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Draft Prospect Preview | LB Shaun Bradley, Temple
Shaun Bradley
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 230 pounds
Class: Senior
School: Temple
The Owls initially recruited linebacker Shaun Bradley in 2015. Bradley finished a productive high school career in which he was a standout running back at Rancocas Valley High School in Mount Holly, New Jersey, where he ran for nearly 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns during his senior season.
Despite dominating at the high school level, Bradley did not play college football during what would have been his freshman season. Instead, he participated in Temple’s summer training camp program before taking classes at Rowan College in the fall.
The following year, Bradley found himself at Temple but was injured during spring practice, which caused him to miss the first two games of the season. When he returned, he mostly contributed on special teams while seeing some snaps on defense as a freshman.
In 2017, Bradley finally got his chance to make a more significant impact when he took over the starting linebacker for the Owls. He wound up leading the team with 85 tackles that year while also recording ten tackles for a loss.
In 2018, Bradley's skills improved, and he was given the prestigious team honor of a single-digit jersey number, which Temple gives to the nine toughest players on the team.
In return, Bradley rewarded his team by recording the second-most tackles (78) while also coming up with two big interceptions, including the game-sealer in overtime against Cincinnati.
In his final collegiate season, Bradley, a team captain, set a career-high mark with 86 tackles, while landing a spot on the watch lists for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the nation's best college football defender and the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker.
While Bradley is considered undersized, he has more than adequate speed to cover running backs and tight ends. A smart, instinctive player, he uses his quickness to flash into the backfield to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Some scouting reports have described Bradley as a player who can flow sideline-to-sideline, given his speed and athleticism. Interestingly, some of those same reports believe that he's a fit for a hybrid linebacker/safety or as a “money backer.”
Why He's a Fit
Despite being undersized, Bradley still projects as an every-down linebacker due to his ability to tackle, cover, and flow to the football. He has drawn some comparisons to Vikings first-team All-Pro linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who is an inch shorter at 6-foot, and who is of similar weight at 232 pounds.
Bradley is a potential sleeper in the upcoming draft and could wind up as a steal for a team in the mid-rounds. If the Giants pass up on Isaiah Simmons with the fourth pick, Bradley would be an intriguing option for their third-round compensatory selection.
The Giants were known for having a strong linebacking corps in the 1980s and 1990s when they won their first two Super Bowl titles. In an off-season where they must upgrade their defense, they should look to stabilize the linebacking corps.
Bradley would be a more than solid addition for general manager Dave Gettleman, who has a history of being able to find gems in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft.
