Wyatt Hubert is a very interesting prospect. For a true edge rusher, Hubert is a tad undersized. He does know how to make the best of this situation though and can always be seen working to gain leverage on the line.
One of the finest parts of Hubert’s play is versatility. A lot of this analysis comes with keeping in mind how many alignments he went through in college. In the NFL, he will most likely have to be a 3-4 off-ball linebacker because of how small he is. A production monster coming out of Kansas State, Hubert is one of those guys that has the stats, but does his game translate enough to the NFL?
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Wyatt Hubert
Jersey: #56
Position: Edge Rusher
School: Kansas State
Class: Junior
Height: 6’2.5”
Weight: 265 lbs
Pass-rush Ability (8/10)
Hubert racked up a lot of sacks in college. This propelled him to a couple of first-team all-Big 12 awards and some other notable recognition within the conference. Obviously, stats and awards don’t always translate to a smooth NFL game. Hubert shows good promise in the pass-rush but does need some work. He can get a good explosion off the line and set up the lineman nicely for some hand usage. He gets really punished by longer tackles. Because of his short frame and arms, he cannot keep his distance and gets exposed many times.
Run Defense (7.25/10)
Hubert is pretty solid in the run-stuff. Again, his length and size really hurt him. While he has been able to bend and get low, he cannot set the edge with his size. This could lead to NFL teams attacking his gap in the run game. He does manage to make a lot of good plays on the ball carrier and always seems to anticipate where the run is coming. He’s inconsistent when disengaging and it’s all really about how big the lineman he’s facing is.
Explosiveness (8.75/10)
Hubert is very close to having elite explosiveness. Very close. He seems to always be lower than most traditional edge rushers and this can lead to a good burst off the line. When he gets his best burst, lookout. He can dominate the tackles in passing situations when he’s able to load everything up into his get-off.
Length (5.5/10)
His measured length can really scare NFL teams away. At his pro day, his arm length measured at just 30 inches. He’s managed to get away with short arms in a good chunk of his reps, but also just get absolutely shut down in other reps. If moved to outside linebacker, this issue of length wouldn’t be as bad as it would in the defensive end spot, but would still be pretty rough going at times. Hubert gets a plus because he understands that his length is an issue. He makes up for this in a ton of other traits, but from an overall length standpoint, it’s no good.
Hand Usage (8/10)
Again, this trait gets him hurt because of his length, and long blockers. Hubert shows no real consistency in his pass-rush moves and counters. He has shown some good flashes in this area, especially at initial contact. Hubert has been able to shed his blocker very quickly after a big burst into him. From a power standpoint, Hubert contains a really good punch and his hands are always moving. His hand usage is one of these areas where he demonstrates techniques that compensate for not having a good length.
Bend/Flexibility (7.75/10)
Low, low, and more low is the best way to describe Hubert’s bend. As mentioned previously, he makes himself so low and gets insane leverage on the offensive lineman. Lots of linemen can’t get as low as he can and have struggled to stop him on his bend. When talking about overall flexibility, it’s a little tough to tell. One thing that stands out is NFL executives during his pro day expressed the need to see a little more in this department.
Athleticism (7.50/10)
Hubert is by no means a star athlete, but he can get it done. His 4.93 40 time is a tad low for a guy with such a quick explosion off the line. He showed a good leaping ability as his pro day as well which does speak to his overall athleticism a bit. He had a 33-inch vertical jump and a 9’0″ broad jump.
Versatility (8/10)
This is a tough evaluation here. Yes, Kansas State used him all over their line, but his length may not give him the ability to do this in the NFL. This is one of those situations where the college game clearly differs from the pro game. It will certainly be interesting to see where his team will use him, but he should start off as a 3-4 outside linebacker
Football IQ (9.25/10)
Hubert has a great football IQ. He knows exactly how to play to his strengths, and avoid his weaknesses the best he can. Hubert can diagnose how the running game is setting up and look to attack from there. He seems to really understand what his job on the field is, and doesn’t try to play to anyway but his role.
Competitive Toughness (5/5)
Hubert is the most competitive guy on the field at all times. He flies to the ball and rallies his guys all the time. He was a team captain as a junior in the 2020 season which really speaks to the effort and love for the game.
Injury (4.5/5)
Hubert got hurt in the 2020 season with an undisclosed injury but did not seem to be serious as it occurred early in the year and he seemed fine the rest of the way.
Player Summary
Hubert is another one of these later-round projected edge rushers, that deserves more love. He’s also a guy who flows through one very scary trait, his length. It will be interesting to see how teams view this. If a team does take a shot on him, he may have the ability to make some plays early in his career as a passing-down specialist. Hubert is a pretty raw player who has a high ceiling. He could go anywhere between the middle of day two and late-round three. Hubert is definitely a player to keep an eye on as this year’s draft progresses.
Player Grade (79.50/100): Early-Third Round
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Charlie Parent on Twitter @Charlie_Parent
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
