The national champion Georgia Bulldogs featured a once-in-a-lifetime defensive unit. Several players are seeing first-round, and even first-pick, hype though the depth guys are making noise as well. Channing Tindall is one of these lesser-known Georgia players that could see themselves getting selected on day two. Tindall was the counterpart of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker at Georgia but provided a lot of versatility. Tindall mixed up his role on a near game-to-game basis. He was able to do a little bit of everything for head coach Kirby Smart, which will excite NFL teams. Now, we see if this jack-of-all-trades is worthy of a day two pick.
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Player Bio
Name: Channing Tindall
Jersey: No. 41
Position: Linebacker
School: Georgia
Class: Senior
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 230 lbs
Games Watched: Alabama (2021), Kentucky (2021), Arkansas (2021)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Instincts (12.75/15)
Tindall wasn’t always on the field for Georgia, so his limited reps make his instincts inconsistent for the most part. When Tindall’s instincts are at his best, they are great. He can fly to the ball and shut down the play within an instant. Tindall demonstrates this best when filtering out the outside run. Where Tindall’s instincts can struggle is being a tad slow to react to the snap and misreading the offensive line’s movement. Overall, the negatives do not outweigh the positives, and Tindall is very promising in this area of his game.
Tackling (13.5/15)
On the first play of the first game watched (against Arkansas), Tindall got stiff-armed and basically whiffed on a tackle. That left a negative first impression. However, it did not last long. Tindall gets his whole frame on the ball carrier and stands him up to make the tackle. He also has tremendous pop on his tackles, impressive for a linebacker with a frame like Tindall’s. Tindall should have few tackling issues in the NFL, which will be a big reason he’s drafted earlier than some may expect.
Block Shedding (8/10)
Another area that Tindall performs well in but doesn’t shine. With the amount of talent on Georgia’s defensive line, it was rare that linemen got into the second level against the Bulldogs. When they did, though, Tindall did a really nice job of shedding their blocks. No one is perfect, however, and there are several reps where Tindall struggled against this, but at least the potential is there for Tindall.
Run Defense (9/10)
This is where Tindall shines. For a player listed at 6-foot-1, Tindall plays much bigger than his size against the run. He’s fast to decipher the play and quick (most plays) to attack the ball carrier. Tindall is violent against the run, something NFL teams will love. Tindall’s value in this area of his play is elite for the rounds that he is projected to go in.
Pursuit/Closing Speed (7.75/10)
Tindall’s pursuit is a really weird one. There are times when Tindall seems like he’s approaching the play with 75 percent speed. Other times, he’ll unlock a second gear and fly towards the ball. It’s those plays, when Tindall is at full speed, that get you excited about what he can do. On top of that, Tindall’s 4.47 40-yard dash and 9.82 raw athletic score provide even more potential here. Tindall won’t be the most elite sideline-to-sideline player in the league, but he’ll be able to get it done when playing with maximum effort.
Pass Rush Ability (7/10)
In the intro, we discussed how Tindall’s role varies on a game-to-game basis, and it’s shown best here. Against Arkansas, Tindall barely blitzed, so the grade started low. Then, against Alabama and Kentucky, Tindall got involved a ton. He showed a little bit of bend in his rush from the linebacker spot and notably got to Bryce Young a good amount against Alabama in the National Championship game.
Man Coverage (6.75/10)
There were many opportunities for Tindall in man coverage, but he did fairly well when given a chance. The first rep on film came against John Metchie on an out-route. Metchie made Tindall’s feet look incredibly slow. However, Tindall proved he can at least stay with tight ends in that Alabama game, and especially in the Kentucky game.
Zone Coverage (7.25/10)
Tindall got a bunch more reps in zone coverage than he did, man. Here, he was more than serviceable. Tindall was able to provide value for Dan Lanning, though he has his weaknesses. You’d like Tindall to be more decisive to jump at the open receiver. Quite often, Tindall is just a tad too patient, which results in being a step too late to the pass.
Ball Skills (3/5)
Ball skills were not a part of Tindall’s skillset at Georgia. He didn’t record an interception or pass deflection in college, but he was able to force a fumble. When there’s no real sample size to go off of, you must project, and Tindall does have the athleticism, and movement ability, to do some work on the ball skills front in the NFL.
Versatility (4.5/5)
Tindall is a very versatile player without even changing positions around. He’s almost always found in the traditional inside linebacker position but has also played on the edge a tad. Tindall is able to adjust his game to whatever the game plan is. He can sit back in coverage the whole game, blitz tons, or create havoc in the run game.
Player Summary
There’s tons of talent coming from that Georgia defense, but Tindall could be the most under-the-radar. His do-it-all narrative is very accurate, and Tindall will fit with any team. The athleticism, value in the run game, and versatility are the strengths that could make Tindall a full-time starter at the next level. As for a projection, Tindall should see himself land early on day two. If he doesn’t go in the second round (which he very well could), Tindall will almost certainly go as one of the first selections in the third round.
Rookie Projection: Rotational Linebacker
Third-Year Projection: Potential Starter
Player Grade (79.5/100): Early Third-Round Pick
Pro Comparison: Dylan Cole
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