Tyler Lacy, EDGE/IDL Oklahoma State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Lacy was a three-star recruit from Sachse High School in Sachse, Texas in the class of 2018

The 2023 NFL Draft features plenty of talent along the defensive line. Oklahoma State’s versatile edge rusher Tyler Lacy is one of the most unique prospects in the class. Here’s his prospect profile.

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Tyler Lacy, EDGE/IDL Oklahoma State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior defensive end from Sachse, Texas

Background: Lacy was a three-star recruit from Sachse High School in Sachse, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 842 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 827 for On3.com. Lacy was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he amassed 60 tackles, six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a safety. Lacy totaled 34 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and a safety as a high school junior. He is related to former New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross, who was a first round pick from Texas in the 2007 NFL Draft. Lacy was born on Nov. 10, 1999, in Garland, Texas.

2021 Production: 14 games, 34 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 37 pressures, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 11 games, 32 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 22 pressures, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble

2019 Production: 10 games, 20 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 12 pressures, 1 sack, 2 passes defensed

2018 Production: 0 games (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed three games in 2019 with an injury

Awards: 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches), 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches), 2021 First-Team Academic All-Big 12

Pros: Only penalized once in college, offers positional versatility with the ability to play in the A and B gaps, special teams experience on the field goal block unit, he’ll swat the guard’s hands up and win the inside shoulder, will latch and rip down interior linemen to reach the QB, surprising closing speed for a player his size, good initial step, motor runs hot in pursuit, linear speed is above average for his size, finishes tackles strong, quick enough to beat pulling guards to their spots, maintains his power and momentum through contact, disengages from blocks and redirects to the football, crashes down the line laterally to the ball carrier, experience working inside rush lanes, anchors well against the run to maintain his gap, spins back into the pocket when his rush gets too far upfield, good vision to track the running back

Cons: Lacks bend off the edge, doesn’t make much headway against double teams, late to deploy hands, lumbering mover with some tweener tendencies, good but not elite arm length, possesses above average but not elite traits across the board, wish hands packed more pop, lacks suddenness and high-end agility, doesn’t have a deep arsenal of pass rush moves and counters, limited upside as a pass rusher, large percentage of stalemate reps, struggles to flatten his arc at the top of the rush, linemen reach his chest too easily, wish his leg drive generated more backward movement in the offensive lineman, pad level occasionally becomes a concern

Overview: Lacy is unofficially listed at 6'4", 285 lbs. He applied pressure on 9.4% of his pass rush attempts in 2020 and 9.0% in 2021. Lacy is at his best when he can disengage from the offensive lineman and chase the ball in the open field because of his linear speed. He has impressive pursuit speed for a player his size, and his relentless motor is easy to spot on tape. Lacy’s size allows him to play multiple positions along the defensive line. He’s spent most of college lining up as a 5-tech, but he’s also played significant snaps as a 4-tech, 3-tech, and 2-tech. Lacy finishes tackles strong. He’s surprisingly quick for a player his size and is able to beat pulling guards to their spots. Lacy redirects to the football with ease and often flows down the line of scrimmage to crash in on run plays. The redshirt senior has a stout anchor that helps him maintain gap integrity against the run. Lacy displays impressive vision, which helps him track and predict the running back’s path. While he’s an above-average linear athlete, Lacy lacks dynamic agility and bend. His frame is stiff, which prevents him from consistently winning around the edge or taking advantage of sudden opportunities. These limitations put a cap on Lacy’s potential as a pass rusher. Many of his physical traits, including arm length and burst, are above-average but not elite. His hands are late to deploy and lack pop. Outside of a grab and rip, Lacy doesn’t display many go-to pass rush moves or counters. He’s frequently stalemated on plays until the ball leaves the pocket. Lacy’s pad level is an occasional concern, and he allows linemen into his chest too easily. While Lacy is a high-effort player, his leg drive doesn’t consistently generate backward movement in linemen.

Overall, Lacy is a muscular ball of destructive physicality with a hot motor and the desire to bury ball carriers. His positional versatility should translate to the NFL and offer him multiple paths to the field. However, Lacy appears to be a high-floor, low-ceiling player because of his physical limitations as a pass rusher.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Early Fifth to Late Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 09-05-22