Keyshaun Elliott Bucs Scouting Report

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In just a few days an important date in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle will be here. The NFL Scouting Combine will commence in Indianapolis, and teams and draft experts alike will be able to confirm or refute their athleticism priors as draft-eligible players from across the nation will show off their speed, power and agility. It also presents an opportunity for teams to interview players who they previously have not had an opportunity to speak to.

I have been focusing on the defensive side of the ball in my early preparation, specifically on the linebacker position because the Bucs’ current linebacker room is very thin and did not perform particularly well last year. And I’ve got another profile – this time on Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliot.

Here is a quick recap of the linebacker profiles I have completed to this point:

Draft: Sonny Styles, Owen Heinecke, Kyle Louis, Arvell Reese, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Jacob Rodriguez, Justin Jefferson, C.J. Allen, Anthony Hill, Jr., Jake Golday

Free Agents: Nakobe Dean, Devin Bush

Keyshaun Elliott Background And College Career

Keyshaun Elliott was a two-star prospect out of Missouri (#256 athlete and #43 in his state) and he committed to New Mexico State for the 2022 season.

ASU ILB Kayshaun Elliott – Photo by IMAGN Images – Mark J. Rebilas

Elliott played at New Mexico State for two seasons, recording 138 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 6 passes defensed over two seasons. Following the 2023 season he entered the transfer portal as a three-star recruit (#40 linebacker) in the 2024 class. He committed to Arizona State where he played his final two years.

His final year at Arizona State was his best, recording 98 tackles, 14.0 tackles for a loss and 7.0 sacks. Here are his final college stats:

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Screenshot 2026 02 21 121307

Keyshaun Elliott Scouting Report

Games Watched: Utah 2025, Iowa State 2025, Mississippi State 2025, Colorado 2025

Athleticism

Per Pro Football Focus

Height: 6’2

Weight: 235 pounds

Elliott’s build is close to ideal for the modern-day linebacker. He is a bit high-waisted, which can affect his balance. He has quick feet and fast spools up quickly, making him perfect as a box player, and he maintains his plus speed (18-19 MPH) well throughout the play.

He can change directions well, but not at an elite level and most importantly he plays big and strong at the contact point. His arm length and upper body strength is effective and keeps blockers off his frame.

Fitting The Run

Elliott is the definition of a downhill thumper. He delivers highlight-reel hits that wear on ball-carriers over time. And he carries the mentality of a punishing bruiser that helps key up the rest of a defense. He loves moving downhill, to enforce his will. But he doesn’t sacrifice anything facing a perimeter zone scheme,

He is excellent at sifting and finding through traffic and chaos. A big reason for that is his plus eye discipline. He has a natural flow to the ball that you don’t often find in other players.

Asu Ilb Kayshaun Elliott - Photo By Imagn Images - Mark J. Rebilas

ASU ILB Kayshaun Elliott – Photo by IMAGN Images – Mark J. Rebilas

He is a plus stack and shed blocker, mixing a shoulder dip with arm lockouts to keep blockers from engulfing him. He is willing to take on pullers with zero fear or reservation. He throws his shoulder and stifles blocker momentum causing traffic jams and running back re-routes.

Because of his penchant as a heavy hitter, he can be undisciplined on his approach, which leads to missed tackles (career 18.5% missed tackle rate). But I think this is a technique issue that can be improved with coaching.

Rushing The Passer

Elliott has a quick trigger and loves to work downhill with speed and physicality to crush running backs and get after the passer. He works well moving off of those blocks, changing direction and chasing down quarterbacks attempting to flee the pocket. The authority with which he works as a pass rusher when the design asks him to win is evident in his 7.0 sacks last year.

He works well as a part of a pass rush plan and is a real threat to offensive linemen and demands attention when he is keyed to create paths and space for teammates. He will sacrifice himself to the scheme for the good of the play design. Elliott is also an effective spy. This is where his play IQ and smart pursuit angles help him to cut off ground and give scrambling quarterbacks little room to maneuver.

He wasn’t asked to rush off the edge of the line much, but when he was his speed and acceleration make him a real threat around the arc, but his lack of pass rushing moves cause him to get run out of the play more than you’d like.

Coverage

He loves to physically re-route shallow crosses and mesh concepts, but he can get out-leveraged unless he sees it early. When matched up in man coverage he trails effectively but lacks the elite instincts to make a play on the ball when it’s in flight.

His best usage in coverage is on shallow hooks, but he doesn’t gain depth or have great feel for route development behind him to close windows.

Asu Ilb Kayshaun Elliott - Photo By Imagn Images - Arianna Grainey

ASU ILB Kayshaun Elliott – Photo by IMAGN Images – Arianna Grainey

In space against athletic F tight ends and NFL backs, his athleticism can get exposed and he will allow vertical separation. Offensive coordinators can put him in a bind by scheming him out of the box and into coverage. But he takes smart lines to limit damage after the catch and rarely let’s running backs get the corner on him in the flat.

Best Traits

  • Impact at contact – Elliott delivers hits that are felt long after the last whistle
  • Closing Speed – His athleticism gears up to 110% when he is in pursuit, getting faster when a particular play calls for it
  • Communication – Elliott is a natural mike backer and strong communicator who can call and set a defense

Best Role And How Does He Fit In The Bucs’ System

Elliott is a prototypical downhill middle linebacker who will excel on early downs fitting the run and add value in the pass game as a pass rusher. His physical playstyle and big-game hunting hitter profile make him what I wanted Josiah Trotter to be.

If paired with an athletic, coverage-plus athlete at the will, he could be a valuable mike linebacker in any system – but especially a Todd-Bowles scheme that can weaponize his playstyle down hill in a blitz-heavy world. Elliott is comfortable working from both an off-ball and mugged-up position and loves to bring the fight to offensive linemen. He will struggle in coverage, but no more than the average NFL linebacker and could be plugged into an NFL system as a starter his rookie year.

Hear Keyshaun Speak

Part of NFL Draft evaluations are about more than the tape. Teams want to understand the person as much as the player — how he thinks, how he processes the game, and how he integrates into a locker room. While we don’t have access to the full depth of team interviews, I found an interview he did with Speak of the Devils midway through last year where he spoke about an upcoming matchup with Colorado as well as how finishing is such an important aspect of playing defense and winning games.

Elliott practices what he preaches, finishing in the 95th percentile of all qualifying linebackers in impact play rate. His mention of his notes and what he focuses on also stood out to me as high-level preparation behaviors that I think could come across as plusses when he meets with teams.

Final Thoughts

Elliott is one of the safer bets in this class to be a multi-year starter. He may not have the ceiling of a Jake Golday, but he has a much higher floor. He’s assignment sound, a strong communicator and he executes the most important part of the position well with a physicality that coaches absolutely love. He is a value add in the passing game as a pass rusher. And while he isn’t a great coverage backer, which would make him a less-than-ideal fit for a Robert Saleh-style defense, he is a great fit for a multiple, attacking defense that will ask him to line up all over the defense.

Elliott is currently linebacker #4 for me, leading off a third tier just ahead of Jacob Rodriguez.

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