Dashawn Spears
LSU#135 overallDraft Movement
Up 117 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
Dashawn Spears has been taking the ball away his whole career. He changed his last name from McBryde to honor his stepfather, and at Denham Springs in Louisiana he intercepted 10 passes as a junior and nine more with three defensive touchdowns as a senior, earning first-team all-state honors in each of his final two years before signing with LSU as a four-star and top-100 national recruit. He appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2024 with three starts and 24 tackles, and his role stayed rotational into 2025, but the splash plays came anyway. Against Florida he intercepted two passes and returned one 58 yards for a score, a performance that earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished the year with 19 tackles, three for loss, a sack and two interceptions before drawing his first career start in the Texas Bowl against Houston, where he posted a career-high tackle total. The traits are the story: rare timed speed at 208 pounds with 75-inch length, range to carry the deep middle, and the burst to undercut routes from depth. He drives downhill and finishes with reliable tackling, charged with only one miss, and he held up over the slot and in the box as well as deep. The caveat is volume. He played a rotation role on only 255 snaps, so the body of work is far smaller than a full-time starter's, his ball production beyond the Florida game was quiet, and his man reps against NFL-caliber tight ends are still developing.
Strengths
- Rare timed speed and size at 208 pounds for the back end
- 75-inch length to contest throws at the catch point
- range to carry the deep middle with the burst to undercut routes from depth
- run defense grades among the best at the position
- two interceptions off Florida with a 58-yard pick-six, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week
- drives downhill from depth and finishes with reliable tackling, only one miss charged
- holds up over the slot and in the box as well as deep
- career-high tackle total in his first career start in the Texas Bowl
Weaknesses
- Played a rotation role on only 255 snaps, so the sample is small
- body of work is far smaller than a full-time starter's
- ball production outside the Florida game was quiet
- reps in man coverage against NFL-caliber tight ends are still developing
- 19 tackles is a thin total for a full season
- one career start entering 2026
- the grade asks a defense to bet on excellence across a limited number of snaps
NFL Comparison
Kerby Joseph rangy centerfielder with length; Xavier Watts ball-hawk instincts from depth; Malaki Starks size-and-speed back-end profile
College Stats
2024 (Fr): 13 G, 3 starts, 24 tackles; 2025 (So): rotation role on 255 snaps, 19 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INT, 1 missed tackle; 2 INT vs Florida including a 58-yard pick-six; career-high tackles in his first start, the Texas Bowl vs Houston
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $690K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and LSU's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
Portal: entered the 2026 portal from LSU.
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Measurables
Awards & Honors
2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Week; four-star and top-100 national recruit; two-time first-team all-state in Louisiana with 19 career high school interceptions