2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: LB Pete Werner, Ohio State
LB PETE WERNER
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 238 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Ohio State
A former four-star recruit out of Mount Vernon, Indiana, where he attended Cathedral High School. Very experienced linebacker who had 185 tackles, 19 for a loss, and four sacks to go along with 13 passes defended, four forced fumbles, and 26 pressures. Frequented the All-Academic Big-10 team while being a Buckeye.
He was slated to attend Notre Dame but flipped his commitment after a meeting with former Ohio State coach, now Jacksonville Jaguar head coach Urban Meyer. He was an honorable mention All Big-10 in 2019 while earning a 2020 nod on that First Team squad.
Werner, who isn’t as athletically gifted as his teammate Baron Browning, was still used in a somewhat versatile way. He played all three linebacker positions for the Buckeyes at one point or another. He doesn’t play as much on the EDGE, but he will play overhang/slot corner. Warner was dangerous on A and B-gap blitzes for Greg Schiano and Kerry Combs.
Traits
Has solid overall size with good weight and length; solid overall athletic ability with good initial quickness from a stopped position.
His 6.9 3-cone time is a good time for a linebacker; however, there were a few too many plays on film where Werner was juked out of his socks. He could do a better job breaking down and reacting in these situations. A bit of tightness in his narrow lower half doesn’t exactly help with his ability to stop and quickly change direction to compensate for agile ball carriers.
He does a good job using his hands with a powerful punch, despite his smaller hands. Stacks and sheds quickly while locating play designs with good processing and key/diagnosing ability. He doesn’t do as well taking blocks on laterally while executing assignments on stretch/outside zone. He is solid coming downhill and filling while being above average with his scraping ability over the top of blocks – moves well laterally and stays square when necessary.
Good physical nature when coming downhill–he can wrap up and finish tackles well. He plays with solid overall play strength–bigger offensive lineman who get into his chest can give him problems. Can allow lineman to get underneath him and raise his center of gravity. Overall, he’s a good run defender with his processing and pop who can play on first and second down.
He anticipates well in coverage and is a solid defender dropping into space while showing good movement skills with his hips in the short areas of the field. He gets to the necessary depths in zone coverage while playing top-down, and he has enough athletic ability to cover most tight ends in man.
He was very effective and dangerous as a blitzer in the middle of the defense. He lowers his pads and explodes low to high against running backs, and does well to create interior pressure.
His combination of blitzing upside and intermediate coverage ability within zone and man make him a solid option for a three-down running back. Werner has enough athletic ability to succeed in the NFL. He may not be a dynamic player, but he has solid upside and can easily carve out a role as a starter in the league.
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