PROSPECT SUMMARY - ISAIAHH LOUDERMILK

Wisconsin defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk leaves the Badgers program having served as a multi-year starter at defensive end for the team. Loudermilk offers the kind of size and extension skills that simply can’t be taught to defenders; his looming frame with grab your attention as a potential developmental prospect to play along the line and he’s almost sure to get a look because of his size. But Loudermilk, despite his experience playing in the Big Ten as a multi-year starter, lacks appeal in leverage, power, pass-rush ability, and as an overall player; he’s more of a project than he is a plug-and-play defender. But with that in mind, teams who are willing to acquire young talent and invest coaching into them for several years will likely be keen on giving him a shot, making Loudermilk a candidate to get a look from organizations that are stereotypically high-stability environments. There, a long-term development plan can be put in place with a higher likelihood of seeing it through to him becoming a viable rotational defensive lineman.

Ideal Role: 4i/5-tech DE.

Scheme Fit: Two-gapping defensive front.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by: Kyle Crabbs

Games watched: Northwestern (2019), Ohio State (2019), Michigan (2020), Iowa (2020)

Best Game Studied: Northwestern (2019)

Worst Game Studied: Ohio State (2019)

First-Step Explosiveness: Loudermilk offers very little spring off the line. Successful penetration came most often on leveraged slants in which linemen were looking to hit far-reaching landmarks to work across his face.

Flexibility: Even from the posterior view of his stance, you can see Loudermilk labors to bend and get himself into a low position. His ability to work under the pads of blockers is very inconsistent and his knee and hip hinge does not allow him to sit and squat on his base to hold the line of scrimmage.

Hand Counters: Hand activity is sufficient to continue altering his blocking surface. Loudermilk will struggle to parlay off of contact, but does have the secondary extension skills to open the gate and give his chest some separation.

Length: The tools are here to create a clean stack of blocks. He’s long enough to launch hands first and when he does he provides expected results to stonewall the block.

Hand Power: He’s not an overly powerful or twitched-up athlete and his long levers make fast-twitch or short-area power production difficult to come by. Because of leverage issues, he loses some strike efficiency and force transfer.

Run Defending: If you ask him to play at the line of scrimmage, you’ll likely get his best results. Backfield production is low and penetration appeal to play a 3T or in a single-gap defense won’t move the needle.

Effort: He's a blue-collar player, which you’d totally expect for an interior defensive lineman stemming from the Badgers’ program. He’s a close-quarters combat defender who does well to occupy blockers and keep his linebackers clean to flow to the football.

Football IQ: His play in Jim Leonhard’s defense should set him up to digest an NFL playbook effectively. But his instinct and feel of play development are only modest and will not cover for his lack of high-end functional athleticism.

Lateral Mobility: On shallow angles, Loudermilk has claimed a few victories slanting and crashing into gaps. But when he’s charged with challenging adjacent gaps or working across face, he struggles with the foot speed and balance to successfully redirect and gather more real estate.

Versatility: Loudermilk is not an overly effective presence against the pass and is likely to be rotated off the field for third downs. His best profile comes as an early-down, base defense run defender, which will explain his low valuation in the NFL draft process.

Prospect Comparison: Corbin Kaufusi (2019 NFL Draft, UDFA)