Raiders Scouting Report: Daiyan Henley, Why He’s Exactly What Las Vegas Needs At LB

With the Las Vegas Raiders‘ second and third-round picks, it would be worthwhile to consider a linebacker. While it is an evident need, the Silver and Black were among the worst tackling teams in 2022. Per Pro Football Reference, they missed 69 tackles in 2022; that averages out to roughly four a game. They also only had a middling nine forced fumbles. Linebacker Daiyan Henley out of Washington State has the exact skillset this team was missing last season.

Background

Henley is 6’1″ and 230 lbs., with a long, muscular frame. Coming out of Crenshaw High School, he was just a two-star recruit. Henley, surprisingly, played receiver in Nevada initially before switching to LB in 2019. He redshirted back-to-back years, then transferred to Washington State. Before transferring, he made the All-Mountain West Conference Second Team. Then at Washington State, he was named a Butkus Award finalist and often found himself around the football.

Strengths

Daiyan Henley is an explosive, hard-hitting, and well-balanced off-ball linebacker. Not only is he an ultra-physical tackler, but he is also a sure one. With 74 tackles, he only missed five and forced three fumbles his senior year, per PFF. That is quite unusual for someone who was just recently playing on offense. As you’d expect, he has some really impressive fluidity and range, which assists him in coverage.
Additionally, he has the length and burst to bring a pass-rush presence. He also has one of the hottest pursuits you’ll see in the class, and his top-end speed is blazing fast. Henley overall has the tools to develop into a phenomenal LB.