NFL Draft Profile: Benton Whitley, Defensive End, Holy Cross Crusaders

NFL draft profile scouting report for Holy Cross defensive end, Benton Whitley

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#17
Pos: DE
Ht: 6024
Wt: 257
Hand: 0968
Arm: 3358
Wing: 8158
DOB: 2/12/_
Eligibility: 2022
Springfield, MA
Minnechaug Regional High School

Benton Whitley
Holy Cross Crusaders

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One-Liner:

Defensive end with very good flexibility, average size and straight-line athleticism.

Pros:

Defensive end who displays great bend and agility which allows him to flatten back to the quarterback while accelerating. Whitley beats slow-footed blockers with horizontal pads by crossing their face with his lateral quickness. His hand placement on pass rush moves is very good, being consistently on time and on target. Whitley uses a chop move to beat the punch of blockers with vertical pads. He lands his long arm while maintaining favorable leverage. Whitley recognizes oversets and counters inside. Showing mental alertness, he gets his hands into throwing lanes in the quick game. 

Cons:

Only possessing average snap timing, first step explosiveness and burst, Whitley is unable to consistently threaten tackles with his athleticism. While he is able to create slight knockback converting speed to power, he does frequently lose his balance on impact. Whitley lacks violence in his hands when using power moves or trying to shed. He does not set the edge reliably and gets driven off the ball by double teams. As a tackler, he falls off of bigger ball carriers, lacking the physicality to finish. Whitley shows poor eyes when left unblocked, not maintaining gap integrity.

Summary:

Bendy defensive end with average size and straight-line athleticism. Whitley can win as a pass rusher by using his precise hands or very good lateral quickness. He lacks physicality and violence, making him a liability in the run game. Whitley projects as a developmental pass rusher who has desirable traits with his agility and should be a capable special teamer. If he can add significant strength in the NFL, he can become a rotational player. 

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Grades:

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

6.2 / 7.3

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