Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt has been known for its development of defensive talent. Could the scouting report of Pitt OLB SirVocea Dennis add to that reputation in the 2022 NFL Draft? Here’s what Dennis brings to the table from an NFL Draft perspective.
Update: SirVocea Dennis has announced his decision to return to Pittsburgh for the 2022 season.
SirVocea Dennis NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Pittsburgh
- Current Year: Junior
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 230 pounds
SirVocea Dennis Scouting Report
Every year it seems, the Pitt Panthers’ defense has multiple legitimate NFL Draft talents. This season, Deslin Alexandre is one of the Panthers’ headliners, and Calijah Kancey is a rising star beside him. But even outside of that, Pitt is well-stocked on the second and third levels. Dennis is just another part of that.
A top producer in 2020, Dennis has returned as a starter for Pitt on the second level. Now in his second year in the lineup for the Panthers, Dennis could be in line to earn more draft recognition — as many Panthers do when presented with an opportunity. What has Dennis showed so far, and has he showed enough to be a 2022 NFL Draft prospect?
SirVocea Dennis’ athletic profile
Dennis’ athletic profile is intriguing. The Pitt OLB has a 6’1″, 230-pound frame, and he’s very explosive, even for his size. Dennis has great short-area burst when coming downhill, and he can spring into the backfield. Heading into contact, he has great suddenness and burst. He can trigger in an instant, and he’s also explosive when blitzing in open space.
Dennis’ explosiveness is translatable in all phases, and it makes him particularly dangerous on delayed rushes. But beyond that, Dennis flashes good range in open space as well. With a runway, he can reach his full speed with efficiency and cover ground quickly. He’s used often as a blitzer in passing situations, so there aren’t as many coverage reps on tape as desired. But he has some traits that translate there.
Beyond Dennis’ explosiveness and solid range, the Pitt OLB also has decent flexibility and lateral agility. He can swim through congestion and seek out ball carriers in tight environments. He can also leverage his explosiveness into impressive force at the tackle point.
Execution beyond the physical traits
Dennis’ explosiveness is certainly an asset at the second level, but the Pitt standout also has some promising executional traits. He clearly has a combative energy as a player, both against blocks and in tackling situations. He doesn’t shy away from contact against larger opponents, and he effectively wraps up when he meets them one-on-one.
Going further, Dennis utilizes his full frame when engaging opposing ball carriers. He does a good job pressing gaps and stepping up with his frame, and he’s not scared of entering the scrum and getting his hands dirty to make plays. Beyond that, Dennis has shown flashes of spatial awareness in coverage. He’s also proven that he can be malleable when reading plays. He can peel off from coverage and collapse back on the line during draw plays.
Areas for improvement
Dennis’ explosiveness most certainly catches the eye, but the Pitt OLB is admittedly an unfinished product aside from his upside. Physically, his frame appears somewhat slight, and linemen can easily handle him at the second level. He also has a lighter base, which prevents him from consistently standing his ground and negating momentum at contact.
Going further with Dennis’ size, the Pitt OLB can struggle to disengage and play leverage angles when tangled with blockers. His hands can be more precise and targeted when engaging those blockers. Even then, Dennis doesn’t always get enough penetration when patrolling gaps and reacting to plays. The Pitt OLB is mainly used as a box defender but doesn’t have the size to be incredibly consistent as a blitzing player.
Moreover, Dennis can find a better balance of patience and aggressiveness. His aggressiveness causes him to bite easily on play-action fakes, often opening up the middle of the field. He can get drawn in easily, and he doesn’t always show great play recognition ability or instincts. On an adjacent note, Dennis can also be tentative in zone coverage. He doesn’t always play at full speed when tracking offensive players, and he can take better angles when tracking the ball toward the sideline.
Among other things, Dennis’ production in coverage is almost non-existent. As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of his work comes in the box. And in Narduzzi’s defense, he’s frequently used as a blitzer on passing downs.
SirVocea Dennis’ NFL Draft scouting report overview
With his decent size and explosiveness, Dennis has an intriguing physical profile. His burst clearly shows up on blitzes. Furthermore, when he’s confident in what he sees in run defense, he displays great flashes of quick responsiveness and physicality at the contact point. As of now, however, Dennis is largely a projection, and he needs more work before he can be relied upon as an NFL three-down defender.
The Pitt product has visible upside, but he’s a work in progress in coverage. He needs to have more patience against play-action because he’ll be easily exploited in the NFL if he can’t improve his recognition ability. Additionally, Dennis just doesn’t have as much experience in coverage as you’d expect for a player of his mold. Because he’s a true junior, Dennis may ultimately stay in college for his senior season. And that might be the best route for him.
As of now, Dennis is likely a Day 3 prospect. If he comes out, his testing numbers should help him. But his early utility will likely be as two-down depth and special-teams help.
SirVocea Dennis Player Profile
Narduzzi came up through the ranks under former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio — a coach who was known for taking chances on less-heralded recruits and molding them into contributors. Pitt has more or less fostered that approach. They don’t always draw the highest-rated recruits, but they’re always competitive. Players like Dennis help in that regard.
He wasn’t a flashy prospect when he entered the recruiting circuit in 2019. Although Dennis originally played defensive back and quarterback, he switched to linebacker at The Peddie School after graduating from Christian Brothers Academy. In his one year at prep school, Dennis was the Mid-Atlantic Prep School Player of the Year.
Dennis was only a three-star recruit on ESPN’s board despite his pre-college successes and was largely buried at the linebacker position. The Pitt OLB only had offers from three schools. The Panthers approached him, while the other two came from the Air Force Academy and Dartmouth. Unsurprisingly, Dennis decided to join the ACC.
Dennis’ career at Pitt
It didn’t take long for Dennis to see the field at Pitt. In his true-freshman season, he saw plenty of playing time as a special-teams contributor. Through that span, however, Dennis only logged 1 tackle. He returned as a true sophomore in 2020 and saw an increase in workload.
Although he wasn’t a full-time starter in 2020, Dennis still appeared in 10 contests and started two. Across that window, he amassed 55 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. The Pitt OLB quickly established himself as a rising presence in the box and earned third-team All-ACC honors as a result.
Dennis’ NFL Draft ascension
As of now, Dennis is a tough projection. He looks and moves like a true inside linebacker, but he’s still not advisable in coverage. His skill set aligns more with a SAM role, but Dennis doesn’t have ideal size for that. Time will tell if Dennis can keep adding to his coverage résumé. He does have the background as a defensive back to suggest he can be good there. But we just haven’t seen it often enough in college.
Nevertheless, there’s still time for Dennis — whether he plans to declare this year or next. He’s proven he can be of value closer to the line, and he has some tools that translate in other phases. If he can show growth, there’s a chance he rises in an uncertain linebacker class.