2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Leo Chenal

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Leo Chenal, 6-3/261 Outside Linebacker Wisconsin

Leo Chenal Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous pass rusher

Quick to run around the corner

Good leverage to get underneath tackles

Instinctive

Speed off the edge

Burst to close

Solid tackler

Very strong

Can hold his ground

Tough to move in the ground game

Toughness

Will contribute in the ground game

Weaknesses:

Has some limitations as a pursuit run defender

Stiffness

Issues with redirecting

Tight

Could stand to improve play recognition

Vision needs to get better

Summary: Chenal first saw extensive playing time for the Badgers in the shortened 2020 season, racking up a solid 40 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. In 2021, he was one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the Big Ten with eight sacks, two forced fumbles and 96 tackles on the season.

Chenal is a tough pass rusher who has a good motor and fights hard. Last year, he showed real power as a rusher, and even though he is not big, he is very strong for his size. Chenal possesses the strength to shed and uses that power to put quarterbacks into the turf with some violence. Off the snap, Chenal has some burst in a straight line to get upfield. He has some stiffness, however, giving him issues with redirecting. His best fit could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Chenal was not an impressive pass-coverage linebacker at Wisconsin. He has tightness that makes him a poor fit for pass coverage in the NFL.

In run defense, Chenal is very strong in the box and is tough for offensive lineman to move. He can stack and hold his ground well while showing the ability to get off blocks. Chenal, however, is a heavier linebacker who could have issues being productive in pursuit chasing down pro backs. Vision and play recognition are areas where Chenal needs to get better.



Chenal lacks some weight to be an every-down edge defender. He could use more refinement on pass-rushing moves for the NFL, and it wold help him to get stronger.

For the NFL, Chenal could be a Sam – strongside – linebacker in a 4-3 defense who rushes off the edge in the sub package. In a 3-4 defense, Chenal could be an outside linebacker who also might be able to play some on the inside in run downs and rushes off the edge in the sub package. His best fit could come in a 3-4. In the 2022 NFL Draft, Chenal could go as high as the second round and probably won’t slide lower than the fourth round. Some evaluators graded him in Round 2, but in a survey of sources, the majority had him as a third- or fourth-round pick.



Player Comparison: Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy (6-3, 250) is similar size to Chenal, and both are versatile linebackers. In college, Van Noy was a prolific sacker of the quarterback, and in the NFL, he has turned into a well-rounded defender who can contribute in pass coverage as well as rush the quarterback. I think Chenal could follow a similar pattern as a pro. Van Noy was an early second-round pick – 40th overall – in the 2014 NFL Draft, and Chenal similarly could go on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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