William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesHEIGHT: 6'0 1/4"
WEIGHT: 226
HAND: 10'0"
ARM: 32 5/8"
WINGSPAN: 6'7"
40-YARD DASH: 4.56
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: 36.5"
BROAD: 10'4"
— Solid eyes and trigger in the run game. Quick to fire downhill.
— Good downhill movement. Can fly out of his stance and find the backfield from time to time.
— Impressive peaks in coverage. Flashes of being able to handle deeper assignments.
— Does a good job turning his shoulders and getting skinny, especially when working to the perimeter.
— Above-average speed. Best when he can flow in space without worrying about blockers.
— Undersized build with subpar length. Difficult to take on blocks head on.
— Poor upper-body strength. Does not get any pop in his punch.
— Below-average lower-body strength and balance. Struggles to settle and anchor.
— Does not play with physicality. Too often shies away from blocks.
— Tackling technique is too reserved. Stops his feet and settles too early; gets caught flat-footed.
2021 STATISTICS
12 G, 80 TOT, 3.5 TFL, 1 SK, 2 FF
— Three-year contributor and two-year starter.
— 3-star recruit in 2018.
— Second-team All-Big 12 in 2021
Brian Asamoah's profile is a battle between an incomplete physical profile versus the ability to play in space.
As a run defender, Asamoah tends to win with his quick trigger and good downhill acceleration. He may false step from time to time, but he generally fires off the right direction and gives himself chances to shimmy into the backfield. To that end, Asamoah tends to minimize contact, especially when working fast across the line towards the perimeter.
However, Asamoah's ability to take on blocks is completely nonexistent right now. He does not use his length well, and he does a poor job striking blockers to get the jump on them. Likewise, he does not have the anchor to maintain ground nor the upper-body strength and scrappiness to shed blocks consistently after engagement.
Asamoah is also not as comfortable in space versus the run as his smaller frame suggests. His speed is a little above-average, though it should be better for someone that small. He also seems not to trust his athleticism as a tackler, which often causes him to break down too early and give ball-carriers easier chances to shake him off.
Asamoah is more comfortable in space as a cover defender, though. He was asked to "run the pole" in Cover 2 from time to time, as well as other vertical-carry assignments. As the "Will" in Oklahoma's defense, Asamoah was also pushed to the flat a good amount, where he did well to trigger and help tackle. That could be a role for him early on.
Asamoah would best fit as a "Will" in the NFL, where he can be kept clean from strong-side blocks and do work as a coverage defender. With that said, he still needs to add strength and physicality before he develops into a full-time starter at the position. Asamoah's coverage chops are worth a late swing, but he is a ways away from being a complete linebacker right now.
GRADE: 6.4 (High-level developmental prospect - 5th Round)
PRO COMPARISON: Duke Riley
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