From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, 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 Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers.
#22 STEELE CHAMBERS, LB, OHIO STATE — 6004, 223 pounds (GR. SENIOR)
Event Name
-2024 East-West Shrine Bowl
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Steele Chambers | 6004, 223 | 9 1/8″ | 30 1/2″ | 71 1/2″ |
| 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 | N/A |
The Good
-Possesses good range and athleticism for the position
-Plenty of LB experience after making the switch from running back ahead of 2021 season
-Able to sift through traffic quickly to find the football
-Good eyes to find gaps and fill downhill against the run; very fluid in the box
-Confident and comfortable in zone coverage; understands depth, windows, and concepts
-Lateral agility jumps out; able to cover a ton of ground sideline to sideline
-Plays like a former RB at times in avoiding blocks; really shifty in tight
The Bad
-Arm length is concerning as he allows linemen to get into his frame and overpower him at times in run game
-Missed a handful of tackles on tape; needs to clean up technique
-Not all that effective as a blitzer; lacks bend and explosion in that area
-Grabby in man coverage and plays stiff at times, resorting to contact
-Long speed a concern, doesn’t seem to hit that true top gear his athletic profile suggests
-Needs to work on eye discipline as a run defender, trust instincts more
Bio
-Three-year starter at linebacker for Ohio State in five-year career. First two years spent at running back
-Played in 50 career games for Buckeyes, with 39 of those coming at linebacker (29 starts)
-Recorded 85 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception and two passes defensed in 2023, leading the Buckeyes
-Finished career with 207 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery
-Was named third-tean All-Big Ten in 2023; Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2021
-Graduated in April 2023 with a degree in finance; was a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree
-Four-star recruit was once ranked among the 20 best athletes in the country coming out of high school in Georgia
Tape Breakdown
In today’s NFL, linebacker play is so incredibly important due to the spacing, matchup issues and more of an emphasis on the run game out of different formations. Having that big, athletic linebacker who can play all three downs and handle any role is vital.
The problem is, they are so hard to find.
The Fred Warners, Roquan Smiths and Demario Davises don’t grow on trees.
Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers is hoping to be among the next wave of new-age linebackers in the NFL.
A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Chambers had aspirations of being the next great running back at Ohio State. But injuries defensively caused him to make a switch to linebacker, a position he also played in high school. Three years and 39 games later, Chambers is on the cusp of reaching the NFL and achieving a childhood dream.
That running back background and an impressive athletic profile stands out on tape with how he is able to roam around the field and make plays. He had 83 tackles in 2023, leading the Buckeyes on a stacked defense.
As a former running back, Chambers’ vision and ability to process is pretty strong overall. He reads plays well and puts himself in good position to make a play. Just by reading the linemen, he’s able to stay a step ahead at times.
The Michigan game in 2023 was the best of his career. He recorded 13 tackles and was all over the field. It’s no surprise that occurred because it was his 28th start at linebacker and 38th career game at the position. Things clicked and it showed on tape.
Though I do have concerns about his arm length and ability to take on blockers consistently in the box at the next level, his athletic background built around the running back position shows up at times in how he takes on blocks and can slip around them.
Good rep here from Chambers. He’s able to slide outside of the pulling lineman all while working downhill to close the gap to the line of scrimmage.
Notice how he stays square the entire time. He doesn’t put himself in compromising positions with his body. While he’s still relatively new to the position from a football IQ standpoint, he understands spacing, positioning and leverage well.
When he can’t slip blocks though and tries to take on linemen head-on, it can get a little messy.
He doesn’t have the arm length/reach to stay clean, especially when linemen get to him first. I love the patience he plays with, working downhill under control and maintaining his gap, but the lack of arm length shows on tape. He can get swallowed up and not get off a block until the play is past him.
Michigan’s left tackle does a nice job of pulling and getting a hat on Chambers, creating an inside gap for the quarterback to sprint through. Chambers can’t get off the block in time and never gets a hand on him.
It’s not always pretty on tape with Chambers, but there is undoubtedly a foundation there to work with.
He understands what offenses are trying to do in the run game, and he knows where the gaps are. He’s relentless in trying to find those gaps, fighting through traffic in front of him to get his head in the hole.
Loved this rep against Notre Dame this past season. He fills the B gap initially, but it’s all clogged up. He has great awareness to see that the C gap is coming open and he’s able to scrape across through traffic and contact to fill the gap and shut down the run for a short gain.
But for every good play against the run, he has some head-scratching ones, like this rep a few snaps later against Notre Dame.
His eye discipline is off at times. He can get fooled with eye candy and can be looking in the wrong area.
Seeing the Notre Dame player run right past him with Chambers having no clue what was happening was a rather frustrating rep to watch.
There are many more positives than negatives in Chambers’ game though as an off-ball linebacker, which leads me to believe he’ll have a role in the NFL.
Slipping blocks and making plays is something linebackers must be able to do in today’s game. It’s not all about taking on linemen head-on and trying to stack and shed. Some of the best in the game are masters at slipping blocks without losing speed to make plays.
Chambers did that quite a few times against Penn State last season.
Awesome rep here, slipping the block of standout blocking tight end Tyler Warren to make a play on the running back.
From a coverage standpoint, Chambers is much better in zone than he is in man. In man coverage, he plays a bit stiff and is unsure of himself. He gets grabby, too, and doesn’t have the length to really defend tight ends.
He’s lucky he didn’t get called for a penalty here against Notre Dame, but that’s one unbelievable play by the tight end. Chambers does a nice job of recovering initially, but then he gets his hands on the tight end, which should have led to a flag. He doesn’t even make an attempt on the ball, either.
If he can become at least passable in man coverage, he’ll develop into a a three-down linebacker. He’s good in zone and handles the hook/curl and flat responsibilities well. But he will be a liability early in man coverage if defenses ask him to handle that role at times.
Conclusion
Overall, there is a good foundation with Steele Chambers to work with as a linebacker. He has good experience and production as a tackler, and the tape is intriguing, especially against the run. Coverage is the real concern though, especially man coverage like I said. There’s also not much production from a splash (sacks, interceptions, TFLs) standpoint, which is slightly concerning.
The athleticism, awareness and ability to slip blocks and make plays against the run should get him drafted. I’m very curious to see how he tests at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, too, considering he’s a former running back and was a top-20 athlete in the country coming out of high school. A great showing in Indy could boost his draft stock.
Right now, I’m projecting him as a mid-Day 3 guy in the fifth or sixth round, one who can be a rotational linebacker early on run downs and provide some special teams abilities while he continues to round out his game.
Projection: Mid Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.1 (Rotational Player/Backup)
Games Watched: Michigan (2023), Indiana (2023), Notre Dame (2023), Penn State (2023), Wisconsin (2023), Missouri (2023)
