Keyshaun Elliott is a 6’2, 231-pound linebacker from the University of Arizona. A native of Richmond, Missouri, the undersized linebacker from Richmond High was only rated a 2-star recruit by 247Sports and would commit to New Mexico State University. The true freshman would immediately make an impact as a rotational linebacker and special teams ace for the Aggies, recording 27 tackles on defense and registering 185 special teams snaps. In his sophomore season, Elliott would emerge as one of the top linebackers in the Group of 5, being named Second Team All C-USA and recording 111 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and adding a forced fumble. That offseason, Elliott would enter the transfer portal, be listed as a consensus top-50 linebacker, and commit to the Arizona State Sun Devils. In year one with the Devils, Elliot would play a key role, registering 65 tackles, 2 sacks, and a pick. In 2025, Elliott would have his breakout season, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. In this season, Elliot would notch 111 tackles with a career high 7 sacks and establish himself firmly as a legitimate NFL prospect.
Elliott’s physical and mental profile is a mixed bag, on one hand he is severely undersized standing at only 6 ‘2 with 17th percentile weight at 231 pounds and it shows when a bigger player get his hooks in and is able to hold him up or slow him down, despite this he is highly physical and plays with a violent edge that wins him plays at the line of scrimmage. Elliot is also a fast and violent downhill mover, but his lateral movement and agility are weak; he struggles with stiff hips, flat feet, and lacks lateral burst. Mentally, Elliott is well above average when reading gaps in both run defense and on blitzes; these factors contribute considerably to his notoriety as a downhill thumper. In zone coverage, Elliot is a slow processor; he has trouble reading the quarterback’s eyes and is slow to get to the ball once the ball is released. He seems zoned out and remains flat-footed and unready to explode sitting in his zone.
Furthermore, regarding coverage, his physical limitations show up in both zone and man. Elliot’s lack of lateral speed, burst, and general flat-footedness leaves him lost in man coverage, where he is burnt by quicker players with relative ease. These physical traits, combined with a lack of zone feel, make him very slow to read and even slower to react to the ball, which is shown in his career lack of ball production and incredibly low coverage grades.
In run defense, Elliott is a mauler. He shows exceptional patience as well as gap processing, once Elliot identifies the gap he explodes downhill with violent physicality and good downhill speed. Elliott looks to spear-tackle offensive players and bury them backward, preventing yards after contact. His hand usage is also excellent; he is active and violent with his clubs, chops, and sweeps, making it difficult for linemen to get a hand on him at times. His hands, while quick and violent, remained controlled and intentional. These traits in the run game translate well to his pass rush attack. Despite a general lack of bend, he is excellent at firing up the middle through the A and B gaps, thanks to the aforementioned great vision, speed, and downhill violence.
Despite Elliott’s physical and effective tackling within the confines of the box, when out in space he has quite a tough time, his spearing tackle style is easily avoided in open space and his lack of lateral and mobility prevents him from getting his body around to ball carriers. Elliot should also work on the angles he takes in open space, as he tends to overshoot or be too patient on flat feet, leading to ball carriers blowing by him with little resistance.
Elliott has the makeup of a two-down Mike linebacker who thrives in downhill run against inside zone and in interior blitz packages, he has also shown the ability to set the edge which is impressive for his size, all of these things he does at an NFL level, he also has some special teams chops being a consistent contributor as a rocket against KOR throughout his 4 years in college. To become a consistent NFL player, he must put in tremendous work on his coverage in both man and zone, and pray he can improve his lateral ability. He must also improve considerably in space and diversify his tackling abilities to wrap.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit
The Jacksonville Jaguars just lost their best downhill backer in Devin Lloyd and will look to replace his production by committee. Elliot could be a strong piece in run defense and blitz packages, and has the special-teams ability to possibly see the field early as a late-round pick. The 49ers have coveted undersized downhill linebackers, and with Dre Greenlaw’s health being a serious question, they could afford to spend a late-round pick on someone to plug in alongside Dee Winters and Fred Warner, especially as a downhill linebacker who would immediately fit new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’s blitz-heavy system.
NFL Player Comp: Ivan Pace Jr.
The undrafted Pace exploded early on with the Vikings as an undersized run-fitting backer who thrived in the box. Despite still being young, his role has diminished considerably due to his lack of coverage ability
Projection: Special Teamer/Developmental Depth
Elliott projects as a primarily special-teamer, with the potential to eventually become a backup/role player for a team.
Grade and Round Projection: 2.99, Mid Round 6 – Mid Round 7 Pick
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