Yaya Diaby

A versatile edge defender that could have his best football ahead of him with a defined role, Diaby’s has been a huge riser throughout the process.

He finished 2022 with 9 sacks, 7 more QB hits and 19 additional hurries. At the combine he exploded onto the national radar with a 1.56 ten yard split (93rd percentile) and 4.51 forty (96th percentile) while carrying a 263 pound frame.

That burst and get off shows up on film from the jump. He’s twitchy and moves different from your average edge pass rusher. Diaby can flat out win the corner without having to do much hand fighting with the tackle at all.

When he is engaged with offensive lineman, he lacks consistent power in his hands and gets stuck on blocks. His most polished move besides outside speed was a push-pull.

Louisville had him lined up inside at times, which completely negated his strengths. An NFL staff that allows him to rush from wide alignments in attack mode could reap significant rewards on passing downs.

As Diaby works on his overall strength in the run game and as a pass rusher, his burst and explosive range is tantalizing to get the defense off the field in passing situations. That alone is worth a middle of day two pick, with the hope he can grow into an even more well rounded player.