With the 153rd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected linebacker Kyle Emanuel of North Dakota State. Emanuel was a productive pass rusher for the Bison, totaling a whopping 19.5 sacks in his senior season. He was a first-team FCS All-American and Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year in his final season with the team. Emanuel also won the Buck Buchanon Award, which goes to the top defensive player in the FCS.
Despite his small-school background, Emanuel boasts big-time athleticism. Not only is his first step is one of the quickest in the draft, but he also possesses the closing speed to finish off rushes. Even at 255 pounds, he bends naturally and can turn the corner on offensive tackles with ease.
However, Emanuel has yet to build enough core strength to consistently win at the NFL level. His short arms (31") often prevent him from keeping blockers from getting their hands into his chest. Though he played defensive end at North Dakota State, he may have to move to outside linebacker in the pros.
In eight games against top-25 opponents, he managed to put up 10 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. He's got work to do to add to his pass rushing arsenal at the next level, but there's a lot of raw talent to work with for NFL teams. He didn't play against the best offensive linemen at North Dakota State, so the jury is still out on him against NFL-level talent.
Manuel had a solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, running the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds, the three-cone drill in 7.10 seconds, the 20-yard shuttle in 4.25 seconds and the 60-yard shuttle in 11.78 seconds. The bench press is where he shined, putting up a stellar 27 reps. Manuel also recorded a vertical leap of 34 inches and a broad jump of 120 inches.