Demetrius Knight Jr. NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for South Carolina LB

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 246

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33¼"

WINGSPAN: 80½”

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40-YARD DASH: 4.58

3-CONE: 7.12

SHUTTLE: 4.25

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 9'10"

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POSITIVES

— Solid size with a thick build and good arm length.

— Has good instincts as a run defender to quickly key and diagnose plays and get into the right position.

— Takes on blocks with his hands and has the strength and length to get extension on blocks.

— Also defeats blocks with his hands well and has a decent rip move to beat offensive linemen climbing to the second level.

— Drops his pads and wraps up when tackling. Long arms increase tackling range/radius which helps when making open field tackles.

— Solid linear acceleration when crashing downhill as a run defender or to help click and close in zone coverage.

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NEGATIVES

— Poor awareness in zone coverage, he doesn't locate threats coming into his area well and often isn't in a position to cover his area.

— Lack of agility/lateral movement skills makes it difficult for him to tighten throwing windows and play the ball in the air.

— Has tight hips and sub-par change of direction skills to cover shifty running backs in man coverage.

— Will get beat to the flat when covering backs out of the backfield.

— Angles toward the sideline are often too deep, leading to over-pursues.

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NOTES

— Born Jul. 21, 2000

— A 3-star recruit in the 2019 class as a dual-threat quarterback, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Played at Georgia Tech from 2019 to 2022 until he was dismissed from the team four games into the 2022 season, transferred to Charlotte in 2023 and then to South Carolina for this past season.

— 2024: Honorable Mention All-SEC

— 2023: First-Team All-AAC, second in AAC in tackles (96)

— Three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll

— Cousins with three-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall

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OVERALL

Demetrius Knight Jr. is a former dual-threat quarterback and a six-year senior which shows up in his instincts against the run. He's quick to key and diagnose, recognizes when he can shoot gaps, is good at mirror running backs on zone runs and can sift through the trash to make tackles.

Knight also takes on blocks with his hands, has good arm length and upper body strength to get extension and escape against offensive linemen. Additionally, his long arms increase his tackle radius/range as the former Gamecock has very few flaws as a run defender.

However, Knight isn't very fluid and has limited lateral movement skills that impact his ability to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage. Also, he has bad eye discipline in zone coverage, often getting manipulated by quarterbacks and caught out of his area. So, he's more of a two-down linebacker at the next level.

Overall, Knight would be a good fit as an inside linebacker in either odd or even fronts. But teams may view him as a low-ceiling prospect as he's older, turning 25 years old before his rookie season.

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GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 89

POSITION RANK: LB6

PRO COMPARISON: Reggie Ragland

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.