NFL Draft Profile: Tyler Lacy, Defensive Lineman, Oklahoma State Cowboys

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Oklahoma State iDL Tyler Lacy

#89
Pos: iDL
Ht: 6043
Wt: 279
Hand: 1078
Arm: 3328
Wing: 7838
40: 5.11
DOB: 11/10/1999
Hometown: Sachse, TX
High School: Sachse
Eligibility: 2023

Tyler Lacy
Oklahoma State Cowboys

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One-Liner:

A key piece of Oklahoma State’s quietly-stacked defensive line, Tyler Lacy has the versatility to play 4-3 defensive tackle, 3-4 defensive end, and even rush nose. Though his power and movement are inconsistent and his frame stiff, the Cowboys’ standout employs active hands and non-stop leg drive to capitalize on any mistake by his opponents. He plays with stellar effort to chase down ball carriers. He is a rookie backup with role-player potential.

Evaluation:

Two traits that NFL teams tend to covet in the NFL Draft are experience and versatility. Oklahoma State’s Tyler Lacy is a multi-year starter for the Cowboys and has lined up everywhere from three-tech to seven-tech. His clear effort, passion, technical refinement, and ability to fill multiple spots should make him a coach’s dream. Lacy employs early and advanced hands that work through disengagement or the whistle. He always plays with a pass rush plan and uses a diverse set of moves. Lacy practices salesmanship to force false steps. The Oklahoma State standout wins late by pairing his non-stop hand usage and leg drive with his knack for taking advantage of any mistake opponents make. For his size, Lacy is a passable mover with flashes of lateral suddenness to sidestep linemen with stagnant feet. He can win with speed rushes and counters up the interior. Lacy also has the length and upper body strength to establish distance and stack blockers. In run defense, the Texas native tracks and works to the ball carrier well through engagement. He can make tackles through blocks and has a solid anchor to eat space. He maintains sound gap discipline and can set the edge. Lacy’s best trait is his hustle. He gives elite effort to chase down ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage or downfield. He is a very physical tackler who will get involved in gang tackles and make big hits. Despite Lacy’s various appealing traits, his inconsistent movement, power, and bend leave him with a very uncertain projection to the NFL. His substantial experience is somewhat undermined by his almost positionless profile and his minimal success against NFL prospects. What’s more, Lacy is a sluggish mover with a below-average first step. He cannot reliably disengage from blockers or capitalize on successful hand moves. He is fairly stiff and, as a result, has trouble cornering or changing direction. Linemen mirror him too easily. Further, Lacy’s power is inconsistent. He rarely attempts power moves and fails to regularly generate a push when he does. He is controlled, sealed, and washed often. At engagement, Lacy typically keeps a high pad level and squares his frame to blockers. He allows hands to his frame without much resistance. Lacy cannot reliably break a blocker’s grip once they latch on. For all his rush moves, the Cowboys’ defender rarely wins early. He cannot consistently mirror ball carriers.

Grade:

5th Round

Background:

Tyler Lacy, from Sachse, Texas, is a tremendous player on the defensive side of the ball for Oklahoma State. Even though he did not play his first season, which he redshirted, he saw action in ten games in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, he received several awards including 2020 and 2021 he received All Big 12 Honorable Mention and in 2021, he was First Team Academic All Big 12. Lacy is Sports Management Major and son of Marvin and Veronica Lacy.