Tatum Bethune NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Florida State LB

BR NFL Scouting DepartmentApr 3, 2024

HEIGHT: 5'11½"

WEIGHT: 229

HAND: 10"

TOP NEWS

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: 78¼"

40-YARD DASH: 4.77

3-CONE: 7.03

SHUTTLE: 4.35

VERTICAL: 30.5"

BROAD: 9'7"

POSITIVES

— Decent instincts to occasionally put himself in a good position to make plays.

— Has solid acceleration to shoot gaps and make unblocked tackles near the line of scrimmage. Also isn't afraid to throw his body around and bring some force when coming downhill.

— Uses his hands well to disrupt routes in coverage.

— Shows some quickness, which is most noticeable as a pass-rusher to help win around the edges of offensive linemen.

NEGATIVES

— Below-average size and underwhelming athletic testing, leading to a 3.95 RAS out of 10.

— Poor awareness in zone coverage. Often leaves receivers in his area wide open and gets caught staring in the backfield.

— Lack of speed leads to issues carrying faster tight ends and running backs on deep routes and limits his range against outside runs.

— Doesn't bring his feet and likes to dive at ankles when tackling, leading to misses.

2023 STATISTICS

— 13 GM, 70 TOT, 5.5 TFL, 0 SK, 1 INT, 3 PD

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred from UCF to Florida State ahead of the 2022 season

— Injuries: 2023 (Arm, missed bowl game), 2021 (Concussion, missed 1 game)

OVERALL

Tatum Bethune is a physical linebacker who likes to hit people in the running game and can lay the wood. However, he lacks NFL size and didn't test well enough to suggest he can overcome that athletically.

He projects as a late-round pick to an undrafted free agent who will have to make a name for himself on special teams to land on a 53-man roster.

GRADE: 5.4 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 243

POSITION RANK: LB21

PRO COMPARISON: Hardy Nickerson Jr.

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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