As the college football season barrels toward, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Adisa Isaac.

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2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Adisa Isaac

Adisa Isaac (DE – Penn State)

6-foot-4 | 254 pounds

Background:

Four-star recruit who rotated into the defense for his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions, totaling 132 and 179 snaps in 2019 and 2020, respectively, with similar lines of 14-3.0-1.5 and 13-1.5-1.5 in those campaigns. Redshirted in 2021 with a torn Achilles. Took over a full-time starting job when he returned, with 28-11.0-4.0. Has had a better senior season so far, despite being on track for fewer snaps overall.

Positives:

Long edge defender with two years of starting experience for a major program. Shows a high motor and an aggressive temperament. Good athlete with some explosive traits to his game. Fires out low and keeps his pad level down. Has impressive lateral quickness out of his stance to threaten gaps. Gets good extension and knee bend to compete in the run game. Active with his hands to keep opposing blockers out of his frame. Contact balance is good.

Flashes the ability to set a physical edge, and length allows him to make tackles while engaged. Relentless approach as a pass-rusher can make him a handful for opposing blockers. From a wide alignment, has the burst to force opposing tackles to sell out to protect the edge and can work inside moves effectively. Shows good leg drive with his bull-rush. Gets his hands up to contest passing lanes. Technique looks relatively controlled when making spot drops in coverage.

Negatives:

Could be considered too aggressive by some teams; would like to see more patience and discipline from an edge defender on early downs. Not always the most consistent about keeping his shoulders square. Rush approach can sometimes undermine gap integrity in the run game; gives up the edge to penetrate and can be sealed inside. Appears to heavily favor inside moves and will probably need to diversify his repertoire of moves and counters at the next level. Could show more patience in coverage as well. Looks to be past his 2021 Achilles’ injury, but it will be looked at during the pre-draft process.

Summary:

An impressive athlete with the length, burst, quickness, and motor to win on the edge, but who might be a bit too aggressive and needs to continue building a repertoire of moves and counters as a pass-rusher. Will probably begin his career by rotating onto the field as a situational pass-rusher and could eventually become more with time. It wouldn’t be a shock if he came off the board on the second day, but might be more of an early third-day pick at the moment. Would fit best in a one-gap scheme based on disruption.

Projection: Round 3-4