SirVocea Dennis has stood out in every 2021 Pittsburgh game that I have seen. Coming into the 2021 season as a rotational linebacker, Dennis made big plays and shows game-changing ability. Every game that you turn on, Dennis is making plays. 

What is the upside with Dennis? Maybe he puts on a few more pounds, but outside of that I think that Dennis is the player that he is and isn’t going to show any major improvements to his game.

Picture perfect rep from @Pitt_FB LB SirVocea Dennis at the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/6gBmvE58Ka

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 31, 2023

Suffered an Achilles injury his senior year of high school. Missed the 2021 Spring due to an injury. Took an injury in week 1 of 2022. Suffered a minor foot injury during the Senior Bowl.  

SirVocea Dennis’ scouting report

Athletic Ability (30)

Speed/Athleticism: 20 

• Speed (5.5/8) – Decent speed for the position. Very solid athlete overall. Lack of straight line speed definitely shows up on tape. 
• Lateral Quickness (5/7) – Shows good lateral quickness and ability. 
• Body Control (3.5/5) – Fluid hips – might even be able to contribute at safety. 

Strength/Power: 10

• Upper Body Strength (2.5/3) – Has a very strong upper body. Controls his tackle well. 
• Lower Body Strength (2.5/3) – Tested ridiculously explosive. Shows it on tape, excellent acceleration as well. Still has room to build onto his frame. 
• Brute Power (2.5/4) – Not really a brute per say, but does create brutish intensity with his play style. 

Defending Ability (40)

Tackling/Pursuit: 15

• Tackling Ability (7.5/9) – Decent tackler, I think he tends to attack too high on the ball carrier, but he has big play potential. Strong, powerful contact. Has improved his wrap up in 2022. 
• Pursuit Angles (4.5/6) – Does a good job in pursuit, especially inside of the box. Can find himself slightly under pursuing at times, will show up against faster athletes. Works through traffic very well.

Blitz Ability: 5

• Blitz Timing (5/5) – Blitz timing is spot on. Accelerates instantly and is effective on a late blitz concept. Works well against both the pass and the run games. 19 career sacks, per PFF, 73 career pressures. 

Coverage Ability: 20

• Space Defending (7/10) – Good space defender. Fairly consistent. Does a good job closing.  
• Man Coverage (2/5) – Looks like he might be a bit of a liability in man coverage due to lack of size and top-end speed. 
• Zone Coverage (3.5/5) – Solid zone coverage ability – can do it both in underneath coverage and deep coverage. 

Intel/Instincts (25)

Football IQ: 10

• Play Recognition (4/5) – Does a good job recognizing plays and reacting accordingly. Can sniff out plays very well.
• Understanding of Concepts (4/5) – Understands offensive concepts well. Shows that solid understanding. 

Instincts: 15 

• Natural Instincts (9/10) – Shows excellent instincts consistently. Works the play well and seems to always be in the right position. Senses plays very well and moves to cut the play off. 
• Consistency (4.5/5) – Instincts are remarkably consistent. 

Overall: (80.5) – 1st/2nd Round