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Mason Thompson | April 15th, 2020
Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin, #56
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 238 lbs
Eligibility: Redshirt Senior
Games Watched: Nebraska (2018), Penn State (2018), USF (2019), Michigan State (2019), Illinois (2019)
Make sure to check out all of our other scouting reports here.
| Tackling | 9/10 Really solid here. Misses some tackles but when he connects, he shoots through the tackler and wraps up. | |||||||||
| Football IQ | 10/10 Always seems to know where the ball is going before it’s snapped. He makes up for limited strength and power by using his intelligence. | |||||||||
| Block Shedding | 8/10 Uses technique more than strength to shed blocks. Hand usage to push linemen off and uses his quickness to attack. | |||||||||
| Mental Processing | 9/10 Really improved in 2019. In 2018 he was hesitant to attack and in 2019, had a point-and-shoot mentality, even if it was wrong. Good at reading the offense and quarterback and has baited the quarterback into bad throws. | |||||||||
| Rush Ability | 8.5/10 Wisconsin primarily used him as an edge rusher. Good bend and uses a variety of moves such as an inside spin move and rip-and-dip. | |||||||||
| Short Area Quickness | 10/10 Great first step. Immediately has an advantage over the lineman. Very technical and uses explosiveness to his advantage. | |||||||||
| Cover Ability | 8.5/10 Wisconsin used Baun similar to Andrew Van Ginkel. Edge rushers with great cover ability. Good in both man and zone coverage but will get overpowered in one-on-ones in the wrong situation. | |||||||||
| Strength | 6.5/10 Good lower-body strength, but his upper body strength needs work. Will get thrown to the sides sometimes by powerful linemen. | |||||||||
| Change of Direction | 7.5/10 Sometimes looks stiff but can also surprise you. Flows fairly and follows the carrier and attacks. | |||||||||
| Motor | 5/5 Motor is always running. Always looking for the ball and attacking the ball carrier. | |||||||||
| Injury | 3/5 Back-to-back broken left foot in 2017 and 2018. | |||||||||
| Overall | 85/100 I graded Baun as a linebacker while most have graded him as an edge rusher. He is best fit in a 3-4 system as an outside linebacker for a team that is willing to work around his strengths. Baltimore or New England seems like an ideal fit and are within striking range. | Round Grade: Late 1st-Round, Round | Projection: Late-1st-Early 2nd Round | **NOTE** – Baun had a diluted sample at the combine, most likely from drinking too much water. This isn’t a big deal and shouldn’t impact his stock. | Player Comp: Jamie Collins. |
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