2014 NFL Draft Profile: Trevor Reilly, OLB Utah
By Adam Carlson
October 27, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; California Golden Bears running back Brendan Bigelow (5) runs the ball as Utah Utes linebacker Trevor Reilly (9) and linebacker Jason Whittingham (53) pursue the play during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah defeated California 49-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Teams in the draft this year might be a little confused when it comes to Trevor Reilly out of Utah. They’ve seen him play at a reasonable level when it comes to the outside linebacker spot, but really shine during his last year at Utah when he moved to defensive end.
Trevor Reilly has the size to play either position. That is what makes him very interesting. A team that runs a 4-3 could draft him to play him at defensive end while a 3-4 team could play him at outside linebacker and have him rush the passer. This could make him a very hot commodity on draft day despite his sub-par performance at the beginning of his final year of college ball.
He’s a solid tackler and decent enough in coverage where he shouldn’t be too much of a liability. His major appeal should be his pass rush ability. Teams showed during free agency that they were willing to invest heavily in potential sack artists and we could see that again in the draft. Reilly could use the help of a motivational coaching staff to push him and keep him on his toes.
Here are his statistics over 4 seasons at Utah:
Feb 22, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah linebacker Trevor Reilly speaks at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
48 games played
131 solo tackles
235 total tackles
37.5 tackles for a loss
20.5 sacks
2 interceptions
10 passes defended
8 forced fumbles
Strengths
- Excellent physical specimen
- Good at shedding blocks
- Moves from sideline to sideline easily
- Sound tackler
Weaknesses
- Lacks elite speed
- Needs to develop power moves
- Can tend to disappear in games at times
Fit For The Vikings
While Minnesota seems to have a need for an outside linebacker, Trevor Reilly seems to be a better fit for defensive end or a pass rushing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
My Take
Minnesota would be better off passing on Reilly since they already have invested so much in pass rushers like Robison, Griffen, and Wooten. Unless they believe Reilly can be a solid starting outside linebacker, he doesn’t really fit the bill for the Vikings.