DeVere Levelston 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Began career at Tyler JC before transferring to SMU ahead of the 2020 season
• Chose SMU offer offers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois, and Virginia Tech among others 

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Mostly odd front looks
• 2022 projected role: Starting 5-technique  

Pros: DeVere Levelston is a highly-competitive defensive lineman that executes with urgency and busy hands. He features a sturdy build with ideal length for the position. There is a tenacity and aggression in the way he executes that is easy to like—he battles throughout every rep and competes hard to get off contact and pursue the football. SMU has provided Levelston with opportunities to reduce inside and rush interior gaps, where he’s shown to be effective taking advantage of straighter paths to the quarterback. Levelston is coming off a breakout 2021 campaign and will have the opportunity to build off that in 2022. 

Cons: While his play temperament is surely likable, DeVere Levelston isn’t an overly dynamic player in terms of athleticism and power. He doesn’t offer the initial quickness to truly stress blockers and draw them out of their sets. Levelston features ordinary functional strength and if his pads aren’t low, he is rooted out of his gap against the run. There is some tightness and segmentation to his rush and his lack of bend creates challenges when trying to win around the near hip of blockers. Levelston is a solid player for SMU, but I’m hopeful to see a more dynamic and impactful player in 2022 to boost his valuation.

DeVere Levelston NFL Draft Scouting Report by Joe Marino