Miami Hurricanes 2015 NFL Draft Profile: Denzel Perryman

2014 ALL-AMERICA, THIRD TEAM (Associated Press)

2014 BUTKUS AWARD FINALIST

2014 ALL-ACC, FIRST TEAM (ACSMA, coaches)

2013 ALL-ACC, FIRST TEAM (ACSMA, coaches)

2013 ALL-ACC, SECOND TEAM (Athlon Sports)

2013 ALL-ACC (Sporting News)

2013 ALL-AMERICA, HONORABLE MENTION (SI.com)

2013 HARD HITTER AWARD (Team Award)

2013 DEFENSIVE MVP (Team Award)

Former 3- Star recruit out of Coral Gables

2014 Statistics*

110 Total Tackles, 9.5 Tackles for Loss, 3 Forced Fumbles, 2.0 Sacks, 1 Interception

Career Statistics*

351 Total Tackles, 27.0 Tackles for Loss, 7 Forced Fumbles, 4.5 Sacks, 2 Interceptions

*According to HurricaneSports.com

Combine Measureables

5'11, 236 Pounds

40 Yard Dash: 4.78

225 Lb Bench Press Reps: 27

Vertical Jump: 32"

Broad Jump: 9'5"

Came to Miami as an undersized, hard-hitting linebacker out of close by Coral Gables high school. Arrived on campus weighing just 215 pounds, but saw action in all 12 games his Freshman season while starting in five.

Denzel steadily became more and more important to the Miami defense throughout his career, switching between MIKE and WILL linebacker spots.

Throughout his career at Miami, Perryman was known for his vicious hits and his sound tackling form.

Perryman has all the skills and leadership you could ask for out of the linebacker position, but his size may turn some teams away on draft day. If he were about 2-3 inches taller, he might be a consensus first rounder.

Let's take a look at what NFL teams will be looking for when the evaluate him:

Strengths

#1 Tackling: If Perryman is even in the area of the ball carrier he is going to make the play. He has textbook tackling form that you could use to teach pee-wee kids how to tackle. That ability is something NFL teams put a high value on.

#2 Hitting: Mike Kaye, the head NFL Draft writer for our sister site Bleeding Green Nation, told me that the first thing that stood out to him when he watched Perryman's tape was his acceleration into contact with ball carriers. He said that his ability to accelerate into his hits was "Special." Any Miami fan will tell you the same thing. Denzel delivered countless huge hits throughout his career. Kaye went on to say that his slower 40 time at the combine was "kind of odd" given his great acceleration on tape.

#3 Instincts: He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He played in the middle of the Miami defense his senior season and his ability to make reads pre-snap were invaluable.

#4 Leadership: Perryman's nickname thorough his college career was "The President." That shows you the kind of respect his teammates has for him in the locker room and on the field.

Weaknesses

#1 Size: Specifically his height. Perryman's largest weakness is something he has no control over. His weight is solid (Measured in at 236 at the combine) but his height will turn off some teams. If he is not a first round pick, this will be one of the biggest reasons why.

#2 Coverage Skills: As good as Perryman is at  defending the run and finding ball carriers, he struggles staying with his assignment in pass coverage. This likely means that he will be an early down linebacker only early in his NFL career

NFL Players He Most Resembles: London Fletcher, D'Qwell Jackson

NFL Draft Projection: Anywhere from late first to early third round. The Denver Broncos could use linebacker help at pick 28. Jacksonville, Chicago and Washington could also be possibilities early in the second. Whoever gets him, could be getting a steal, and will be getting a hard hitting, intense presence on the field.