Utah State LB David Woodward’s IQ, Athleticism Will Translate To NFL
Apr 19, 2020, 8:20 PM | Updated: 8:24 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah State linebacker David Woodward has the football IQ and the athleticism that will get his name called during the NFL Draft.
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Former NFL quarterback Scott Mitchell saw a lot of positive things for Woodward that would translate to the next level. Mitchell broke down his film on SportsBeat.
“One of the things about David Woodward is that he definitely can play,” Mitchell said. “Where he plays and where he fits in, I am not sure.”
Downhill Linebacker
Mitchell immediately saw Woodward’s ability to get “downhill” and getting into the offensive backfield or a sack or a tackle for loss.
“He is a guy that is really good at playing downhill,” Mitchell stated. “You love when linebackers do that. Good linebackers at the next level, that is how they play. You have to play downhill and you can’t wait and you can’t hesitate.”
Woodward’s season was cut short due to a season-ending injury and then he decided to forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft.
Thank you Aggie Nation!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/7ZT0DMfJjg
— David Woodward (@DavidWoodward33) December 16, 2019
Finds A Way To Get To Quarterback
Mitchell was impressed at how Woodward found ways to get to the quarterback. One of the more impressive plays was when Woodward sacked future No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow from LSU when the Aggies faced the Tigers.
“The thing that keeps jumping out at me is that he is a great rushing linebacker, it just shows up over and over on his tape,” mentioned Mitchell. “He finds a way to get to the line and get to the quarterback and not everybody can do that.”
The athletic side of Woodward was a big positive as well.
“He is a guy that is super athletic and you can see that,” Mitchell said. “He is a guy that can play inside from tackle to tackle.”
Congrats to @DavidWoodward33 on being named First-Team All-@MountainWest!
🔗 https://t.co/1E1Klsnh1o#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/8pEKnbLLfW
— USU Football (@USUFootball) December 4, 2019
The few weaknesses that Mitchell saw in the tape on Woodward was his lateral quickness. The NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25. Check out the full film breakdown from Scott Mitchell on David Woodward at the top of the story.
