Scouting Profile: DeForest Buckner vying to be 1st D-lineman off the board

Get an in-depth look at the top prospects in this year's draft class leading up to the NFL draft, which takes place from April 28-30 in Chicago.

DeForest Buckner

Position: DE
School: Oregon
College Experience: Senior
Height: 6-7
Weight: 291 lbs.
Age: 21

NFL player comparison: Calais Campbell

It's next to impossible not to see shades of the Arizona Cardinals' towering defensive lineman when watching Buckner play. Heck, the Oregon product has even publicly compared himself to Campbell, saying he tries to play with the same leverage despite their shared height.

Draft Projection: Round 1 (top five overall)

Strengths

• A difference-maker on every down. Wreaks havoc against the run and pass.
• Ideal blend of speed and power. Can run around blockers or over them.
• Generated more pass pressure from the interior of the line than nearly every edge-rusher in college football.
• Versatile enough to be deployed from several different positions along the line.
• Good vision and decisiveness. Locates the ball and tracks it down.
• Fast hands.
• Exceptional conditioning. Played more than 100 snaps in two games in 2015.

• Produced fewer sacks than his pressure rate suggests he should have. May need to improve his finishing.
• Can be effectively managed with double teams. Must learn to fight off multiple blockers.
• Height can occasionally be a disadvantage. Doesn't always maintain proper leverage.

Combine Results