Yhonzae Pierre LB/EDGE Alabama |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Tackling is a real flaw, with 13 misses in 2025 and six more this year
• Dips in coverage when dropped into space off the edge
• Pad level climbs late in reps, costing him the corner on long rushes

Scouting Report: Summary

Pierre is a powerful edge rusher with a quick get-off who went from backup to Alabama's sack leader in a matter of weeks in 2025, and he has carried that into 2026. He plays the run with strength, with 34 stops last season, so the projection is broader than a pure speed rusher, and he finished 2025 with eight sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and three strips.

His best games have come against good opponents. He had three sacks against Tennessee last year, and this fall he opened with a pick-six against East Carolina, got home and knocked the ball loose against Georgia and added another sack at Tennessee. He has generated 22 pressures in eight games, and his effort shows up late in games when the snaps pile up. Kane Wommack has said he keeps getting better, and the 2026 tape backs that up. The pressure comes in bunches, with six against Florida State and four each at Kentucky and Mississippi State.

However, the finishing has to improve. He missed 13 tackles in 2025 and six more this season, his coverage drops when he is asked to play in space, and his pad level can climb on longer rushes, which costs him the corner against patient tackles. He also drew a penalty at Mississippi State, where he had four hurries but no tackles. His pressure totals also outrun his sack count at times, a sign that the counters are still developing. Alabama has gone 6-2, and the losses to Georgia and Tennessee came with him doing his job but not taking over.

Overall, Pierre is a disruptive three-down edge who plays hard and can kick inside on passing downs. He projects as a first-round edge whose ceiling is a high-end starter once the tackling and the finish clean up.