CJ West DT Indiana | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
CJ West DT Indiana
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/21/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.95 seconds (82%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |
| Last Updated: 03/21/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.95 seconds (82%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 80.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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52% |
| Pass Rush: |
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83% |
| Run Defense: |
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95% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#186
Position rank:
#43
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| College Games: 51 College Snaps: 1948 | ||
ESPN RATING: 76/100
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247 RATING: 84/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.4 (89%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Slade - Michigan State |
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79% |
| Haskell Garrett - Ohio State |
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76% |
| Travis Jones - UConn |
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71% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The former Kent State standout took his talents to Bloomington for his final collegiate season and turned himself into a legitimate NFL prospect. West's journey began at Nazareth Academy in Illinois, where he helped capture a Class 7A state title as a junior before finishing as state runner-up his senior year. Originally committed to Minnesota, West changed course and landed at Kent State where he steadily developed into a third-team All-MAC performer by 2023. His transfer to Indiana proved to be the perfect career move, as he became an immediate anchor for a Hoosier defensive front that transformed from mediocre to elite against the run.With the Hoosiers, West showcased the disruptive ability that had been brewing during his time in the MAC. His 40 tackles, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, forced fumble and fumble recovery helped propel Indiana to an improbable College Football Playoff berth. What the stat sheet doesn't capture is how West's presence fundamentally altered opposing game plans. Indiana's run defense skyrocketed from 82nd nationally to 2nd in rushing yards allowed per game during his lone season.
Prior to Indiana, West's four-year Kent State career produced steady contributions with 110 tackles and 19 TFLs.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional leverage player who maximizes his natural low center of gravity to anchor against double teams far better than his measurables would suggest.
- Processing speed jumps off the tape—consistently identifies blocking schemes pre-snap and reacts with decisive first movements to counter offensive designs.
- Plays with violent hands that shock and separate blockers, showing surprising strength to knock back centers and guards with initial punch.
- Moves laterally with surprising quickness, proving nearly impossible to reach-block when playing on the edge of centers in zone schemes.
- Gap-slashing ability creates consistent backfield penetration, timing his bursts to slip through cracks in blocking assignments like water finding holes in concrete.
- Routinely splits double teams with textbook "kickstand" technique and low pad level, attacking half-a-man to negate two-on-one disadvantages.
- Displays exceptional competitive toughness, never satisfied with simply occupying blocks and consistently working to disengage and pursue plays outside his gap.
- Shows enough lateral quickness and change-of-direction ability to redirect in tight spaces, making him more than just a stationary run-stuffer.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Length deficiencies (31½" arms) show up when attempting to control blockers at extension, forcing him to win immediately or risk being engulfed by longer linemen.
- First-step explosiveness is merely adequate, limiting his ability to consistently beat blockers off the snap in passing situations.
- Pass rush arsenal remains underdeveloped, relying primarily on bull rush and arm-over without consistent counters when initial moves are stalled out.
- Tackling efficiency concerns show up on tape, with several missed opportunities to finish plays that he created with initial penetration.
- Can occasionally lose discipline and freelance outside his gap responsibility, creating vulnerability in otherwise sound defensive fronts.
Scouting Report: Summary
Put West in a one-gap, attacking front and watch him thrive as a disruptive early-down specialist. His innate ability to maintain leverage and shed blocks translates immediately to the pro game, particularly in systems that value penetration over read-and-react responsibilities. The film shows a player who consistently creates chaos against the run but needs technical refinement to impact passing downs consistently. His lateral quickness and hand violence will earn him playing time from day one in specific packages.The tape against blue-chip competition reveals a defensive tackle who won't back down from anyone. When facing elite interior offensive linemen from Michigan and Ohio State, West more than held his own—consistently controlling his gap and often creating penetration that disrupted offensive timing. The extraordinary transformation of Indiana's run defense during his lone season speaks volumes about his impact between the tackles. His game carries a workmanlike quality with flashes of dominance when his technique aligns with his natural power.
Day three of the draft should yield several quality interior defenders, with West positioned to become one of the more impactful in the right system. His combination of run-stuffing prowess and developing pass rush ability makes him an ideal rotational piece with starter upside. Three years from now, we might look back at West as a player whose impact far outpaced his draft positioning—a gap-controlling force who developed just enough rush ability to stay on the field for all three downs.
CJ West percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate CJ West (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
117.6
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
37.0
*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.