Tommy Eichenberg 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Ohio State LB

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackles Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) during a game at Ohio Stadium on Oct. 21, 2023. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY-Sports)

NFL TRANSITION

Eichenberg is the 2024 draft poster child of how much athleticism and explosive movement are required and demanded to be an effective and quality stacked box linebacker in a base NFL defense. He is a good athlete with coordinated movement, but he is not an explosive athlete with sudden twitchy movement traits. 

Eichenberg makes a lot of tackles with high-level key and diagnose traits, stack-and-shed physicality, competitive toughness and, perhaps as important as any trait, efficiency and economy of movement that allows him to consistently navigate the traffic and congestion in the box. Eichenberg is quick processing of everything from personnel to formations to blocking schemes, and that allowed him to play in the run game with decisiveness and aggressively attack both downhill and work through traffic without getting stuck.

My sense evaluating Eichenberg’s tape was that he must get stronger to better play to what he is, which is a box key and diagnose, stack-and-shed stacked linebacker. At the next level, he will need to be more physical and violent taking on linemen's blocks or he will get stuck living at the second level of the defense.

Eichenberg looks the part of a base defense stacked linebacker, but he is a specific kind of player with some athletic concerns. He will need to get stronger to have a chance to develop into a starter at the next level. That is why despite high-level production at Ohio State, he will more than likely be a Day 3 pick.

OTHER NOTES

Eichenberg came out of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland as a 3-4 star recruit. He became an important contributor to Ohio State’s defense during his sophomore season of 2021 then followed that with an All-America season in 2022.

Eichenberg predominantly lined up 5 yards off the ball in his stacked linebacker alignment. He was deployed as a pass rusher at times both as a straight inside rusher and as a picker and looper in inside stunt concepts. There were man coverage snaps in which Eichenberg was matched on running backs. 

Eichenberg was a non-factor vs. Michigan, which was not surprising given the kind of player he is and the strong running foundation of the Michigan offense behind arguably the best offensive line in the nation. Eichenberg played the entire game at the second level of the defense.