LB Mohamoud Diabate is preparing to begin his NFL career. As the 2023 NFL Draft is upon us, a whole new crop of rookies is set to enter the league. While likely a Day 3 pick, Diabate should prepare to hear his name called this weekend. What does his scouting report say about his prospects at the NFL level?
Mohamoud Diabate NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Utah
- Current Year: Senior
- Height/Weight: 6’3 1/2″, 225 pounds
- Length: 32 1/2″
- Wingspan: 80″
- Hand: 9 3/4″
Notable Pro Day Numbers
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.52
- Bench Reps: 20
- Three-Cone: 6.96
- Vertical Jump: 34″
- Broad Jump: 11′
Mohamoud Diabate Background
Diabate was a four-star recruit out of Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama. Unsurprisingly, he made several visits to Auburn when deciding where to go to college. After receiving offers from a number of Power Five programs, Diabate ultimately decided to play college football at Florida.
After not playing much as a freshman, Diabate’s role increased in his sophomore and junior seasons. He posted solid tackle numbers each year and was heavily involved in the defense.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
Even so, Diabate opted to transfer out of Florida for his senior year, finishing out his college career at Utah.
Following a strong senior year that saw him record 58 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks, Diabate declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Mohamoud Diabate Scouting Report
Positives
- Long, lean linebacker with a tremendous size-athleticism combination.
- Incredibly explosive athlete who rockets downhill as an attack defender.
- Possesses exceptional range and reach in pursuit and closes ground quickly.
- Aggressively squares up and engages blocks with short-area mobility and length.
- Can traverse space effortlessly in coverage with short, explosive lateral bursts.
- Can effectively recognize RBs sneaking into the flats and take away checkdowns.
- Has the explosiveness, length, and flexibility to be a legitimate pass-rushing threat.
- Has shown he can use ankle flexion and outside rip moves to win around the apex.
- Offers value as an extra rusher, delayed blitzer, and stunting threat with his traits.
- Complete athletic profile sets a strong foundation as a versatile defensive weapon.
Areas for Improvement
- Has room to add more mass to his frame and improve his functional play strength.
- Aggressive, run-and-chase style can make him easy to bait and flush out of plays.
- Sometimes flows into blocking angles with over-aggressiveness and can’t deconstruct.
- Sometimes pauses before surging through gaps and allows runners to bounce outside.
- Tempo as a run defender is very inconsistent, given his instinct to go at full speed.
- Can strike a better balance of patience and discipline defending the run in the box.
- Can be more anticipatory in coverage, sometimes allowing too much space at stems.
- Needs to keep refining pass-rushing arsenal and hand usage to maximize his abilities.
Utah LB Mohamoud Diabate Current Draft Projection
On my board, Diabate is a top-150 prospect, well worth a selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. And at his maximum potential, he could be a steal in the middle rounds. In the modern NFL, where versatile linebackers with pass-rushing upside are coveted, Diabate is one of the best fits for that archetype in the 2023 NFL Draft.
MORE: How To Watch the 2023 NFL Draft
Diabate does have room to refine his game in the more traditional facets of linebacker play. He’s so aggressive and amped-up that he can be uncontrolled in the box, where LBs have to be patient and disciplined. But Diabate has the temperament to build off of, and his versatility as a pass-rushing threat — something he showed at the Shrine Bowl in one-on-ones — is extremely exciting.
As his 11′ broad jump shows, Diabate has elite explosiveness at 6’3 1/2″ and 225 pounds, and he couples it with eye-catching ankle flexion, lateral agility, and accelerative bend around the apex. He can rush outside the tackle or blitz through gaps. Either way, Diabate has a future as an attacking pass-rush catalyst, with starting upside and versatility between off-ball and on-ball roles.
Tony Pauline’s Scouting Report for Mohamoud Diabate
Strengths: Athletic pursuit linebacker who began his college career with Florida. Breaks down well, uses his hands to protect himself, and fluid moving in any direction of the field. Instinctive, quickly locates ballhandlers and fires upfield through gaps to make plays.
Explosive, rarely off his feet, and sells out on the blitz. Does an outstanding job recognizing assignments in coverage, can flip his hips in transition, and covers a lot of area on the field. Quickly gets out into space and shows a lot of ability in pursuit. Does a nice job quarterbacking the defense and making the calls.
Weaknesses: Occasionally bites on ball fakes. Gets knocked around or caught up in the traffic. Struggles handling bigger tight ends.
Overall: Mohamoud is an athletic one-gap linebacker best in pursuit. He’ll offer possibilities on the inside of a 3-4 defense or system which allows him to run to the ball freely, and Mahmoud comes with special teams potential.