Reaching the NFL Draft wasn’t always an observable possibility for Baylor edge defender William Bradley-King. But through perseverance, hard work, and opportunistic production, Bradley-King was able to enter his name in the draft conversation. Now, after a strong Senior Bowl showing, he’s steadily on the rise. What does Bradley-King bring to the table, and where is his stock currently?
William Bradley-King NFL Draft Profile
- Position: EDGE
- School: Baylor
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
- Height: 6’3 2/4″
- Weight: 252 pounds
- Wingspan: 80 5/8″
- Arm: 32 3/4″
- Hand: 10 1/4″
Tony Pauline’s William Bradley-King Scouting Report
Positives: Arkansas State transfer and Senior Bowl participant. Slightly undersized edge rusher who gets the most from his ability. Quick off the snap, plays with terrific leverage out of a three-point stance, and effectively uses his hands.
Keeps his feet moving, possesses good change-of-direction skills, and fluidly chases the action laterally. Flashes pass-rush skill, shows speed off the edge, and shows effectiveness out of a three-point stance as well as standing over tackle.
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Negatives: Lacks bulk and gets easily controlled at the point by a single opponent. Easily knocked from the action by the initial hit. Average size and play speed.
Analysis: Bradley-King turned in a solid season after transferring to Baylor, then flashed during Senior Bowl practices. He’ll be a situational pass rusher at the next level and should help out on special teams.
William Bradley-King Player Profile
William Bradley-King may have ended his college football career in the Big 12 conference, but he didn’t start in the Power Five. It took time for Bradley-King to establish a reputation as a top talent. Out of high school, Bradley-King was a two-star prospect at best, and unranked on some boards.
At first, Bradley-King didn’t have any interest on the FBS level. His first commitment came to the Western Illinois Leathernecks. However, the Arkansas State Red Wolves came into the picture late, and Bradley-King jumped at the chance to play Division I-A football. That decision would ultimately kickstart his journey to the NFL Draft.
William Bradley-King’s journey to becoming a Baylor edge defender
A 2016 signee, Bradley-King redshirted his first season with the Red Wolves, adding weight in his time off. In 2017, he entered the picture as a rotational defensive lineman. He played a few games, picking up six total tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a pass deflection.
2018 saw Bradley-King take on a larger role on defense. He played in 12 games, starting three, and produced 33 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks. He also tacked on 2 forced fumbles, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery. Bradley-King earned a full-time starting role in 2019, and it was that role that would serve as his springboard to the next chapter.
In 2019, Bradley-King dominated the Sun Belt Conference. He started all 13 games and amassed 49 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. The future Baylor edge defender earned first-team All-Sun Belt recognition, and for his redshirt senior season, he chose to transfer and capitalize on his NFL Draft potential.
Bradley-King’s lone season at Baylor
To prove he could handle higher competition, Bradley-King chose to transfer to the Baylor Bears. He ended up anchoring the defensive line, leading the team in pass deflections and tying for the lead in sacks. On the year, Bradley-King accumulated 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four deflections, and a pass deflection.
Bradley-King’s season with the Bears paid off. The Baylor edge defender entered the NFL Draft on a strong note, proving he could play against Big 12 competition. And in early December, he accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, a showcase for some of the draft’s most enticing prospects.
Analyzing William Bradley-King’s NFL Draft profile
Above all else, William Bradley-King is a long, massive edge defender. The Baylor edge defender has an overwhelming wingspan, which he can use to bat at linemen’s arms when rushing the edge. His length also allows him to establish a powerful anchor in the running game. With his length, Bradley-King can keep himself clean while also possessing disruptive potential.
Bradley-King’s length is the centerpiece of his game, but he also has other traits that can be maximized through his length. The Baylor defender has a lot of power stored inside his frame, and with his length, he has the leverage to exert that power in forceful bursts. Bradley-King’s length serves as a conduit for his natural play strength, making him a formidable threat as a power rusher.
What are the concerns surrounding Bradley-King?
Bradley-King has a nice foundation with his size and power, but unfortunately, his athleticism leaves some room for confidence. That’s not to say that Bradley-King is a below-average athlete. He doesn’t show nearly enough consistency with his traits. There are occasional flashes of exceptional explosiveness off the line, especially when he’s low in his stance. However, more often than not, he doesn’t bring enough momentum to corral his power and length adequately.
Bradley-King is a lumbering mover who traverses the field in slow, long strides more often than not. Rarely does he come off the line with good foot speed. Additionally, he doesn’t have much juice when transitioning laterally, and he has underwhelming speed in pursuit. The Baylor edge rusher’s length helps him compensate somewhat, but he won’t often run down ball carriers unless he’s in close quarters.
How correctable are the concerns?
There are glimpses of athletic potential with Bradley-King. On several reps, he displayed good speed-to-power progressions when he had space, and he also has some lean around the corner. Additionally, his pro day numbers confirm his upside. At his size, he has a 4.79 40-yard dash — with a 1.59 10-yard split — a 34.5-inch vertical, a 119-inch broad jump, and 85th-percentile agility numbers.
The potential is there. However, those glimpses are few and far between. More often than not, Bradley-King is not consistently explosive, not super twitchy, and not reliably dynamic. He may unlock more of that athleticism with an NFL training regimen, and he has a good motor. But for now, Bradley-King needs more consistency outside of his length and power.
Senior Bowl Performance
William Bradley-King made the most of his time at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The Baylor EDGE stood out with his combination of downhill burst and length. He peaked early on Tuesday, but still delivered a strong week throughout. Here’s more on Bradley-King’s appearance in Alabama, courtesy of our American Team Practice Report:
“Bradley-King had an excellent week in Mobile. His Wednesday performance was a bit of a lull, and even on Thursday, he still didn’t quite rise back to his caliber on Tuesday. But Bradley-King knocked Leatherwood onto the ground with a long-armed bull rush, and he flashed explosiveness and bend with his length earlier in the week. For a player who’d shown upside in spurts on tape and during the American Team practices, the Senior Bowl in general was a tremendous success in quantifying and confirming that upside.”
William Bradley-King’s best fits in the 2021 NFL Draft
William Bradley-King has all the measurements you want in an edge rusher. He’s dense, long, and well-built. He also offers a lot of natural power. Unfortunately, he needs to unlock more of his athleticism before he can become a well-rounded rusher. Bradley-King is a bit one-dimensional with his skill set. If he can’t glean more athletic freedom out of his frame, then he’ll have to work on refining his hand speed and precision.
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Luckily for Bradley-King, he shows a modest ceiling with his length-power combination. Additionally, he has good reps rushing inside. There, he has a bit more space, and he can use his leg churn to gain speed, in effect converting that speed into power.
If Bradley-King can put on a bit more weight and get into the 265-270 range, he could be a versatile defensive lineman with the traits necessary to provide utility both inside and outside. His athletic numbers confirm his upside there. It’s just a matter of his development at the NFL level.
Do any teams in particular mesh with Bradley-King?
Bradley-King’s stock is a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is, Bradley-King doesn’t always show enough clear athletic potential or consistency to warrant a high pick. Again, there are flashes, but they don’t come often enough.
Before the Senior Bowl, Bradley-King was likely slated to be a late-round pick. However, after showing out in front of NFL evaluators and against top competition, Bradley-King’s stock is rising. He’s still likely a Day 3 pick, but he profiles as a Round 4 or Round 5 prospect now. He has clear athletic potential, and he has a core trait to build around with his length. And if he can become more explosive, look out.
Every year, rosters churn, and teams need more depth on the defensive line. With his projected versatility, Bradley-King can be a good mid-round addition for most 4-3 teams, and if he adds more weight, he could potentially be a multifaceted 3-4 defensive end as well. Even if his draft stock doesn’t provide much security at the moment, his looming frame makes him hard to miss. And after using offseason testing and the Senior Bowl to his advantage, he may be rising up draft boards.
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