Report: Dolphins Signing Arizona State T Kellen Diesch After NFL Draft

Diesch, one of the NFL draft's favorite prospects on the final day, finally lands with a team.

Author:
Donnie Druin
Updated:
Apr 30, 2022 8:03 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 30, 2022

In a very surprising turn of events, Arizona State tackle Kellen Diesch went undrafted after seven rounds of watching names scroll across the ticker.

Four ASU players heard their names called over the course of the draft.

However, just minutes after the draft, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported Diesch would be signing with the Miami Dolphins.

Diesch, a graduate transfer from Texas A&M prior to the 2020 season, improved during his time at Arizona State, and appeared to elevate his draft stock when he landed on Pro Football Focus' top 100 draft prospects after stringing together strong performances last year.

He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection. However, NFL teams didn't agree with PFF. NFL Draft Bible at si.com rated him as a sixth-round talent.

Here's what The Draft Network had on Diesch as a prospect, which noted some of the issues with his game:

"Kellen Diesch is a sufficient-level athlete who plays with good balance and body control. In the run game, he isn't heavy at the point of attack. He also doesn’t earn leverage easily due to his taller frame. This hinders his ability to get vertical movement. He is athletic enough to get to the second level and to get out on the perimeter in the screen game. In the passing game, he is fluid in his pass set. He lacks overall power in his hips and may be a little under-bulked. Anchoring in the NFL may be an issue for him at this stage and he could afford to be more consistent with regards to keeping his hands within the frame of the defender. He has good length and range on the perimeter. He doesn't have explosive power in his punch, but it's sufficient. In the NFL, he can develop into a rotational tackle who may have some swing ability if he adds bulk, mass, and overall strength to his game. He would be best served playing in a zone-blocking scheme and projects with more upside in this type of offense."

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Diesch was able to showcase his tremendous athletic profile by testing as one of the top tackles not only in his class but also in recent decades. However, there's more to draft evaluations than pure athleticism.

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