Antwaun Powell-Ryland DL/EDGE Virginia Tech | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Antwaun Powell-Ryland DL/EDGE Virginia Tech
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.69 seconds (90%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.69 seconds (90%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 82.9 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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65% |
| Pass Rush: |
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85% |
| Run Defense: |
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63% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
5th
Overall Rank:
#152
Position rank:
#37
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| College Games: 49 College Snaps: 1648 | ||
ESPN RATING: 86/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 91/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grayson Murphy - UCLA |
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80% |
| Isaiah McGuire - Missouri |
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79% |
| Nelson Ceaser - Houston |
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79% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Antwaun Powell-Ryland a four-star recruit out of Indian River High School who garnered attention from major programs, initially landed at Florida where he spent three largely developmental seasons. His decision to transfer to Virginia Tech proved career-altering, as the edge rusher blossomed into one of college football's premier pass rushers over his final two collegiate campaigns.His 2023 campaign served notice of his disruptive potential, posting 9.5 sacks and 14.5 TFLs while earning Second-Team All-ACC honors. But it was his monster 2024 season that thrust him into the national conversation – racking up 16 sacks (third in FBS), 19 tackles for loss, and delivering two separate four-sack performances against Old Dominion and Boston College. The 6'3", 258-pounder collected numerous accolades, including First-Team All-ACC, multiple All-American selections, and became Virginia Tech's first Dudley Award winner (Virginia's top FBS player) since 2011.
From limited snaps at Florida to becoming an every-down force for the Hokies, his development curve points upward. The production jumps off the page – 25.5 sacks over his final two seasons – but NFL scouts are now tasked with projecting whether his technical refinement can overcome some physical limitations at the next level.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Technician with his hands – violent, accurate striking ability that eliminates offensive tackles' punch and creates immediate leverage advantages when rushing the passer.
- Crafty pass rush arsenal featuring diverse attack angles, manipulated stride lengths, and tempo changes that keep blockers guessing and off-balance throughout reps.
- Devastating bull rush showcases his exceptional leverage – consistently gets underneath tackles' pads and walks them back into quarterbacks' laps on film.
- Counter moves flow naturally when initial rush gets stalled – doesn't panic and waste steps, shows fluid transitions between primary and secondary attacks.
- Violent tackler who arrives with bad intentions – saw this against Wake Forest where he obliterated the quarterback on two separate sacks that echoed throughout the stadium.
- Maximizes his tools by playing with tremendous pad level and natural knee bend, creating power despite less-than-ideal measurables for the position.
- Surprising effectiveness slipping around kick-out blocks in the run game – uses quick hands and body contortion to defeat pulling guards who outweigh him.
- Mental processing speed allows him to diagnose plays rapidly – differentiates between run/pass quickly and rarely gets caught flat-footed or out of position.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks the twitchy first-step explosion you want from an undersized edge – watch the Boston College tape where he wins with technique, not initial burst.
- Arm length (31¼") falls well below NFL threshold for the position, allowing offensive tackles to establish first contact and control his chest too easily.
- Can't consistently corner at the top of his rush arc – hip flexibility limitations prevent him from flattening and reducing his surface area to finish sacks.
- Struggles maintaining his ground against double teams in the run game – gets washed out of gaps when teams commit multiple blockers his direction.
- Closing burst lacks explosiveness – created numerous pressures that didn't convert to sacks because quarterbacks could escape his closing radius.
Scouting Report: Summary
When I watch Powell-Ryland's tape, I see a technician who's figured out how to maximize his toolbox despite physical limitations. His pass rushing chops are night-and-day better than his run defense – not surprising considering how he uses his hands to negate blocks versus how he struggles when teams run directly at him. Watching him dismantle Boston College with a four-sack performance showed exactly who he can be at the next level when unleashed in obvious passing situations.The NFL transition comes down to deployment. He's got pass rush specialist written all over him early in his career, where his sophisticated hand usage and counter-move arsenal will translate immediately. His substantially stronger ability to affect quarterbacks compared to stopping ball carriers makes him a guy defensive play-callers will want on the field on third downs from day one. The football IQ displayed – particularly how he sets up tackles with varied approaches – gives me confidence he can develop beyond just a designated pass rusher.
While he lacks the prototype length that many edge defenders possess, he's consistently figured out how to reach the passer through technical savvy. He reminds me of those compact edge guys who carve out valuable careers by understanding their strengths and limitations – creating havoc on passing downs while developing complementary skills against the run.
Written By:
Felix Green (ACC)
Antwaun Powell-Ryland percentiles vs other Defensive Lines (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
133.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
41.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.