From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to 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, I’ll be profiling Texas defensive lineman Keondre Coburn.
#99 Keondre Coburn, DL, Texas (Senior) — 6011, 344 Lbs.
Shrine Bowl participant
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Keondre Coburn | 6011, 344 | 9 1/8″ | 31 1/2″ | 77″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A |
The Good
-Explosive movement for a man his size; underrated athletically
-Impressive power overall and converts speed to power with great success in bull rush
-Powerful lower half to hold up on interior; won’t be displaced often
-Understands lever and plays with outstanding pad level overall
-Showed a knack for shooting gaps and penetrating into backfield when asked to shoot and disrupt
-Fluid hips on stunts and twists; moves extremely well in space
-Motor runs hot consistently when on the field
-Displayed good upper body strength and torque to discard blockers
-Assignment sound player that won’t take himself out of plays
The Bad
-Short, squatty frame with short arms overall for position
-Must develop hand usage more; often out of control swinging hands with no real plan
-Eats up a lot of space but is inconsistent getting off blocks to make plays
-Overall production for a five-year career severely lacking in Power 5
-On the older side for prospects at the position
-Limited snap count at Texas, never playing more than 40 snaps in a game last season
Bio
-Spent five seasons at Texas, playing in 51 career games with 45 starts for the Longhorns
-Finished career with 96 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, one blocked kick for Texas
-Named Second Team All-Big 12 Selection by both the Big 12 Conference head coaches and the Associated Press in 2022
-Was an honorable motional All-Big 12 defensive lineman in 2022
-Was a three-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll while at Texas
-Competed in the Under Armor All-American game coming out of high school; was the No. 2 DT in the country and No. 6 player in Texas (No. 47 overall nationally)
-Has seven siblings; was originally born in Los Angeles before moving to Tyler, Texas
-Competed in the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas as part of the East team under the Atlanta Falcons’ coaching staff
Tape Breakdown
Checking in at 6011, 344 pounds and lovingly called “Big Snacks” while coming out of the University of Texas? Where have we heard that before?
Oh, that’s right. Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle and two-time Super Bowl champion Casey Hampton was a similar size with the same nickname as 2023 NFL Draft eligible defensive tackle Keondre Coburn. Unlike Hampton though, Coburn is the new-age defensive lineman, able to play all three downs and has some really impressive athleticism and explosiveness to go with his squatty frame and fun-loving nickname.
A five-year starter at Texas, Coburn doesn’t have the type of production that a five-year starter typically has. Just 96 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in five seasons is a concern, but the tape has a lot to like when it comes to the fireplug in the middle of the Longhorns’ defense.
The thing that jumped out quickly with Coburn on tape was his quick getoff and ability to shoot gaps and penetrate into the backfield when asked to within the scheme.
At his size, one would think Coburn just eats up blocks and occupies space. While he can do that pretty well, he showed the ability to get skinny and get upfield through gaps against interior offensive linemen, much like he does here against Alabama last season.
While the Alabama guard does end up blocking him, it’s two yards into the backfield and is right in the hole, causing the play to be bounced to the outside. Coburn did his job very well here and won initially in the rep, blowing it up. He just needed help from teammates on the outside to be in their position.
Coburn truly is a load to handle on the interior. Few interior offensive linemen could match up, weight wise, against Coburn. Add in his power and he’s hard to really handle inside.
Against Alabama again, he was really strong as a run defender. On the zone run here, he does a good job of splitting the duo and getting upfield, eventually being able to work off the block to turn back in and make the stop. I does a sound job of playing half mane to win the rep, which results in no gain on the play for the Crimson Tide.
When it comes to his hand usage, he’s a bit of a mess overall, which is slightly concerning, considering he’s an experienced player overall. Having short arms and a limited wing span doesn’t help, but he certainly understands level on the interior.
Watch the way he uses the forklift technique with his left hand to pop the right guard’s hand off his chest, creating separation to clean him off the block and make the run stop for a minimal gain. He’ll be at a disadvantage at the next level with the shorter arms, so he’s going to really need to work on his hands overall and become a technician inside with his hands.
Even while he works on his hands, his power and ability to convert his speed to power as a pass rusher will allow him to have some success as a rotational piece.
Coburn is consistent with his bullrush, getting up underneath linemen and leaning into his frame to walk guys backwards into the lap of the quarterback. It happened time and time against last season at Texas and was rather remarkable to watch on tape.
When he’s able to get off the ball quickly and get into the blocker’s chest at the snap, he’s a real load. Guys will be a bit stronger and better adapt at defending the bullrush in the NFL, but he’s going to be able to do this to NFL linemen, too.
Coburn is pretty adept on twists and stunts, too.
I was thoroughly impressed by his ability to open his hips and move laterally before putting his foot in the turf and firing downhill on twists, creating pressure. He’s a very fluid mover overall. It’s eye-popping how smooth he moves in space.
Even if he can’t function as a three-down interior defensive lineman in the NFL early in his career, he’ll have a role as a two-down guy that can stop the run.
He’s an assignment sound player that can tie up blocks and allow linebackers to flow behind him, but when he’s asked to penetrate gaps and make plays, he has a knack for slipping through gaps and letting his eyes take him to the football. He really understands leverage and body positioning and does a great job with his pad level, making him a tough block overall on the interior.
Plus, he has some impressive upper body torque to control blockers, discard and make a play along the line of scrimmage.
Conclusion
Overall, I really like Coburn’s projection into the NFL. His short, squatty frame can be viewed a bit as a negative, especially with the short arms and smaller hands, but he has a relentless motor, really understands leverage, plays with good pad level and is a freakish athlete overall.
He’s going to be an impactful run defender right away, assuming he lands in the proper scheme that uses him as a 0, 1 or 2. He needs to continue to work on his hands to develop some consistent counters to get off blocks in the run game and win as a pass rusher, but his power will allow him to get by early on at the next level in pass rush situations.
You don’t find many guys with his size and explosiveness. I think he’s going to test extremely well at the combine and will impress people there overall, which could cause him to generate more buzz and maybe climb up some boards in the process. He’s dependable, not missing a game in college, and will be a sound rotational interior defender quickly in the NFL, but he’ll likely go Day 3 since he’s more of a two-down guy with length concerns.
Projection: Mid Day 3 (4th-5th round)
Depot Draft Grade: 7.1 (Rotational Player)
Games Watched: Alabama (2022), West Virginia (2022), Oklahoma (2022), Kansas State (2022), TCU (2022), Baylor (2022), Washington (2022)
