Aaron Brule, LB Michigan State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Brule was a three-star recruit from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, La. in the class of 2018

Linebacker and edge hybrid Jacoby Windmon is Michigan State’s most well-known transfer addition and one of the program’s top prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft. However, Mississippi State linebacker Aaron Brule also joined the Spartans this season as a transfer and has his own intriguing prospect profile.

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Aaron Brule, LB Michigan State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year graduate linebacker from New Orleans, La.

Background: Brule was a three-star recruit from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, La. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 465 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 485 for On3.com. Brule was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Kansas before changing his mind to Georgia. Brule eventually decommitted from Georgia and enrolled at Mississippi State. In high school, he played an outside linebacker/safety hybrid role. He also played basketball at Archbishop Rummel. Brule graduated from Mississippi State in Dec. 2021. He transferred from Mississippi State to Michigan State in Jan. 2022. Brule was born on May 15, 2000.

2021 Production: 12 games, 53 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 27 pressures, 3 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 11 games, 74 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 40 pressures, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 passes defensed

2019 Production: 13 games, 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 5 pressures, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery

2018 Production: 4 games, 1 tackle (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, cut back on missed tackles in 2022, significant experience both as a pass rusher and in coverage, utilizes a spin move as a pass rusher, blitzes off the outside and up the middle, rushes with good leverage, uses his speed and physicality to defeat blockers, rarely penalized, explosive & quick trigger coming downhill, good pursuit and recovery speed, absorbs, sheds, and works off of blocks to the football, motor runs hot, keeps eyes in the backfield, intense closing burst

Cons: Age, missed tackles were an issue at Mississippi State, lacks elite arm length and play strength, doesn’t have high-end spatial awareness in coverage, struggles to break free when linemen catch him in pass pro, able to be out-leveraged and displaced against the run, lacks sideline-to-sideline range, guilty of over pursuing and running himself out of plays, inconsistent in his ability to disengage climbing blockers, allows blockers into his pads, footwork appears hoppy and awkward in space, pass rush primarily relies on speed instead of refinement, questionable agility and coverage instincts, takes the eye candy on play action and fakes, hands need to engage sooner as a pass rusher, appears to have average arm length at best, must gain more depth in his coverage drops, some tightness in his hips in coverage and when trying to bend around the edge

Overview: Brule is unofficially listed at 6'2", 242 lbs. He’s gradually become a larger part of Michigan State’s game plan as he becomes more familiar with the program’s system and injuries pile up. Brule only played 25 or more defensive snaps in three of Michigan State’s first seven games in 2022. In comparison, he played 35 or more defensive snaps eight times for Mississippi State in 2021. The former three-star recruit is a downhill defender who projects best into a 4-3 system where he’ll play an attacking or penetrating role on early downs. By the end of the 2022 season, he’ll have more than 500 career snaps on special teams. Mississippi State frequently used Brule as a blitzing linebacker. While he primarily rushed off the edge, the fifth-year linebacker also shot through the A and B gaps where he could take advantage of less athletic linemen. Brule totaled 67 pressures combined in the 2020 and 2021 seasons while rushing the passer more than 300 times. He deploys an effective spin move off the edge against tackles, rushes with good leverage, and his speed makes it difficult for interior linemen to frame their blocks, allowing him to slip by. Brule’s relentless motor can sometimes lead to him reaching the quarterback on extended drop backs. However, Brule doesn’t have the technical development, bend, or natural instincts as a pass rusher to play 3-4 outside linebacker. In the run game, his speed allows him to beat blockers to their landmarks, often putting tight ends or pulling linemen in compromised positions. Brule has a quick and explosive downhill trigger. His speed helps in pursuit, and he’s quick enough to recover from the occasional misstep. Brule has flashes of working off blocks well and flowing to the football. He always keeps his eyes in the backfield, waiting for a reason to trigger downhill. Missed tackles were a concern for Brule at Mississippi State, but he’s largely fixed the issue with the Spartans. His play strength is sometimes an issue in the run game. Blocking linemen or tight ends get into Brule’s pads and are able to displace him. He gets out leveraged in the run game, and his average-sized arms don’t help him break free in these situations. The Louisiana native needs to engage his hands sooner when confronted with a blocker. Despite his burst, Brule lacks sideline-to-sideline range. He’s guilty of being too aggressive and running himself out of plays by over-pursuing or leaving his assigned gap. Brule is always looking in the backfield, which leads to him biting on play action and fakes. There are concerns about his projection in pass coverage. Brule’s footwork appears hoppy and awkward in space. His agility is questionable, and his coverage instincts are underdeveloped. Brule needs to gain more depth in his coverage drops. He displays some tightness in his hips in coverage and when trying to bend around the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder as an edge rusher.

Overall, Brule is a punishing early-down, explosive downhill linebacker who knows how to penetrate as a pass rusher and blow up run plays, but he lacks the skills in coverage to consistently contribute in late-down situations. Brule will find a home because of his experience on special teams and high effort, but his tweener role from Mississippi State doesn’t have a clean projection to the NFL.

Role & Scheme Fit: Early-down attacking downhill 4-3 outside linebacker

Round Projection: Mid Sixth to UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 10-18-22