NFL Analysis
10/28/24
5 min read
Danny Stutsman 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Oklahoma Sooners LB
Height: 6040 (unofficial)
Weight: 242 (unofficial)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: James Laurinaitis
Scouting Overview
Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman is an infectious leader on the defense. He plays with intensity, urgency, and a motor that pops on film in pursuit of the football.
With a long, lean frame, Stutsman offers three-down impact as a linebacker and should play a similar role in the NFL. His run diagnosis is decisive when triggering downhill. His pass coverage skills will best be utilized underneath zones to mirror the quarterback’s eyes and feel routes developing in his peripherals. Stutsman is a plus athlete with impressive range — but don’t typecast him as just a run-and-chase linebacker.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Plays the game with unrivaled intensity — evidenced by his pursuit and enthusiasm upon making plays
- Powerful striker with length, offering him a multitude of options as a tackler
- Plus speed and overall athleticism give him sideline-to-sideline range and ability as a second-level defender
Negatives
- Can play tall at times and get caught with pads out of position, offering a bigger strike zone for blockers
- Not an appealing option to play man-to-man coverage in underneath space; his high hips limit short area burst and backward transitions
- Alarming missed tackle rates in two of his three years as a starter
Background
Danny Stutsman comes from an athletic family. His father, Steve, and mother, Susy, played college athletics at Baylor — his father played wide receiver and tight end in the late 1980s. Danny’s football journey to the pros started at Foundation Academy in Winter Garden, FL.
There, Stutsman was a prized 4-star recruit (247 Sports) who played on both sides of the football before committing to Oklahoma. Stutsman chose the Sooners over programs such as Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and Kentucky.
At Oklahoma, Stutsman found his way onto the field quickly as a freshman but did miss three games on account of a dislocated elbow. He became a starter during his sophomore season in 2022 and was named a Third-Team AP All-American during his junior season in 2023. Stutsman did miss one game during that season due to an injury — a minor ankle issue.
Tale of The Tape
Stutsman is a blast to watch on film. The urgency with which he plays the game is exactly what you’d hope to find from a leader. Stutsman’s effort pops off the screen, and his ability to cover outrageous amounts of grass should not be taken for granted with how the game has transitioned into one of space.
He isn’t just a dog chasing cars — Stutsman has showcased the necessary processing abilities to develop into an NFL starter and work to attack creases and gaps in the run game.
As a tackler, Stutsman is dynamic and offers a superb ceiling, but he needs to pay more attention to the little details. The effort and hustle he displays can be used against him by some of the more savvy ball carriers, who will press into his tackle radius aggressively and take advantage of him not coming to balance to take on a challenge under control.
Missed tackles have left a number of plays on the field for Stutsman, but he does offer enough disruption to negate space and allow teammates back into the play if he doesn’t finish the play for himself.
In the run game, you see the ability to do all of the primary functions: Stutsman can shoot gaps when processing double teams, stack blockers and take on slice motions or wrapping pullers, and play sideline to sideline.
His processing discipline can be manipulated at times by misdirection, and teams can take advantage of his aggressiveness. However, unless the counteraction is quick hitting, Stutsman typically has the lateral mobility and range to get back into position to challenge the play. There’s room for growth here, but the foundation exists, and most college offenses failed to make him pay for any of his missteps.
In the passing game, Stutsman has made a number of “wow” plays in underneath zone coverage looking to capture throwing windows on in-breaking routes. He has the range and length to run the pole in Tampa 2, and I would trust him to carry tight ends as the third eligible up the seam.
His abilities are more impactful and will likely be more consistent in true underneath zones; however — his ability to flash and react against choice routes out of the backfield or hard-angled routes from tight ends and slot receivers does have some limitations on account of his high hips as a tall, long linebacker. Still, he can crowd the catch point and throwing windows with his length, making him a disruptive player in quick game and against shallow hitches and slants.
As a whole, Stutsman has the athletic profile and frame of an impactful NFL starter. His raw tools should afford him early playing opportunities unless he goes to a deep roster. This is not a one-size-fits-all linebacker, however. And I’m not certain that Stutsman offers the kind of transcendent abilities to overcome the positional value stereotypes at the position. As such, he feels like a strong lock to go on Day 2.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Stutsman projects as a starting MIKE linebacker at the NFL level. He has enough length and burst to play on the edge in pressure packages for further passing-down value, but he will be best served in a zone-heavy defensive system.
Grade: 80.50/100.00, Early Second Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
