[h4]STRENGTHS[/h4]
Team-first player who played through severe wrist pain for almost the entire season. Sophomore season proved how productive he could be when allowed to play in the middle. Instinctive and quick to anticipate play flow. Takes aggressive contain angle when needed. Has a good feel for most efficient path to the ball. Maintains run fits and looks to spill the ball wide whenever possible. Plays with reactive athleticism to break down and quickly redirect his weight into runners trying to cut back. Shows a willingness to take on lead blockers with a leveraged shoulder. Good play speed with range to chase from sideline to sideline. Athletic enough to handle deep Cover-2 drops if called on.
[h4]WEAKNESSES[/h4]
Angular frame with very short arms and may not be able to carry much more functional mass. Has never matched production total from two seasons ago. Below average play strength. Will struggle to unlock from a strong punch and fight back into the play. Could have issues leveraging his gap in the NFL. Can be washed away if he doesn't trigger downhill and stay one step ahead of blockers. Lacks thud behind his pads as a hitter. Has had issues sliding off of tackles. Has had to deal with injuries over the last two seasons and had to shut it down this season due to worsening of his wrist injury suffered in September.
[h4]SOURCES TELL US[/h4]
"You might as well throw out this year because the guy was in a ton of pain all year long. It was obvious that something was wrong early in the year. I hate going all the way back to his sophomore year but I think you have to at least look at that tape to get a feel for who he might be able to become." -- NFC regional scout
[h4]NFL COMPARISON[/h4]
Dominique Alexander
[h4]BOTTOM LINE[/h4]Vallejo's outstanding production his sophomore season is one of the things keeping him alive in scouting circles. From a physical standpoint, he's an undersized inside linebacker who lacks the long levers needed to keep offensive linemen off of him. His instincts and third-down ability are plusses, but he'll need to find the right 3-4 fit or attempt to move to an outside linebacker role in a 4-3. Vallejo has NFL backup potential.
