NFL Analysis
4/27/24
4 min read
Tommy Eichenberg 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Las Vegas RAiders LB
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Tommy Eichenberg.
Tommy Eichenberg'S 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6-foot-2 3/8
- Weight: 233
- 40-yard dash: DNP
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.24
- Vertical jump: 32.5"
- Broad jump: 9-foot-8
- Arm: 31 5/8"
TOmmy Eichenberg 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- A good-sized stacked linebacker with plus athleticism and enough lateral range to play inside out sideline-to-sideline
- Strong key and diagnose traits in the run game, and quick recognition and reaction to play downhill as a gap defender
- Downhill quickness and burst to shoot gaps combine with lateral quickness in the run game and make plays in the backfield
- Showed good stack and shed traits in the run game with active, quick hands to play off offensive line's blocks and find the football
- Excellent short-area lateral quickness in the box; run game snaps in which he avoided blockers to make tackles
- Highly efficient with movement in the box in the run game, and understood angles to slip and avoid while making plays
- Navigated box with efficiency and economy of movement, and worked through traffic while slipping the climbing offensive linemen's blocks
- Quick, light feet when dropping onto zone coverage, and fluid movement rallying up to tackle and reacting laterally
WEAKNESSES
- May not be seen as athletic enough to play off the ball stacked linebacker in NFL base defense packages
- Not a true lateral-range athlete, he lacks the short-area burst and the accelerating speed to get to the sideline
- No suddenness or twitch to his movement, he's more measured and methodical while lacking the desired change of direction
- Run-game snaps where he was more focused on taking on blocks with physicality than getting eyes on the back
- Not as physical as he must be given what he is as a stacked linebacker; takes on linemen's blocks but does not control and win
- A drag-down tackler more than a strong finisher, which could be an issue at the next level vs. better backs
- Not an impact playmaking linebacker; at his best as a steady tackler in the run game
- Needs to get stronger overall to continue to play to his strengths in the NFL because he must be physically dominating
NFL TRANSITION
Eichenberg is the 2024 draft poster child of how much athleticism and explosive movement are required and demanded to be an effective and quality stacked box linebacker in a base NFL defense. He is a good athlete with coordinated movement, but he is not an explosive athlete with sudden twitchy movement traits.
Eichenberg makes a lot of tackles with high-level key and diagnose traits, stack-and-shed physicality, competitive toughness and, perhaps as important as any trait, efficiency and economy of movement that allows him to consistently navigate the traffic and congestion in the box. Eichenberg is quick processing of everything from personnel to formations to blocking schemes, and that allowed him to play in the run game with decisiveness and aggressively attack both downhill and work through traffic without getting stuck.
My sense evaluating Eichenberg’s tape was that he must get stronger to better play to what he is, which is a box key and diagnose, stack-and-shed stacked linebacker. At the next level, he will need to be more physical and violent taking on linemen's blocks or he will get stuck living at the second level of the defense.
Eichenberg looks the part of a base defense stacked linebacker, but he is a specific kind of player with some athletic concerns. He will need to get stronger to have a chance to develop into a starter at the next level. That is why despite high-level production at Ohio State, he will more than likely be a Day 3 pick.
OTHER NOTES
Eichenberg came out of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland as a 3-4 star recruit. He became an important contributor to Ohio State’s defense during his sophomore season of 2021 then followed that with an All-America season in 2022.
Eichenberg predominantly lined up 5 yards off the ball in his stacked linebacker alignment. He was deployed as a pass rusher at times both as a straight inside rusher and as a picker and looper in inside stunt concepts. There were man coverage snaps in which Eichenberg was matched on running backs.
Eichenberg was a non-factor vs. Michigan, which was not surprising given the kind of player he is and the strong running foundation of the Michigan offense behind arguably the best offensive line in the nation. Eichenberg played the entire game at the second level of the defense.
