College: Arizona State
Height: 6’0” 3/4
Weight: 250
Strengths
Agility: As expected of a “small” player, Bradford is extremely agile in his pass rushing and pass coverage. He has excellent feet and plays the game with great balance. When dropping into coverage he is one of the better linebackers when he comes to turning and running with receivers downfield.
Versatility: Bradford demonstrated in college that he can rush the passer in a number of ways as well as drop into man and zone coverage. As a rusher he displays great leverage and hip flexibility when attack around the outside as well as strength and punch when blitzing up the middle. His man coverage skills are mentioned above and he also does a solid job in zone coverage with good footwork and awareness.
Intelligence: A read-and-react player, Bradford carries out his assignments very well. He reads blocks, plays with his eyes up and sheds blockers in a timely fashion to attack ball carriers. When setting the edge he maintains position and discipline by not allowing mobile quarterbacks freedom to run.
Production: During his sophomore and junior seasons Bradford tallied 142 tackles, 39.5 of which were for a loss, 20 sacks, six forced fumbles and nine passes deflected.
Weaknesses
Size/strength: At just under 6’1” tall Bradford lacks bulk to play at the line of scrimmage. He is, at times, easily pushed around and manoeuvred out of plays by smart offensive blockers. When pass rushing if a blocker gets their hands on him he does not have the length to get back in the play and make something happen. He is reliant on burst and speed to make plays.
NFL Comparison
Jason Worilds, Pittsburgh Steelers. When Worilds entered the NFL he was an undersized defensive end who made a transition to outside linebacker. Bradford also finds himself in this category and, like Worilds, must prove himself in coverage if he is to see extended playing time.
Draft Outlook
Bradford could be luckily enough to hear his name called on day two of the NFL Draft but it is likely his true stock lies within the third and fourth rounds.
Best Fits
Potential landing spots for Bradford could be the Colts, Rams, Eagles or Ravens.
Follow Richard on Twitter @Richard_Gatenby