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With the 125th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select
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The Chargers are killing this draft. Kyle Kennard was one of 3 edge players I wanted there @#125.
Planning for the future at a premium position.
A situational pass rusher in this 1st year.
Really needed this depth piece.Protect the QB
Run the ball
Play great defenseComment
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“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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From my alma mater... Well I guess technically you have to graduate before it's your alma mater, but I was enrolled for quite some time.
Learning under Mack for a year will do wonders for this kid.Comment
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Many of those SEC defensive players of year become very good NFL players. It's a solid list to be a part of.
Who has it better than us?Comment
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Do guys here really think our coaches can’t coach? I’m always eyebrow raised when the first instinct is that a player is going to coach the new player, not our professional coachingh staff. No insult intended … I’m a big Mack fan too.
Did Joey get any better with Mack here? Did Rumph blossom with Mack here? Pick a name … idunno, its not as bad as the traditional QB-whisperer meme that some never-starting perennial back bencher nobody QB clipboard holder is gonna teach Herbert how to be an elite pro QB, I guess. I read that silliness for years here. At least Mack knows what elite is.“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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Let's see this Beef Trend continue, please.Comment
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The BEAST:
All edge rushers
edge22
NOT RANKED IN TOP 100
LAC
RD
4
PK
23 Kyle Kennard
South Carolina
HT
6′4″
WT
254
YR
5SR
AGE
23.37
Jump to:
Overview
Strengths
Weaknesses
Background
Stats Overview
hometown
Atlanta, GA
high school
Riverwood
birthday
Dec. 12, 2001
jersey
#5
A one-year starter at South Carolina, Kennard lined up as a seven-/nine-technique edge rusher in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s four-man front (stand-up and hand on the ground). After four solid seasons at Georgia Tech, he joined the Gamecocks for his final season and rewrote the trajectory of his college career and draft projection. While becoming the first South Carolina player to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, he led the SEC with 11.5 sacks, falling just shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s school single-season sack record (13).
Using more of a “jet mode” stance as a super senior, Kennard was able to improve his takeoff as a pass rusher to be disruptive from wide alignment. He can use his length in different ways to pry open blocks, but he is inconsistent as a point-of-attack player and larger tackles can engulf him. Overall, Kennard has work to do developing his counters and becoming more consistent on run downs to reach his NFL potential, but he brings energetic speed off the edge when he can pin his ears back. He projects as a passing-down specialist, and his role can evolve from there.
grade4th Round Testing
Glossarycombine 6040 254 93/4″ 34″ 811/2″ 4.73 2.74 1.63 DNP DNP DNP DNP 23 No jumps, SS, three-cone (choice) pro day 6041 262 10″ 333/4″ 80″ 4.81 2.83 1.63 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Back to top Strengths- Long-limbed with adequate muscle on his frame
- Gets off the line quickly
- Flashes linear twitch to plant and abruptly change rush path
- Uses forward lean into offensive tackle’s chest to convert his speed to power
- Shows closing burst to get on the quarterback before he can unload the ball
- Smartly uses long arms to swat at the football in the pocket (five forced fumbles over past two seasons)
- Upper-body strength to win when left alone against tight ends
- Motor stays fairly consistent, which helps him chase in the run game
- Took the initiative and became a leader on a new team in 2024 (voted a Gamecocks captain)
- Impressive backfield production during senior year
Back to top Weaknesses- Doesn’t have cohesive plan beyond initial attack
- Inconsistent attempting to access move-to-move transitions
- Showed improved use of hands at top of his rush, but he’s not exactly a technician (yet)
- Slows once engaged; doesn’t have power to blow through shoulders of blockers
- Didn’t make a ton of plays as a run defender on tape
- Lacks violent stack and shed as an edge setter
- Doesn’t have any coverage reps on 2024 tape
- Jumped off the film in September but cooled off late in the season
- Finished with high sack number in 2024 but didn’t lead Gamecocks in pressures (39 pressures ranked 50th in FBS)
Back to top Background
Kyle Kennard, who has a younger brother (Kalin), was born and raised in Flint, Mich., with his parents (Kevin and Chan). He started playing football at age 5 and moved around to “every position” throughout pee wee. He was also a talented basketball player throughout childhood. At age 9, his family moved to Savannah, Ga., and he continued his football journey through middle school, mostly as a linebacker. Kennard moved to defensive end in eighth grade and helped his team to the league championship. He moved for his high school years to the Atlanta area in 2016 with his father, whom Kyle credits as the main person who motivated him, on and off the football field. He also played 7-on-7 football for Elite Talent Football. Kennard has two sons who live in Atlanta: Kayden (3) and Karter (1 this summer).
Kennard enrolled at Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs (north of Atlanta) for high school. He moved up to varsity as a sophomore and played both defensive end and defensive tackle. As a junior, Kennard emerged as one of the top defensive linemen in the area (56 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, eight sacks and one forced fumble). He was an all-region performer as a senior and led Riverwood to an 11-1 record, including the first undefeated regular season in school history, and the 2019 regional championship. Kennard finished his final season with 43 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He also lettered in basketball.
A three-star recruit, Kennard was the 39th-ranked weakside defensive end in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 80 recruit Georgia. He received his first major offer from Virginia as a junior, followed by offers Arkansas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. In the spring of 2019, Kennard took his official visit to Georgia Tech and officially committed to former head coach Geoff Collins in June 2019. He was the 14th-ranked recruit in the 2020 class (running back Jahmyr Gibbs was No. 1). He learned how to improve his work ethic from his “big bro,” Keion White, while with the Yellow Jackets.
After four seasons in the program, Kennard took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic and entered the transfer portal in December 2023. His choice came down to Missouri and South Carolina, but his connection with defensive line coach Sterling Lucas locked up his commitment to the Gamecocks. Kennard opted out of South Carolina’s bowl game and accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Back to top Stats
Defense
Notes & Awards2020 Georgia Tech 6 3 10 2.5 2.5 0 0 0 2021 Georgia Tech 12 2 15 3.5 2.0 0 0 0 2022 Georgia Tech 12 9 36 4.5 2.0 0 0 0 2023 Georgia Tech 12 6 54 11.0 6.0 2 1 1 2024 South Carolina 12 12 28 15.5 11.5 3 1 0 Total 54 32 143 37.0 24.0 5 2 1
Glossary2020 Georgia Tech Enrolled July 2020; pandemic-shortened season 2023 Georgia Tech Led team in sacks, TFL 2024 South Carolina Consensus All-American; Nagurski Trophy; SEC Def. POY; First Team All-SEC; led SEC in sacks
Back to top
Kyle Kennard
HAMPTON > JEANTY
Prove me right.Comment
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I had him circled for today too. Great pick to start Day3, checks off a big need with a quality playerOriginally posted by Jack Burton View Post“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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I did not watch him play but had heard the name. From reading the scouting reports, maybe a Raylee Johnson kind of player? Or Yanick Nogakue?
No question an Edge is needed as Mack and Dupree will both be gone next season.Like, how am I a traitor? Your team are traitors.Comment
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