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Position
Linebacker
School
Miami
Size
5'11, 235 pounds
Strengths
Perryman jumps off the tape as a true thumper. Time after time Perryman seems to deliver a strike, completely stopping a play in its tracks. He's a playmaker that anchored the defense during his time at Miami. He's the vocal leader and quarterback of his defense, barking out audibles and ordering changes as he sees fit.
Perryman's power is the first thing that you'll notice about him. He plays low, ready to explode through his hips when needed. He's good sifting through the trash, showing off a strong upper body. He shows off a good burst and excellent diagnosing skills. The clip below is a perfect example of what Perryman does. Watch him plant and close, then explode through a blocker. The hit totally brings the play to a halt.
Here's another example. Watch how quickly Perryman dissects this play. He shoots through his gap and closes on the runner in a blink. He stays low and delivers a shot to the runner's hip, immediately knocking him off balance.
Weaknesses
Perryman is better in zone coverage than he is man coverage. He's got average change of direction skills and can get shaken by shifty backs out of the backfield. He shows some decent fluidity while dropping in coverage, but he's going to earn his keep on first and second down in the box.
He can stand to get better with his hands. He's a wrecking ball with a powerful punch, but once a defender gets locked on he struggles to regain an advantage. Perryman takes some questionable routes to the ball at times. He doesn't have good speed either, so taking the correct angle will be a key for him at the next level.
Summary
Perryman is a thumper that is going to bring energy and leadership to a defensive front. If he can clean up some of his angle issues and develop his hand usage a bit more, he's going to be nothing short of a stud in the NFL. His ability to diagnose and shoot the gap is very impressive. He should be an asset to your special teams as well. Look for Perryman to come off of the board fairly early on day number two.
Draft Projection
Mid 2nd