9. Curtis Weaver, Boise State
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 265
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 32.5 inches
Broad Jump: 116.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.0 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.27 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: An H-back and pass-rusher in high school, Weaver chose Boise State over Wisconsin, Virginia, and Duke and put up 128 tackles, 47.5 tackles for loss, 34 sacks, and two interceptions in his three seasons with the Broncos.
“I watch a lot of film of people,” Weaver said at the combine, when asked which NFL players he modeled himself after. “I like to take things away from their pieces of the game. Everyone is different. Comparisons I really can’t say because they’re doing it at such a high level. I spend a lot of time watching Chandler Jones because of his consistency. He’s always consistent. Every season. And then you have Dwight Freeney. I’ve watched tape of him from back in the day on how he just sold stuff on the field. And then Von Miller with the get-off. His get-off is phenomenal. I’m trying to make a path of my own.”
Stat to Know: While there are legitimate questions about the quality of offensive lines Weaver faced, there are no issues with his production. He put up 147 total pressures in a three-year collegiate career.
Strengths: Though quickness is not his game, Weaver does show the ability to move quickly past blockers when he gets his hands working with strength, and when he rips and swats past tackles. Side-to-side agility is a plus when working around tackles. Has some smoothness off the snap. Shows potential as a situational interior pass-rusher. Run defense is good as long as he maintains effort.
Weaknesses: Thick midsection with some bad weight on his frame. Weaver isn’t what you’d want athletically as an edge-rusher — he’s almost logy off the snap at times, he’s not sudden in his accelerations to the pocket, and if his power/hand moves don’t work out, he really doesn’t have a speed counter. Not a lot of potential in coverage. Must be more consistent with his leverage to accentuate his power. Put up a lot of his numbers against sub-par competition.
Conclusion: It’s interesting that Weaver brought up Chandler Jones, Dwight Freeney, and Von Miller as players he watches, because those are three of the quickest and twitchiest pass-rushers of their eras, and that’s not who Weaver is at all. Ideally in the NFL, he’ll be a strong-side, run-stopping end with some upside as a pass-rusher, with the ability to kick inside and use his power to foil guards. It will also be interesting to see what Weaver can do after he gets into an NFL-level strength and conditioning program.
NFL Comparison: Jabaal Sheard. The Browns took Sheard out of Pitt in the second round of the 2011 draft, and though Sheard was never able to overcome his relative lack of speed and explosiveness as an edge-rusher or as an overall defender, he’s been consistently (if unspectacularly) productive on the edge and against the run. Weaver could be that kind of player if he’s able to get a bit more chiseled, drop the body fat, and optimize his engine for the next level.