From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Pitt Linebacker Kyle Louis.<\/p>\n
#9 KYLE LOUIS\/LB, PITTSBURGH (RS JUNIOR) \u2013 5116, 224
\nMeasurements<\/p>\n
Player
\nHt\/Wt
\nHand Size
\nArm Length
\nWingspan<\/p>\n
Sawyer Robertson
\n6035\/221
\nN\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
40-Yard Dash
\n10-Yard Dash
\nShort Shuttle
\n3-Cone<\/p>\n
N\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
Broad Jump
\nVertical
\nBench Press<\/p>\n
N\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
THE GOOD<\/p>\n
\u2013 Solid athletic ability
\u2013 Great awareness in zone coverage
\u2013 Gets in throwing windows
\u2013 Reads quarterback eyes well, flowing to the ball
\u2013 Gets collisions in zone coverage to reroute the receiver
\u2013 Great determination getting to zone drops to disrupt timing
\u2013 Understands offensive pass concepts and defends them
\u2013 Intercepts crossing routes with collisions
\u2013 Can avoid blocks in space
\u2013 Gets collisions in off-man coverage
\u2013 Has athleticism to stay with tight end or running back in man coverage
\u2013 Used effectively as a blitzer
\u2013 Beats running back in pass protection<\/p>\n
THE BAD<\/p>\n
\u2013 Gets outmuscled by offensive lineman
\u2013 Struggles to take on blocks with steady contact balance
\u2013 Lacks the play strength to consistently take on blocks
\u2013 Gets sucked up by play action and struggles to adjust
\u2013 Average change of direction and lateral speed
\u2013 Struggles to secure tackles vs strong ball carriers
\u2013 Out-of-control feet at the tackling point led to missed tackles
\u2013 Gets knocked back while making tackles
\u2013 Slower trigger to fit the run
\u2013 Can lose edge vs run
\u2013 Needs to secure quarterback as a blitzer<\/p>\n
STATS<\/p>\n
\u2013 Started 26 games and appeared in 35 games across 4 seasons at Pitt
\u2013 2025: 81 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions, and 5 PBUs
\u2013 Career: 201 tackles, 25.5 TFL, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 6 interceptions, and 12 PBUs
\u2013 Played 271 snaps in the slot in 2025<\/p>\n
INJURY HISTORY<\/p>\n
\u2013 Took a hit to the head vs Syracuse in 2025, causing him to miss the next game vs NC State
\u2013 MCL surgery and arm surgery in high school<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND<\/p>\n
\u2013 Turning 22 in March of 2026
\u2013 Participated in the 2026 Senior Bowl
\u2013 Named a 2025 Second Team All-American
\u2013 Received 2025 Second Team All-ACC Honors
\u2013 2025 Butkus Award Semifinalist
\u2013 Named a 2024 Second Team All-American
\u2013 Received 2024 First Team All-ACC Honors
\u2013 Three-star prospect out of East Orange Campus High School in New Jersey
\u2013 Ranked the No. 26 prospect out of New Jersey
\u2013 Had 118 tackles and 32 TFL in his senior season
\u2013 Nicknamed \u201cShark\u201d in high school and brought that to Pitt. Now, the entire linebacker room calls themselves Sharks, and fans have started to wear Shark costumes in the stands<\/p>\n
TAPE BREAKDOWN<\/p>\n
Kyle Louis had a successful career at Pitt playing linebacker, but his size and play strength project him as a safety. He lined up at SAM linebacker, which showed Pitt\u2019s lack of confidence with him consistently fitting the run.<\/p>\n
These problems show up on film when he needs to get involved in defending the run, which is why the move to safety makes sense. He has the downhill speed to get in the box quickly, but his out-of-control feet lead to missed tackles. If he is further back from the ball, can identify the concept, and can improve his tackling technique, it would better serve him and the defense.<\/p>\n
When he takes on blocks, he\u2019s easily moved downfield and cannot hold ground. This is simply a weight issue. He already does not use his 224 pounds to his advantage, so I think if he can drop 15-20 pounds and move back to safety, his skill can be maximized.<\/p>\n
Another example of his lack of play strength is in the red zone. On this play, he slowly reads run, gets downhill, but cannot stop the running back from scoring.<\/p>\n
If Louis can lose some weight, it will improve his athleticism. He does not have the quickest change of direction and lateral speed, but that could be due to the weight. When he is fitting the run and in the correct position, quicker running backs can beat him to the edge and gain extra yards. I think he is nervous when linemen run at him. He focuses on beating them, rather than trusting his position and making a tackle.<\/p>\n
He has to dive at the running back\u2019s ankles here because he has a slower change of direction and is distracted by the offensive lineman.<\/p>\n
The reason I feel comfortable projecting Louis as a safety is his zone coverage ability. What he lacks in run defense, he makes up for it with savvy zone coverage skills. He can line up as a deep safety and provide great help, triggering on throws underneath. He can line up in the slot, which he did almost every snap at Pitt. In the slot, he gets great collisions on receivers and gets in throwing windows that completely throw off the quarterback\u2019s timing. As a flat defender, he will sink to routes over the top, and he\u2019ll get downhill to make tackles on checkdowns.<\/p>\n
As a buzz dropper, he flies to his spot under control, getting collisions on slot receivers on the way to the drop. You can see his great determination and savvy ball skills on this play.<\/p>\n
In man coverage, which he did very little of, you can see his successful body control and hand usage. He catches receivers at the top of their routes and can control them with his hands. He has a great feel for different releases and which way they will break.<\/p>\n
I see Louis\u2019 role as a Swiss army knife, lining up at multiple different spots and excelling in zone coverage everywhere. Because of his lack of experience in man coverage, he will need to work on his skills. But losing weight will help him move better. Teams will move him around with his linebacker experience, and he will blitz as well.<\/p>\n
He will not get taken out of plays by linemen, and when he is matched up with a running back, he can win. His finishing ability must improve, but he will cause pressure if he is 1-v-1 with a running back.<\/p>\n
CONCLUSION<\/p>\n
Kyle Louis spent his entire career at linebacker, but should move to safety in the NFL due to his zone coverage awareness and lack of play strength when fitting the run. He is a versatile player who will do whatever teams ask of him and do it well. He is a high-motor athlete who prides himself on his football IQ, shown in his ability to affect the timing of plays by getting in zone windows. Louis will need reps in man coverage to see his limitations, because there isn\u2019t much tape of him in man. But his ability to get collisions makes me optimistic he can be serviceable.<\/p>\n
Because he needs to switch positions, his floor is lower than that of other prospects. But with the right development, coaching, and weight loss, he can be a productive player.<\/p>\n