NFL Draft

1/22/25

5 min read

Kyle Kennard 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For South Carolina Gamecocks EDGE

South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard (5) reacts as Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) protects the ball.
South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard (5) reacts as Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) protects the ball.

Height: 6050 (unofficial)

Weight: 254lbs (unofficial)

Year: Fifth-Year Senior

Pro Comparison: TBD

Scouting Overview

South Carolina Gamecocks EDGE defender Kyle Kennard is a twitchy, long speed-to-power presence on the edge. He’s a well-rounded talent with effective reps as a pass rusher and a run defender. NFL teams should have some optimism that Kennard can develop into a high-volume snap taker with some time in their program.

Kennard took a leap forward in 2024 while joining a talented South Carolina front for his final season of eligibility, which bodes well for his projection to a front that doesn’t ask him to be the featured player on passing downs. 

2025 NFL Combine Results

TBD

Positives

  • Possesses terrific length to dictate punch timing and execute counters on the edge
  • Explosive through the arc and will play through soft-setting tackles to disrupt opposing quarterbacks
  • Plays urgent brand of football and will find added production thanks to strain and retracing pursuit

Negatives

  • Lacks ideal bend to claim corners as a pass rusher if his initial rush plan comes up empty
  • Frame likely boasts best opportunities as a stand-up rush linebacker versus playing tight alignments — lacks ideal mass to play over tackles and as a 5T
  • Pad level consistency can be improved

Background

Kennard is from Atlanta, GA, and played high school football for Riverwood HS. There, he was a standout defensive end who ran 4.72s in the 40-yard dash at The Opening Regional event. Kennard was ranked as a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) and garnered interest from schools like Arizona State, Tennessee, Missouri, and others in addition to Georgia Tech.

He ultimately enrolled with the Yellow Jackets and played four seasons for the program from 2020 to 2023. Kennard played in six contests in 2020 as a true freshman and saw his opportunities double by his sophomore season, totalling 12 contests played. Kennard entered the fray as a starter by his third season. He started nine of 12 games for Georgia Tech that season and then another six of 12 as a fourth-year junior in 2023. He led the team in tackles for loss and sacks that season before entering the transfer portal. 

Kennard joined South Carolina in January of 2024 as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports) and enjoyed an explosive season on a talented. He was named a consensus All-American, won the 2024 Bronco Nagurski Trophy, and was given the team’s Joe Morrison Defensive MVP Award for his play. Kennard finished his career with 32 starts in 54 total contests and 24 sacks with 37 tackles for loss.  


South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard (5) pulls down LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium.
South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard (5) pulls down LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images.

Tale Of The Tape

Kennard is a productive player who illustrates a nose for the quarterback. He’s not the most explosive, bendy, or powerful but he offers a fair mix of qualities that enable him to win with long-arm power rushes and a rip and dip off the edge. Kennard’s best quality as a rusher is undoubtedly his length — as he can get into the chest of tackles effectively and manipulate their shoulders to create a softer angle off the edge or, alternatively, play through a body to still chop and attack the football. 

Kennard has made a number of plays working through the body of the offensive tackle and has been able to get the quarterback in his grasp thanks to his wingspan or swat the football out of the quarterback’s hands for a strip sack. Kennard does need these elements to aid in his disruptiveness. He lacks some of the variety and raw athleticism of some of the other pass rushers in the class. 

He’s rushed from both two and three-point stances, and he boasts a sufficient get-off from either, but he’s at his best in wide angles to force tackles to open their sets and create more stress for potential inside counters. Kennard’s lower-body flexibility doesn’t create a lot of speed through steep angles, but he has chopped down hands and worked across face against oversets before his length poses disruption to throwing windows. 

Kennard’s pass rush profile is largely built on angles, burst, and a handful of first-contact counters, but he does play hard and has worked to retract his rush and found additional production this way as well. Most of Kennard’s run defense production comes from pursuit effort as well.

This isn’t a highly impactful compression talent to the front side of runs, and he’s largely a leverage defender to keep contain and turn runs back inside. Kennard offers sufficient punch power, but his block deconstruction skills at the point of attack can, at times, leave him stuck to blocks, and his disengagement skills lack the same appeal as attacking quarterbacks through contact. 

Kennard is a long, lean, and high-cut defender without a lot of mass through his core and lower half, which can show up when trying to anchor against double teams or solo blocks at the point. In these instances, Kennard’s pad level needs added attention to ensure he’s protecting what leverage he can to create stalemates and prevent lanes for backs to hit with momentum.


Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

Kennard projects best as a rush linebacker at the NFL level. He should be considered a viable NFL starter but will need added diversification of his pass rush menu to find similar success on passing down to what he had at South Carolina.

As is, he’s a viable speed-to-power rusher who would be best implemented on early downs with the leverage that an outside linebacker role could afford him to play outside-in. 


Grade: 75.50/100.00, Third Round Value

Big Board Rank: TBD

Position Rank: TBD


Make sure to check out our new home for all of our NFL Draft content.


RELATED