2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: LB Leo Chenal, Wisconsin

Nick Falato explains why LB Leo Chenal would make a solid Day 2 selection for the Giants.

Leo Chenal, LB

Height: 6’3
Weight: 250 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Wisconsin
Arm length: 31”
Hand size: 9 ¾”

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A former three-star prospect out of Grantsburg, Wisconsin, where he attended Grantsburg High School, Chenal was recruited as an athlete. He was the 35th ranked athlete in the 2019 cycle and the second-ranked recruit out of Wisconsin. Chenal’s older brother John was a senior fullback for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Notables

Chenal recorded 178 tackles, 25.5 for a loss, 11 sacks, 47 pressures, three forced fumbles, an interception, and 98 STOPS through 1,161 total snaps, spanning three seasons. Chenal missed the first few games of Wisconsin’s season in 2021 with COVID-19. He was dynamic once he returned; he recorded 115 tackles, 18.5 for a loss, eight sacks, 26 pressures, 63 STOPS, and two forced fumbles.

He was a 2021 first-team All Big-10 selection. Chenal reportedly was playing at around 260-pounds which is a ridiculous thought for a modern-day linebacker. Although heavy, Chenal has athletic ability, albeit he’s more of a downhill-blitzing threat. He tested through the roof at the NFL Scouting Combine and his Pro Day.

Here are his numbers:

• 40-yard-dash: 4.53
• Vertical jump: 40.5"
• Broad jump: 10'8"
• Bench press: 34 reps
• 3-Cone: 6.84s
• Short Shuttle: 3.94s

Players his size shouldn’t have those explosive numbers, or move as quickly and as efficiently as Chenal does. He will be a day two pick, probably in the third round, and maybe at pick 36 to the Giants.

Strengths

• Wild size with good athletic ability - has a 1990s LB build
• Great, low, base who is JACKED up
• Plays with great balance
• Used frequently to penetrate and pressure from second-level (sometimes stacked, sometimes on the bubble)
• Exceptionally strong at the point of attack, rare upper-body strength
• Runs with reckless abandon when blitzing and penetrating downhill
• Keeps loops tight - no wasted movements when coming off the EDGE while disguised presnap
• Can improve instincts as a run defender, but brings a ton of power and authority to the tackle point
• When he does read the play correctly, he does a very good job scraping over the top of trash and positioning himself squarely in his assigned gap
• Does a great job securing tackles
• Runs low in pursuit and is difficult to block if don’t have elite angles
• Plays with great leverage, shot out of a cannon coming downhill
• Navigates through traffic well
• Isn’t great in coverage, but showed the fluidity to ROBOT (roll-over and back) off play action to cover TE seam routes
• Insatiable competitive toughness

View all of Nick Falato's draft prospect profiles right here / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Can Improve

• Has some stiffness moving laterally, albeit he showed the ability to flip his hips and ROBOT up the seam
• Changing direction with momentum isn’t a strength, despite his elite testing
• Tends to overpursue the run which left him susceptible to play-action passes
• Guesses a bit when reading the offense - doesn’t always optimally position himself
• Sheds well with his play strength, but his hand technique could improve
• Is more run first than pass aware (was that how he was coached?)
• Raw in coverage - both man and zone
• Doesn’t have much ball production despite 468 total snaps in coverage
• Is still raw - which means there’s a lot of room for growth which isn’t a bad thing

Summary

Overall, Leo Chenal has rare size with the functional play-athletic ability to have an impact in the NFL. He tested insanely well, but there are concerns about quick COD and space fluidity to consistently handle coverage assignments. However, he’s explosive and closes width quickly with solid long-speed.

Chenal is a true downhill thumper who packs a mean powerful punch while blitzing. He’s best utilized in a scheme that will take advantage of his ability to apply pressure from the second level. He’s a Wink Martindale type of player. 

He is still raw with his hands, coverage, and his ability to process is inconsistent (he was out of position a lot against Purdue when reading run keys); however, he’s young with a ton of upside to develop better technique and his athletic ability (combined with his rare size) are difficult to acquire in the NFL. Chenal should be a target for the Giants on Day 2.

GRADE: 6.28

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