HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 235

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 30⅝"

WINGSPAN: 74⅞"

40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Team captain who shows leadership skills with his pre-snap communication, helping teammates get lined up and pointing out potential threats.

— Physical run defender who isn't afraid to throw his body around and has some pop behind his pads when coming downhill or blitzing.

— Good at reading zone runs to put himself in a position to get unblocked tackles for short gains.

— Decent lateral movement skills to scrape or work over the top as a run defender.

— Solid at reading the quarterback's eyes and anticipating throws to put himself in a position to make tackles after the catch against short throws.

NEGATIVES

— Undersized with short arms and will be a 24-year-old rookie.

— Lacks the strength and sand in his pants to hold his ground when he isn't blitzing or is going against offensive linemen who can survive his initial contact.

— Gets stuck on blocks, even against tight ends.

— Has subpar speed, which hurts his sideline-to-sideline range against the run and ability to cover deep routes in man coverage versus running backs and tight ends. Gets caught flat-footed in coverage, too.

— Has a habit of diving at ball-carriers' feet when tackling, leading to misses.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 76 TOT, 7.5 TFL, 2.5 SK, 5 PD, 1 FF

NOTES

— Born May 5, 2000

— 4-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2022 (Groin, missed 1 game; Left wrist, played through in 2021 but missed spring practice), 2023 (Concussion, missed 1 game)

OVERALL

JD Bertrand was a team captain at Notre Dame who took command of the defense pre-snap, which could make NFL teams fall in love with his leadership. He also showed a high football IQ to put himself in a good position to make plays as a run defender and in coverage, and he's a physical player who likes to throw his body around.

However, Bertrand struggles to take on blocks against the run. He gets pushed around by offensive linemen and gets put on the ground too often. Good blocking tight ends will also wheel him out of his gap, and his short arms lead to him getting stuck on blocks.

Overall, the former Golden Domer will need to make a name for himself on special teams in the NFL. He has the potential to be a solid backup linebacker in a blitz-heavy defense.

GRADE: 5.8 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 188

POSITION RANK: LB14

PRO COMPARISON: Jack Sanborn

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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