Ethan Westbrooks NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report and More

Jim Cowsert

Ethan Westbrooks, DE, West Texas A&M (HT: 6'3½" WT: 267 lbs)

Positives

• Sufficient height/weight measurements. 
• Built like an NFL defensive lineman with muscle tone and overall bulk. 
• Long reach with adequate hand size. 
• Coordinated athlete who moves with fluidity and flexibility. 
• Plays with impeccable balance and low pad level taking on blocks. 
• Explosive first step to come off the ball quickly. 
• Fires his hands into blockers well on first contact and can utilize upper body strength. 
• Flashes speed to power potential as a rusher, gets under the pads of tackles very well. 
• Can track mobile quarterbacks outside the pocket, comfortable in space. 
• Disruptive in the backfield by driving through blockers or splitting gaps. 
• Resets the line of scrimmage by jolting run blockers and moving them backwards. 
• Tremendous awareness and athletic ability to spin away from blocks and back into pursuit lanes. 
• Pursues the ball with great effort, always seems to be around the ball. 
• Can lower the boom when he gets home as a rusher, runs right through quarterbacks. 
• Has experience and potential to be used in numerous defensive line positions. 
• Showed proper physical dominance at a lower level.

Negatives

• Raw and inexperienced prospect as a whole. 
• Below average combine numbers in comparison to other defensive line prospects. 
• Undisciplined player who tends to jump offsides, accumulated lots of penalties over two seasons at West Texas A&M. 
• Not a technically sound player, won on athletic ability at the Division II level. 
• Inconsistent anticipating the snap and getting into contact quickly. 
• Lacks a distinct repertoire of pass-rush moves, too reliant on athletic advantage at a lower level. 
• Not a true speed-rusher around the corner. 
• Can be overzealous coming off the ball and take himself too far up the field. 
• Slow to pick up on misdirection plays and screen passes. 
• Lacks significant open-field speed in pursuit. 
• Doesn’t always finish well enough as a tackler, tends to leave his feet instead of driving through ball carriers. 
• Big production drop from junior to senior season.

Personal Notes

• Transferred to West Texas A&M from Sacramento City College. 
• 2012 Ron Lenz Daktronics Division II National Defensive Player of the Year. 
• 2012 and 2013 first team All-Lone Star Conference.

Ratings Chart

Graph made at nces.ed.gov.

Overall

Ethan Westbrooks has the qualities to be a late round pick who outplays his draft selection once he has the benefit of NFL coaching.  His inexperience is both a blessing and a curse.  Because he’s only been playing at a Division II level for two seasons, he’s not ready in terms of technique and hand usage as a defensive lineman.  At the same time, his potential for growth is huge and he shows promising qualities.

Teams who employ a base 4-3 and are looking for a 3rd or 4th rusher who has the ability to play from the interior and on the outside should give Westbrooks a long look.  Much development is still needed, but if he takes to coaching and improves in a way that could realistically expected, he should be in consideration for meaningful snaps in 2015.

Draft Projection: 5th Round

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