Kyler Fackrell | Outside Linebacker | Utah State | 6'5" - 245 lbs.
PLAYER OVERVIEWFackrell returned from a serious knee injury as a junior to emerge as a first team all-Mountain West player in 2015, leading the nation with five fumble recoveries while recording a team-high 15 tackles for loss and a school-record 12 quarterback hurries. He also had 4.0 sacks while become a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and earning an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Fackrell suffered a season-ending torn ACL in September of 2014 after emerging the previous season with a team-best 13.0 tackles for loss, adding 82 tackles, 5.0 sacks and a 99-yard interception for a touchdown.
STRENGTHS: Tall, long-levered frame. Worked hard to develop his muscle and limb strength. Loose athlete with smooth redirection skills and long strides to cover a lot of ground. Lateral quickness to sidestep blocks or string plays to the outside. Active rusher and quick to read, adjust his angle and close. Uses his length to engage and lock out.
Looks natural in reverse and has experience in coverage. Offers athletic versatility and natural ball-skills (eight passes defended and four interceptions in his career).
Played on special teams coverages in college, including one blocked kick. Humble and hard-working, but also feisty and competitive - singled out as the leader of the defense by his head coach. Football junkie who already works and prepares like a professional. Highly productive with 253 tackles and 36.0 tackles for loss over 41 career starts.
WEAKNESSES: Lean-muscled body type with lanky bulk. Not a forceful player at the point of attack and needs to develop his take-on strength to push through the shoulder of blockers. Plays tall and too easily caught up in the crowd. Quick hands, but shed technique and block recognition requires fine-tuning.
Needs to better break down and finish in space. Long-legged mover, leading to choppy steps and lost balance in short-areas. Inconsistent backfield vision and anticipation, which leads to overaggressive tendencies.
Older prospect and will be a 25-year old NFL rookie. Missed all of the 2014 season due to an ACL tear in his right knee (Sept. 2014).
IN OUR VIEW: A three-year starter, Fackrell lined up as an edge rusher and outside linebacker in Utah State's 3-4 base and was a jack-of-all-trades defender who rushed and dropped in coverage.
He is a tall, long-armed and flexible athlete with range and closing burst, doing his best work in space because he's not a power player. Fackrell can be too easily controlled at the point of attack and needs to develop his take-on strength to better dispose of blockers, but the competitive toughness is there. He has above average intangibles and you won't find anyone who says something negative about him as a person.
Fackrell isn't an explosive player, but floats with great effort in pursuit and offers functional versatility to be an every-down player, ideally suited in a 3-4 scheme.
--Dane Brugler (2/13/16)