
Block Shedding: Super impressed with how Chenal uses his hands and length to shed blocks. His hands hit like bricks, and he’s got the swim shed move down pat. He can also push-pull blockers to the dirt with ease.
Blitzing/ Pass Rush: Chenal is an impressive pass rusher, who should get looks as a frequent blitzer at the NFL level. He excels as a “mug linebacker” tasked with blitzing the A-gap. He’s got great hand usage to beat offensive linemen like two-handed swipes, swim, and rip moves. He’s an impressive tackler when he gets home too.
Run Defense: Chenal is a between the tackles bruiser, who is a proficient and violent run defender. He’s great at reading run keys, exploding downhill, and working his way through the weeds to make tackles. He’s an impressive gap shooter thanks to his above-average downhill burst.
Toughness/ Power POA Chenal is one of the hardest hitting and toughest linebackers this class has to offer. He’s consistently asked to fill gaps almost like a defensive tackle, and he proved he could do the job no problem. He hits hard at all levels of the defense and will seek contact with pulling linemen
Summary: Chenal is a uber physical and surprisingly athletic inside linebacker, who improved greatly from 2020 to 2021. He makes an impact as a pass rusher with legitimate pass rush moves. He’s a smart player who keys on the run quickly and combines that with good downhill speed to get into the backfield for impact plays.
Leo Chenal, Wisconsin — BLUE CHIP SCOUTING
Now, if we draft Leo, we will probably be able to sign his brother as an UDFA. In case you don’t know, his brother is a 250 lb. FB that also played LB! He could be a great addition to our ST and possibly be our FB of the future. We all know how much the Bears love nepotism with the Mack brothers.
So, I’ll leave you guys with this video. It’s by a Lions fan, so everywhere he says the Lions, just think Da Bears.
