Syrus Webster, Washington State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Webster was a two-star recruit from West Jordan High School in West Jordan, Utah in the class of 2021

Former Utah Tech edge rusher Syrus Webster kicks off small school prospect week. The senior transferred to Washington State this summer. He checks in with a late Day 3 grade but has the pass rush plan to rapidly improve his evaluation throughout the season. Webster has some of the highest upward mobility among the prospects we’ll cover this week.

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Syrus Webster, Edge Washington State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior defensive end/outside linebacker from West Jordan, Utah

Background: Webster was a two-star recruit from West Jordan High School in West Jordan, Utah in the class of 2021. He was a two-star recruit for 247Sports but did not receive a national ranking. Webster did not receive a star rating or grade from Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. He transferred from Utah Tech to Washington State for the 2024 season. Webster lettered all four years in high school. He was a First Team All-Region honoree twice as he amassed career totals of 80 tackles, including 30 tackles for loss with 17 sacks, and 38 quarterback hurries. Webster also lettered in basketball and track, winning regional championships in both sports.

Injuries & Off-Field: While at Utah Tech, he became the third member in program history to wear the No. 3 jersey in honor of the memory of former Utah Tech/Dixie State linebacker Abraham Reinhardt.

Awards: 2022 First Team All-WAC, 2023 First Team All-UAC, 2023 Stats Perform Third Team FCS All-American, 2023 Team Captain

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, field goal block, and field goal units, vocal and well-spoken leader, will interview well, physically well-conditioned player who hustles for 80+ snaps per game regularly, active and forceful hands to combat blocks, good violence in hand and arm usage, accurate hands to target and trap the tackle’s hands, notable upper body strength vs. WAC/UAC offensive tackles, two-handed swipe, speed rush, polished spin move, chains a long-arm into an inside swim, swim move, club-swim, push-pull move, works long-arm into a pull, nice grip strength, some flashes of speed to power, lowers his pad level to get under tackles’ hands at the top of the arc, good timing on B-gap counters, good speed and gap exchange on stunts, consistent production forcing fumbles, absolutely can’t leave him unblocked, too strong and active for WAC/UAC TEs or RBs to block one-on-one, fires two hands into the tackle’s chest to help create separation off blocks, bounces off blocks and redirects to the football, stacks, peaks, & sheds blockers off a long-arm, takes on climbing blockers with a wide base, motor runs hot, small school mad man, hustle in pursuit, solid open field speed, closing burst as a backside run defender

Cons: Appears lighter than his listed weight, frame is still lean, inconsistent play strength, arm length might come into question, lower competition level, not a twitchy or elite-level explosive athlete, more of a long-strider than a speedster, average burst off the line, hand placement on the long-arm move is a little high, didn’t face many jump sets in 2023, pass rush counters need to diversify, inconsistent anchor-breaking ability, inconsistent pad level neutralizes power, limited bend poses significant hindrance, doesn’t unlock hips often, tackles can drive him up and around the pocket, no impact vs. G-T double teams, frame could pose concerns against more run-oriented teams, displaced when pad level rises, carried out of plays when tackles get into his pads, instances of being sealed and allowing significant B-gap run lane, arm tackles slip off ball carriers, a few instances of losing gap integrity, doesn’t get hands in passing lanes often

Overview: Webster has special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, field goal block, and field goal units. At Utah Tech, he primarily aligned as a 5-tech in two and three-point stances and as a wide-9. Webster is a vocal, hard working, and well-spoken leader that coaches who emphasize organizational culture will love. His work ethic shines on the football field and translates to other areas of offseason and in-season preparation. Webster is well-conditioned as he frequently plays for 70 or more defensive snaps in a game, plus roughly a dozen special teams snaps. He played a combined 99 snaps against Austin Peay in 2023. The new Washington State transfer displays active and violent hand and arm usage in his rush plan. He uses his accurate hands to target and trap the tackle’s hands. Webster’s frame is still lean, and he appears lighter than his listed weight, which can lead to some inconsistent play strength. However, he displayed impressive upper body strength over the past few seasons. Webster’s pass rush plan includes a speed rush, two-handed swipe, swims, club-swims, push-pulls, chaining long-arms into inside swims, working long-arms into pulls, and very polished spin moves. His grip strength pops on those pulls. Webster shows some flashes of speed to power. He only has limited bend and doesn’t disconnect his hips from his lower body often to turn the corner, which leads to him being driven up and around the pocket. He did show some ability to loosen his hips and get low while working speed to power off the edge with a long-arm move against Stephen F. Austin (2023). The former two-star recruit times his B-gap counters well, usually after giving a vertical push and widening the gap. He plays with good speed and exchanges gaps cleanly on stunts. Webster’s arm measurements will be important as he seems to be on the border for checking that box. He is not a twitchy or highly explosive athlete. Webster has average burst off the line and relies more on his long strides than true speed. His hand placement on long-arm moves is a little high, and he hasn’t built in too many counters to revive rushes when he takes on heavy contact early in the play. While he is powerful, the senior doesn’t consistently break anchors, and his pad level contributes to him being out-leveraged. He is very easy to displace in the run game when his pad level rises because he loses his ability to anchor and lacks the natural mass to hold his position. Fortunately, he often fires his hands into the tackle’s chest to propel himself off blocks and redirect to the football. Webster uses a long-arm to stack, peak, and shed blocks. He is too strong for FCS tight ends or running backs to block one-on-one and even takes on climbing blockers with a wide base. His closing burst and pursuit make him someone offenses can’t leave unblocked. Additionally, his motor is always on fire. Webster’s highlight tape of hustle plays in pursuit will rival all other defensive prospects in the 2025 class. The All-UAC selection doesn’t have the frame to handle double teams and might struggle against more run-oriented offenses at higher levels of competition. Tackles drive him out of plays when they get into his pads. There are reps where he is sealed and allows significant B-gap run lanes. He’s also not immune to slipping off tackles or losing gap integrity.

Overall, Webster’s relentless motor and well-developed pass rush plan set him apart at Utah Tech. His mentality and work ethic give him a strong chance to succeed at the FBS level and significantly improve his draft stock. Webster has high-level upward mobility in the draft if he can continue adding to his pass rush arsenal and become a more consistent run defender at the point of attack.

Role & Scheme Fit: Early career designated pass rusher in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Size: 6'4", 255 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 04-10-24