Yhonzae Pierre
Alabama#50 overallDraft Movement
Up 34 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
Yhonzae Pierre exploded onto the scene for Alabama in 2025 and now profiles as the next in the program's pipeline of NFL edge rushers behind Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner. Listed at 6'3" and 248 pounds, the redshirt junior opened the year third on the depth chart but seized a starting job midway through the season after injuries and finished with 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks plus three forced fumbles. His signature outing came against Tennessee, where he tied a career high with six tackles and posted a career-best three sacks, and he closed out LSU with a game-ending strip-sack in one of two multi-sack games. He primarily lines up at 5-technique and wide-9, and his calling card is a violent speed-to-power bull rush that LSU had no answer for, driving tackles into the pocket to soften outside shoulders. He is quick off the line, accelerates vertically in a hurry and uses fakes and lower-body wiggle to set up rushes, even juking chipping tight ends. The development areas are clear: he is high-hipped, lacks top-shelf bend and leans heavily on power, so he needs to diversify his plan with counters. Mel Kiper ranked him the No. 5 OLB, and early 2027 mocks have placed him as high as 12th overall (Commanders, The Score) and 31st (Seahawks, CBS). He elected to return to Tuscaloosa for a final season to round out the profile.
Strengths
- Breakout 2025 of 52 tackles, 14.5 TFL and eight sacks despite starting third on the depth chart
- Three forced fumbles in 2025, including a game-ending strip-sack against LSU
- Career-high three sacks and six tackles against Tennessee
- Violent speed-to-power bull rush that LSU could not block
- Quick off the line with rapid vertical acceleration
- Uses fakes and lower-body wiggle to set up rushers, juked chipping tight ends twice
- Scheme-versatile across 5-technique and wide-9 alignments
- Long-arm and wide base to set the edge and funnel runners into the B-gap
Weaknesses
- High-hipped frame that limits his ability to consistently turn the corner
- Lacks top-shelf bend and is overly reliant on power rushes
- Needs to diversify his rush plan and add counters off the bull rush
- Less impactful against the run than departed teammate Qua Russaw
- Needs to add strength and fill out his frame for NFL volume
- Only one season of starting production, having taken over midway through 2025
NFL Comparison
Dallas Turner (recent Alabama edge with speed-to-power and frame to fill out, same program lineage); Boye Mafe (high-hipped speed-to-power rusher who needed a counter package off the bull); Will McDonald IV (bendy-but-raw edge whose burst and length flashed before refinement)
College Stats
2025 (RS-So breakout): 52 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 8 sacks, 3 FF, 1 PB; career-high 3 sacks vs Tennessee; two multi-sack games including a strip-sack to close LSU.
Measurables
Awards & Honors
Mel Kiper No. 5 OLB ranking; early 2027 mocks: pick 12 to Washington (The Score, Belbeck), pick 31 to Seattle (CBS Sports, Petagna); First and Ten 2027 scouting feature; projected top returning edge on a loaded Alabama defense