Joshua Perry NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Chargers Rookie

POSITIVES

A leader on the Ohio State defense, Joshua Perry was solid enough on the field to land first-team All-Big Ten honors after his senior season. A big, long (33 ⅞” arms), physical linebacker, Perry has the size and speed to play from day one.

Perry’s production at Ohio State speaks for itself and shows right away that he belongs in the NFL. A sure thing as a tackler, Perry has a huge tackle radius and brings power behind his pads to thump ball-carriers. When he gets an angle and a clear line, whomever has the ball is going to regret it. Perry does a great job compensating for a lack of long speed with tight angles and timing off the snap.

With the body and strength to withstand pressure from offensive linemen, Perry is one of the few true 3-4 inside linebackers in this class. At 254 pounds, he has thick, strong legs and will step up in the trenches to clear paths for his teammates and clog rushing lanes.

When asked to get out in coverage, Perry matches up well against tight ends thanks to his length, speed and powerful hands to jam and redirect players at the line.

NEGATIVES

Perry was a jack-of-all-trades player at Ohio State, but what does he do well? Teams may struggle to see him as more than a two-down run-stuffer in a 3-4 scheme.

Perry lacks the elite speed to stay on the field in passing situations. He’s a stiff-hipped mover when asked to flip and run down the seam and will struggle against NFL tight ends unless he wins at the line of scrimmage with a jam. By lacking the explosive, twitchy movements teams want in their linebackers, Perry may be typecast as an old-school thumper.

Without pass-rushing skills, Perry lacks value besides being a run defender. He doesn’t have the quick-twitch hips to turn the edge and is slow-footed on delayed pressures and A-gap blitzes. With a tendency to overrun the ball, Perry opens himself up to poor gap discipline and can be a weakness in the area he’s supposed to be strong.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 254 lbs.

40 Time: 4.75s

3-Cone: 7.14s

Short Shuttle: 4.89s

PRO COMPARISON: Brooks Reed, Atlanta Falcons
FINAL GRADE: 6.25/9.00 (Round 3—Future Starter)