Baylor has had Terrell Bernard on their roster as a linebacker since the day they signed him, but he looks and plays more like a safety who was converted to linebacker.
Bernard’s sideline-to-sideline range, along with his agility and quickness to shift direction, rank among the finest in his class. His most impressive plays often involve him doing a Lavonte David and bursting through a hole or shooting downhill to get around a block and into the backfield from the other side of the field. He also displays all of that range and athleticism when tasked with playing tight coverage on offensive players.
Size and strength are the primary causes of concern regarding Bernard’s performance. He’s not afraid to get into a confrontation with blockers, but he lacks the stature and reach to mount a successful counterattack. Though his speed alone should allow him to play some man coverage and frequently make tackles on the periphery, Bernard will also need to improve his coverage toolbox in the NFL.
Bernard is most likely to succeed as a weak-side linebacker. He would be better off playing weak-side linebacker, where he’d be covered from runs away from him and free to shoot gaps as a pursuit player or flow over the top to finish plays on the perimeter. On top of that, Bernard would be given the green light to take on out-of-the-backfield runners frequently. This is a terrific matchup for Bernard given his skillset.
What Terrel Bernard Brings On Board
- Highly efficient sideline-to-sideline chase defender
- Incredible body control and flexibility. enables him to spin to make himself slim when tackling blocks, shift directions, and move through space.
- Downhill speed can evade linemen to shoot through a gap and beat them to the place.
- Amazing turn-and-run speed and coverage direction change. carried tight ends across the field on crossers and followed them step for step on a regular basis.