Dylan Horton, EDGE TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Horton was a three-star safety recruit from Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas in the class of 2018
The TCU Horned Frogs are headed to the College Football Playoff. Everyone pays attention to the team’s high-powered offense and star-studded secondary, but defensive end Dylan Horton is quietly one of TCU’s best players. He will hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Dylan Horton, EDGE TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fifth year senior defensive end from Frisco, Texas
Background: Horton was a three-star safety recruit from Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,999 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,951 for On3.com. Horton was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and didn’t receive a star ranking or grade from ESPN. He lettered in football and basketball and competed in the long jump and high jump in high school. Horton earned First Team All-District 13-5A honors as a safety during his junior season. He also received All-District 13-5A honors in basketball. Horton originally committed to SMU before switching to New Mexico. He transferred to TCU ahead of the 2020 season. Horton has added roughly 75 lbs. since entering college.
2021 Production: 12 games, 51 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 21 pressures, 4 sacks
2020 Production: 8 games, 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 9 pressures, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
2019 Production: 5 games, 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 10 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed
2018 Production: 12 games, 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 3 pressures, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed seven games in 2019 with an ankle injury
Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Pros: Rarely penalized, displayed alignment versatility in 2022, special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, punt coverage, kick coverage, and field goal block units, hands are active and engage the lineman early in the rep, quick off the line, strength to work through half-man rush, ankle flexibility to flatten his outside rush to the quarterback, flows down the line of scrimmage to the football, sheds linemen and redirects to the ball, room to add weight to his lower body, good change of direction skills for his size to redirect to the football, attacks the tackle’s inside shoulder, offers closing speed to chase down plays to the near sideline, spin move, arm-over move, motor runs hot, rip move to the tackle’s inside shoulder, shows some upside shooting the B-gap, showcased ability to set the edge versus Texas (2022), aggressive and hungry run defender and pass rusher
Cons: Age, doesn’t generate anything against double teams, lower half appears a little lean, lacks elite arm length, frequently displaced against the run, doesn’t get his hands up for PBUs, over pursues down the line at times opening a cutback lane, struggled to anchor and hold his ground against the run versus Kansas State (2022), hands lack pop to stun linemen, won’t reduce inside frequently at the NFL level, limited advanced pass rush moves or sequences, lacks counters and full mental pass rush plan, shows stiffness in hips and upper body when attempting to bend around the edge, execution of swim and spin moves needs to be quicker and crisper, lacks elite speed
Overview: Horton is unofficially listed at 6'4", 275 lbs. He applied pressure on 9.8% of his pass rush attempts in 2021 and 11.55% through his first 13 appearances in 2022. TCU lines Horton up as a 3-tech, 4-tech, and 5-tech, often giving him snaps in all three roles every game. He’s added roughly 75 lbs. since high school, including roughly 30 lbs. since arriving at TCU. Horton’s impact in 2022 was limited by TCU’s 3-3-5 scheme, which didn’t create many opportunities for him to operate as a traditional 4-3 defensive end. The scheme also forced Horton to face double teams as a pass rusher, and he’s not physically dominant enough to beat multiple linemen regularly. His hands are active and engage the lineman early in the rep. Horton displays some explosiveness off the line. He sheds linemen and redirects to the ball against the run. Horton flows down the line of scrimmage to the football, but sometimes he over-pursues and opens cutback lanes. The former safety recruit showcases good change of direction skills for his size. He offers the closing speed to chase down plays to the near sideline but doesn’t have elite speed. Horton’s motor runs hot, and he adopts an aggressive and hungry mentality as a run defender and pass rusher. He has the ankle flexibility to flatten his outside rush to the quarterback but shows stiffness in his hips and upper body when attempting to bend around the edge. As a pass rusher, Horton utilizes spin moves, swim moves, and a rip move to the tackle’s inside shoulder. However, these moves appear segmented at times and lack fluidity. Horton shows some upside shooting the B-gap thanks to his explosiveness. He has the strength to set the edge against the run but does it inconsistently. Horton held his own fine on the edge against Bijan Robinson and Texas (2022) but struggled to avoid giving ground against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Texas native is highly experienced on special teams with snaps on the kick return, punt return, kick coverage, punt coverage, and field goal block units. Horton appeared on Bruce Feldman’s 2022 Freaks List for The Athletic. Per Feldman, the TCU defensive lineman has posted a 38" vertical and 10'0" broad jump in the past. He also reportedly runs a 4.55 40-yard dash, power cleans 400 lbs., and squats 700 lbs. Horton lacks elite arm length but meets NFL thresholds. He doesn’t generate any push against double teams. The fifth-year senior lacks the pop in his hands to stun linemen and doesn’t get his hands up for pass breakups consistently. It’s unlikely Horton’s alignment versatility translates to the NFL. Horton displays limited advanced pass rush moves or sequences and lacks a diverse arsenal of counters once his initial rush dies.
Overall, Horton is a developing edge rusher with athletic upside and an intriguing frame who hasn’t showcased the full extent of his abilities because of scheme limitations. He will continue developing his pass rush plan once he’s allowed to play a more traditional role at the next level.
Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 scheme
Round Projection: Late Fourth to Late Fifth
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 12-07-22