2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: SirVocea Dennis (LB – Pittsburgh)

As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at SirVocea Dennis.

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2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: SirVocea Dennis (LB – Pittsburgh)

SirVocea Dennis (LB – Pittsburgh)

6’1″ – 230 lbs.

Background:

Appeared in a reserve/special-teams role as a freshman, then played 483 snaps the following year (one start), which was the first of three increasingly-productive lines of 55-14.0-4.0, 82-10.0-4.0, and 94-12.0-7.0, with two career interceptions, lining up at both the Mike and Will spots over the course of his collegiate career.

Positives:

Team captain who’s been highly productive over the past three seasons and continued to improve dramatically as a senior. Has experience at two linebacker spots. Has the toughness and competitiveness teams look for at the position. Plays the game like his hair is on fire, with excellent speed and quickness; great athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. Lightning-fast key-reader who wastes no time getting downhill, racking up tackles for loss throughout his career. Impressive quickness, suddenness, and balance allow him to slip past blockers and create disruption. Good flexibility and a low center of gravity. Highly effective tackler who missed only 4.9% of his attempts this past season and was relatively solid in previous years as well (between 12.4% and 13.6%). Strong blitzer who can time snap counts well, does a good job of finding lanes, and closes like a missile; even has a little bit of ability to convert speed to power with a high-intensity bull-rush. Sniffs out screens quickly in coverage and has the range to make tackles.

Negatives:

Has a relatively thin frame. Functional strength is a little bit below average. Doesn’t have a strong anchor when engaged, relying on his ability to work around opponents, which can occasionally lead to some inefficiencies in pursuit. Ends up getting engulfed by linemen who are able to successfully line him up. Could be more consistent about keeping his shoulders square to the line; can get driven well off of a spot when flowing laterally. Contact balance is below average. Was generally working in short zones when handling coverage responsibilities; didn’t see too many snaps in which he shaded over the slot and worked in coverage against opposing receivers.

Summary:

A high-intensity playmaker with strong instincts and excellent athleticism, splash plays are all over his tape, whether as a run defender or when rushing the passer. Well-suited to the modern game, he has the look of a starter at the next level, especially on a team that’s going to allow him to be who he is, playing with decisiveness and aggression. Hasn’t been getting as much hype as some of the other linebackers in the class, but makes a bigger impact on the game than almost any of his peers in the class.

Projection: Round 2-3