The 49ers could use some defensive end help in the draft. Part of their search includes a top-30 visit with Louisville edge rusher YaYa Diaby per the Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.
Diaby is a special blend of size and athleticism that makes him worth betting on late on Day 2 or perhaps early on Day 3 of the draft. He measured in at 6-3, 263 pounds at the combine and blew away the 40-yard dash with a 4.51-second sprint. More importantly, he churned out a 1.56 10-yard split. That indicator of explosiveness matters more for a pass rusher than the full 40-yard dash.
While he carries a deep physical skill set, Diaby didn’t post big-time production in college. He had 7.0 sacks in two years for Georgia Military College before transferring to Louisville. In three seasons there he had 10.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 34 games.
However, with Louisville he was playing a lot as a 3-4 DE where his athleticism was sometimes limited in ways it wouldn’t be as a 4-3 DE in Kris Kocurek’s Wide-9.
It stands to reason that Diaby can continue developing alongside Kocurek as a 4-3 DE in a defense that won’t require him to focus on much besides rushing the passer in the early part of his career. The production may not have been there in college, but he has a ton of tools worth banking on.
