New York Giants Draft Prospect: LB Mohamoud Diabate

Brandon Olsen takes a look at another prospective linebacker for the Giants.

Author:
Brandon Olsen
Publish date:
Mar 7, 2023 8:00 AM EST

In this story:

New York Giants

Utah Utes

Mohamoud Diabate, LB

Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 229 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Utah

Mohamoud Diabate was the sixth-ranked outside linebacker in the country out of Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama in the 2019 recruiting class. Diabate committed to the Florida Gators over Alabama, Auburn, and Florida State, opting not to play for his home-state teams.

Notables

Diabate was a four-year player and a three-year major contributor at Florida and Utah. Following a staff change in Gainesville after the 2021 season, Diabate transferred to Utah to play a more versatile role - similar to the one Devin Lloyd played in Utah as an off-ball linebacker and occasional down lineman.

Strengths

Played as an EDGE for two years before moving to off-ball linebacker for the final two years of his college career
Has shown the ability to operate in man coverage
Plays with no fear, willing to throw himself into offensive players
Athletic ability to develop into a legitimate contributor
Skillset makes him scheme-versatile
97th percentile wingspan measured at the Shrine Bowl - 80½” among both linebackers and edge players.
Has special teams upside - hasn’t played kick or punt coverage since his sophomore season but could

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Weaknesses

Struggles consistently in zone coverage - but has improved from year one as an off-ball player
Hand usage needs work when trying to get off blocks
Does a poor job of taking proper angles consistently
Instincts haven’t come to him yet off-ball, biting hard on play-fakes and taking himself out of position on counter runs
Sometimes has stiff hips in coverage, doesn’t look comfortable yet
Needs to do a better job of wrapping up ballcarriers

Summary

Diabate is worth a Day 3 swing based on traits alone, regardless of whether or not he’s a scheme fit. Luckily for Giants fans, he would slide into this defense perfectly as a depth player until he proves he can take on a larger role.

Versatility is key for a depth player - whether as a multi-positional player, defender, or special teamer. Diabate checks all of those boxes. While he might never be more than an average starter, getting that on Day 3 of the draft or in free agency is a major win.

GRADE: 5.85