CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
CURTIS WEAVER
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-2
265 pounds
21 years old
BIG PICTURE
There weren’t many more productive pass rushers over the last three seasons than Curtis Weaver. The Boise State product recorded 34 sacks in his career after redshirting in 2016, including 13.5 as a junior. Earned first- and second-team All-American status in various publications. Weaver doesn’t seem to have many weaknesses, and he showed strong agility skills in his combine work. Weaver may just sneak into Day 1 of the draft.
COMBINE NOTABLES
32.5-inch vertical
116-inch broad jump (T-6th worst)
7.0 3-cone drill (T-5th)
4.27 20-yard shuttle (T-7th)
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
2 out of 5. Certainly not impossible for the Vikings to grab a player like Weaver, arguably a top five edge rusher in the class. It would be out of character based on their drafting history, but these are desperate times on the defensive line.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Stand-up end whose production as a pass rusher must be balanced out by his below-average ability and athleticism in stopping the run. Weaver is a naturally instinctive counter-rusher who uses synchronized hands/feet to attack both inside and outside edges as a rusher, but his lack of explosiveness and athletic traits could dull his rush production against NFL offensive tackles. He plays with football intelligence, but his level of NFL success could be determined by whether his skill can overcome below-average explosiveness.”
Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network: “Curtis Weaver projects well as a base defensive end at the NFL level. He’s not for everyone — those expecting a lot of bend, twitch and range will likely be lower on Weaver’s skillset. Weaver is a polished pass rusher with heavy hands and nifty counters to shed contact, he’ll do well in tight alignment to win with his hands but flashes enough juice to win in wide angles as well courtesy of his chop/rip combo and ability to drop the inside shoulder. Projects as a 6-8 sack per year player.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
91.0+ overall grades last two seasons
4.6% run-stop rate (below average)
31.1% pass-rush win rate as redshirt sophomore
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
