NFL Draft Profile: Nick Figueroa, Defensive Lineman, USC Trojans
#50
Pos: iDL
Ht: 6045
Wt: 275
40: 4.93
DOB: 08/01/
Hometown: San Bernardino, CA
High School: Cajon
Eligibility: 2023
Nick Figueroa
USC Trojans
One-Liner:
Figueroa simply does not have the athleticism or nuance in his game to be anything more than a practice squad defensive end.
Evaluation:
Figueroa splits his time as a 4-3 defensive end in base downs and a 5/6 tech in nickel packages. He possesses a very wide base and looks much larger than his listed 260 pounds by the USC Trojans. Versatile piece on the USC defense - offers a different skill set for the variety of alignments he is required to play in. Solid motor; former JUCO player puts in maximum effort on every snap. Pass-rushing repertoire is starting to come around - a beautiful pull move from the inside that is by far his most effective way of pressuring the quarterback. Athleticism and physical traits do not look close to NFL level - explosion is non-existent and get-off is clunky and slow-churning. Functional strength is a massive disappointment - plays with a weird posture with an arched back and immediately surrenders his leverage. Frequent sight to see him lose a rep the second he makes contact with the offensive lineman. Reaction skills are another massive negative - COD and balance is middling and he doesn’t have the opportunities to disengage and be a factor in run defense. Nick Figueroa put forth a very solid season in terms of production for the Trojans in 2020, but his NFL future looks as bleak as can be. He’s a tweener who only plays about half of his snaps at his intended position, and many of his sacks were of the cleanup variety. The physicality is disappointing, and while he deserves some benefit of the doubt for only playing football for less than five years, he simply does not have the traits for an NFL team to take a chance on him with a draft choice.
Grade:
7th Round
Background:
Nick Figueroa, coming off an injury plagued season in 2021, will look to be a leader for the Trojans in 2022. Figueroa was a finalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award and previously in 2020, he was All Pac 12 Honorable Mention. In High School, where he attended Cajon High School, he was both a defensive end and a tight end where he made eighty six tackles. On the classroom side, in 2021, he earned a Real Estate Development Degree and was on an Academic All American Second and District team too. Now fully healthy, Figueroa will be a major piece of the USC defense and team.
