From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on UCLA linebacker Darius Muasau.
#53 DARIUS MUASAU, LB, UCLA — 5117, 225 lbs. (RS. Senior)
Event Name
-2024 East-West Shrine Bowl and 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Darius Muasau | 5117, 225 | 9 1/2″ | 31 1/2″ | 74 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.70 | 1.59 | DNP | DNP | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’9″ | 36.5″ | DNP |
The Good
-Quick processor that shows off preparation, football IQ pre-snap; very prepared player
-Sound communicator; consistently getting teammates lined up properly, calling out plays pre-snap
-Triggers downhill quickly and closes ground in a hurry
-Shows good lateral agility and flows well sideline to sideline
-Displays ability to work through blockers and find the football between the tackles
-Packs a punch at tackle point when clicking and closing; tracks ball carrier well and takes good angles
-Motor runs extremely hot; relentless defender
-Comfortable dropping into zone, gaining good depth, and has awareness to squeeze windows
-Shows off good instincts as a defender; always around the football
The Bad
-Struggles to take on and discard lead blockers
-Can be completely engulfed by linemen reaching the second level; doesn’t have great size/length to handle it consistently
-Tends to be a bit too aggressive against the run, will run himself out of gaps and overpursue
-Lack of length leads to struggles as a tackler at times
-Limited usage in man coverage; more comfortable dropping than turning and running on tape
-Needs to add more strength to be able to hold up between the tackles in the NFL
Bio
-Played in 26 career games at UCLA, starting all 26
-Transferred from Hawaii before the 2022 season, played in 37 games with 25 starts for Rainbow Warriors
-Named All-Mountain West First Team LB in 2020 and 2021 with Hawaii
-Had 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons with Hawaii
-Led UCLA in tackles at UCLA in back-to-back seasons; 91 tackles in 2022, 71 in 2023
-Named Second Team All-PAC 12 in 2022 and 2023 with Bruins
-Finished UCLA career with 166 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, three interceptions, 10 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery
-Invited to the 2019 Polynesian Bowl coming out of high school in Hawaii
Tape Breakdown
The off-ball linebacker class might not be considered a good one overall, but there are quite a few intriguing players in the class as a whole, especially on Day 3.
One of those players is UCLA’s Darius Muasau, an experienced off-ball linebacker who dominated the Mountain West for a few seasons with Hawaii and then had a strong two seasons with UCLA after transferring.
Though he’s a bit undersized overall at 5117, 225 pounds with 31 1/2-inch arms, Muasau made plays all over the field, showing off his great instincts and range to fly around as a key part of the Bruins’ defense.
When watching Muasau’s film at UCLA in 2023, the thing that stands out immediately is how quickly he processes and then triggers downhill as a run defender. He computes things so quickly, allowing him to play fast and free.
That’s one heck of a rep clicking and closing, coming with force in the process against Oregon State.
Muasau has good speed and athleticism to split the gap between the two linemen on the zone run and blow up the running back in the hole. Put that one on a loop.
There’s just a different speed to Muasau’s game attacking downhill. It’s eye-opening.
You can tell how much time and preparation Muasau puts into the game based on his play on tape. He understands formations and is able to recall tendencies, which allows him to call things out to teammates, process quickly, and make plays.
Even when he doesn’t make the play himself, he puts his body in a position to help the rest of the defense win the rep, like cutting off an outside zone rep or turning the running back in towards teammates. It’s the little things at the linebacker position, and Muasau does them all quite well.
Though he is slightly undersized, his ability to work through traffic and find the football between the tackles is a major positive. He has a nose for the football and seemingly always finds it.
He played some on the edge at UCLA at times in certain packages, too, which was intriguing.
However, he didn’t show much from a pass-rush perspective. Where he did flash, though, was as a blitzer. Muasau was able to generate a bunch of speed and turn it into surprising power.
Muasau does a good job of staying square to the line of scrimmage in his rush and does a good job of keeping his pad level low and playing through his legs, generating power at the point of attack.
Here, he knocks the Oregon State running back backward on the blitz right into the quarterback’s lap, forcing an errant throw.
I have some concerns with Muasau, though, when he has to take on blockers at the point of attack. Again, he’s a bit undersized and is at his best when he’s able to flow freely, run, and hit. When he has to work off of blockers, though, especially at the second level, he has some issues.
He just doesn’t have the play strength to handle those types of take-on situations. It’s not within his skillset, especially when working downhill against bigger players.
That’s going to be an issue in the NFL unless he adds some weight and works on his play strength. The want-to is there, but the strength just isn’t quite there yet.
Conclusion
Overall, there is quite a bit to like with Muasau on tape coming out of UCLA. He’s a productive sideline-to-sideline linebacker who seemingly communicates very well pre-snap and plays with a motor that runs hot snaps-to-snap. He packs a punch coming downhill against the run, too, and has some great numbers in his career. I just worry about the size, the struggles taking on blockers and the lack of usage overall in coverage outside of handling route into the flat from the backfield and being asked to spot-drop in zone. He’s a bit older for a prospect, too, having turned 23 in February.
Still, he’s certainly a linebacker worth taking a chance on during Day 3 of the NFL Draft, somewhere in the 5th to 6th round. He has some good traits that teams are looking forward to in today’s new-age linebacker. He just needs some work in other areas.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 Backup/Special Teamer (5th Round)
Games Watched: San Diego State (2023), Utah (2023), Oregon State (2023), Arizona (2023), Arizona State (2023), Boise State (2023)
