Austin Romaine LB Kansas State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Austin Romaine LB Kansas State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 06/14/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.75 seconds (39%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | |
| Last Updated: 06/14/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.75 seconds (39%*) | |
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| Overall Rating: | 83.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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78% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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59% |
| Pass Rush: |
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85% |
| Run Defense: |
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94% |
| Coverage: |
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87% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#114
Position rank:
#14
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| College Games: 25 College Snaps: 941 | ||
ESPN RATING: 74/100
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247 RATING: 86/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cody Simon - Ohio State |
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73% |
| Cedric Gray - North Carolina |
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73% |
| Demetrius Knight Jr. - South Carolina |
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73% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Austin Romaine in Manhattan after earning first-team all-state honors at Hillsboro High School, where he compiled 117 tackles and seven sacks as a senior while leading his team as the league's most valuable player. What started as a typical recruiting story for Kansas State - finding overlooked talent and maximizing potential - has evolved into something far more compelling as Romaine has become the defensive heartbeat of a program that thrives on identifying diamonds in the rough.His freshman campaign in 2023 served as an unexpected baptism by fire when injuries decimated the Wildcats' linebacker corps, thrusting the true freshman into five starts - the most by a Kansas State freshman linebacker since at least 1988. Despite the premature elevation, Romaine showcased the instincts and football intelligence that would later define his game, finishing with 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack while earning votes for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. The experience proved invaluable preparation for what would become a breakout sophomore season that established him as one of the conference's premier defenders.
The 2024 campaign transformed Romaine from promising prospect to legitimate NFL consideration, as he led Kansas State with 96 tackles while adding 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and two pass breakups across 621 defensive snaps. His production earned All-Big 12 Second Team recognition from both coaches and the Associated Press, while Pro Football Focus awarded him a 91.0 grade - the highest among Power Four linebackers. Two of his forced fumbles directly contributed to game-winning scores, including a strip that was returned 60 yards for a touchdown at Tulane and another that set up a field goal in a two-point victory over Kansas. The consistency was remarkable - at least five tackles in 11 games with three separate 12-tackle performances that tied for the most by any Wildcat since 2020.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional run recognition and downhill acceleration allows him to meet ball carriers in the hole with authority and conviction.
- Natural feel for route combinations in coverage, displaying the awareness to jump crossing routes and disrupt timing-based concepts.
- Solid hand technique when engaging blockers at the line of scrimmage enables him to maintain leverage and pursue effectively.
- Impressive closing speed for his size helps him track down plays from the backside and covers significant ground laterally.
- Outstanding football instincts allow him to diagnose plays quickly and position himself to make impact plays consistently.
- Fundamentally sound tackler who wraps up properly when he arrives at the proper angle with good body position.
- Mature understanding of defensive concepts and adjustments that makes him an effective communicator and field general for the defense.
- Proven knack for creating turnovers with three forced fumbles in 2024, showing the ball skills to make game-changing plays.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Limited range in pass coverage against vertical routes, as his straight-line speed can be exposed by athletic tight ends and slot receivers.
- Struggles with consistent hand placement when engaging with bigger interior linemen, occasionally allowing them to get into his chest and control his momentum.
- Marginal athletic testing numbers suggest he may struggle against elite NFL speed and could be a liability in obvious passing situations.
- Tackling technique becomes inconsistent when forced to attack at poor angles or when pursuit lanes are compromised by traffic.
- Lacks the length and physicality to consistently battle through heavy traffic when pursuing ball carriers in short-yardage situations.
Scouting Report: Summary
Romaine can really see it - the way he triggers downhill and fills gaps shows natural linebacker instincts that you can't teach, but man, those missed tackles are going to bite him at the next level where everybody runs a 4.4. You watch him read mesh concepts and he's right there breaking up routes, then two plays later he's whiffing on a tackle because his feet get sloppy when the angle isn't perfect. That's the frustrating thing with this prospect - he's got the football brain to be a starter but the athletic limitations might cap his ceiling in today's league where linebackers need to cover more ground than ever before.The run fits are money, no question about it. He smells out counters and powers before the back even gets the handoff, and when he hits the right gap with proper leverage, runners go down hard. Problem is, when he's chasing speed to the perimeter or trying to cover athletic tight ends on seam routes, his speed shows up in a hurry. His hands are decent enough against pulling guards and he understands how to use his frame, but bigger interior linemen can get into his chest and knock him off his spot when he doesn't get his punch placement right. Still, Romaine plays with enough conviction that you believe he'll get better with better coaching and more consistent technique work.
Here's what it comes down to - his tape shows a defender who understands the position and makes the defense work around him, even if he's not blowing anyone away with raw talent. The communication skills and football maturity are legitimate, and that forced fumble production tells you he's got some dog in him when the lights are brightest. Whether he can overcome the athletic shortcomings depends on how much a team believes in developing technique over traits. This feels like a day two guy who could surprise some people if he lands in the right spot, but don't expect him to be covering slot receivers in nickel packages anytime soon.
How other scouting services rate Austin Romaine (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
89.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
12.0
*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.