NFL Draft Profile: Kuony Deng, Linebacker, California Golden Bears
#8
Pos: LB
Ht: 6060
Wt: 240
DOB:
Eligibility: 23
Aldie, VA
John Champe High School
Kuony Deng California Golden Bears
One-Liner:
An intriguing prospect due to his size and movement ability, Deng is the hybrid player thriving in today’s NFL, but injuries and lack of play may force him to be a day three pick or priority free agent signing.
Pros:
Extremely long for the position, which allows him to be rangy in his coverage and attack the ball. Tackles with good fundamentals and has a knack for knocking the ball out. Fairly smooth for his frame, with decent flexibility and feet to switch positioning and cover ground in zone coverage. Best when playing downhill, can blitz quickly or blow up screen passes. Lateral agility is present when needed to jump gaps, with room to grow in both his frame and technique.
Cons:
Inadequate play strength at the point of attack. Often gets caught up in the traffic of a run play and struggles to disengage with offensive linemen. Eyes don’t always take him to the ball and most plays come on blitzes or backs coming to him. Would like to see better usage of his arm length and size overall in block shedding, can be a liability in man-to-man coverage on backs. A Covid shortened 2020 season and injury-plagued 2021 season leave little in terms of the overall evaluation.
Career:
At Independence community college in 2018, Deng recorded 48 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and six pass defenses. In his first year at Cal, Deng impressed when he recorded 119 tackles, three sacks, and eight pass breakups. In a Covid shortened 2020 season Deng accounted for a team-high 31 tackles and two forced fumbles. He Came into 2021 as a team captain but due to injury only saw the field twice.
Background:
A consensus four-star recruit in high school, Deng was ranked as the number three overall outside linebacker in the country before college. After a short stint at a military institute, Deng was a member of the Last Chance U Netflix series at Independence Community College, where his play garnered him an offer to the University of California. He arrived in 2019 and put-up incredible stats that earned him an honorable all Pac-12 mention. A covid shortened 2020 season and Injury-riddled 2021 campaign left him with just six games played over the past two years.
Quotable:
Following a loss, Deng showed great self-awareness and football IQ when he mentioned: “Yea we started out great, but we quickly got gassed and lost our fundamentals in terms of gap integrity, leverage, and tackling. It’s something we’re cleaning up around here in practice and will be suring up this Saturday”.
Newswire:
11/30/21
Deng was not considered a lock to be chosen in the 2022 NFL draft, although at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds he is an intriguing prospect. But he played in parts of just two games this season and Cal’s schedule was reduced to four games in 2020, so NFL scouts have limited up-to-date game tape on him.
JEFF FARAUDO NOV 30, 2021, SI.COM
12/27/21
According to Pro Football Network writer Oliver Hodgkinson’s 2021 NFL Mock Draft, Deng was projected to be a late fourth-round pick. At 6’6” and 240 pounds, Deng is gifted in his physicality, athleticism, and mobility on the field. A former basketball player at the Virginia Military Institute, only time will tell where the former four-star football prospect will land in next year’s NFL draft.
RYAN CHIEN DEC 27, 2021, DAILYCAL.ORG
Grades:
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
Day Three/Priority Free Agent
Quote
“I feel like there’s no one like me in the whole draft. I can play all four linebacker positions in an odd [three-man] front, all three in an even [four-man] front. Want me to put on 10 pounds and play D-end, I can do that. I think I’m a rare breed of versatility.” -- Kuony Deng on his NFL prospects
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