From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas EDGE Ethan Burke.
No. 91 Ethan Burke/EDGE Texas – 6060, 269 pounds (Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Ethan Burke 6060/269 10 2/8 33 4/8 83 1/8″
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
The Good
-Special teams value (three career blocked kicks, 427 special teams snaps)
-Heavy, active hands
-Good speed to power
-Has the length to make plays even while being blocked
-Read and react ability is strong
The Bad
-Quickness is just ok
-Athleticism is limited
-Needs to improve pass-rush arsenal
-Limited sack production last two seasons
-Doesn’t have good lower-body strength
-Can be slow off the ball
Stats
-Career: 52 games, 114 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles
-2025: 40 tackles, three sacks, seven tackles for a loss, one pass defensed, one forced fumble
-PFF: 83.6 overall grade in 2025, 1,189 career defensive snaps
Injury History
-Broke his collarbone injury in 2020 in lacrosse game, missed seven games during football season
-Missed one game with knee injury in 2023
-Missed one game with undisclosed injury in 2025
Bio
-Four-star recruit out of Westlake High School in Austin
-HS teammates with Clemson QB Cade Klubnik
-Participated in 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
-Played lacrosse in HS and had D1 offers
-Father was HS lacrosse coach at Westlake
-Originally committed to Maryland to play lacrosse
-Flipped to Michigan to play football and lacrosse before signing with Texas
-Favorite NFL player is Maxx Crosby
–Beating Texas A&M last season was one of his favorite memories
-Majored in Human Dimensions of Organizations
-Moved from San Diego to Austin as a HS freshman
-Spent time working out at Evolve Health and Performance during college
-Sacked Quinn Ewers twice in high school
-Grandfather on dad’s side played football at Florida State and was a Green Beret
-10.7 liter lung capacity, nearly double the average human
Tape Breakdown
The first thing that stands out about Burke is his massive size. When he gets going, his length and strength helps him convert speed to power effectively.
His length also can allow him to make plays in the run game even while he’s being blocked. While he doesn’t finish the tackle here, his presence makes the RB hesitate.
However, Burke’s pass-rush ability needs a lot of work. He doesn’t really have an array of pass-rush moves and he finds himself getting locked up too often, especially when he’s rushing off the EDGE.
His size can work against him as his pad level gets a bit high, and he’s also not particularly quick or explosive off the ball.
Burke impressed me the most when he played as a 4i. There, his length plays up and his hand usage allows him to make more plays. Good stack and shed for a run stop here.
Burke is also a good read and react player, whether he’s lined up inside or outside. He reads the outside run here and is able to chase it down.
Another solid interior pass-rush where he uses active hands to get into the backfield.
Two of Burke’s three sacks this year came against Vandy. The first one was much more of a coverage sack, but Burke displayed good effort to stick with the play and bring down Diego Pavia.
His second sack he does a good job getting off the ball and splitting two defenders.
Another good run stop lined up inside where he evades the cut block to blow the play up in the backfield.
From the TV tape, here’s a look at his blocked kick against Texas A&M this season. Burke’s long arms should make him a useful special teams player at the next level and he has plenty of experience playing on teams at Texas.
Conclusion
Burke didn’t impress me much as a pass-rusher and he has a limited skillset off the EDGE. If he’s drafted by the Steelers, he profiles as a down lineman and that’s probably his best path to consistent NFL success. He has really good measurables and his special teams value should allow him to compete for a roster at the next level. If he can be a consistent run defender he could potentially find himself as a rotational defensive lineman.
My NFL comp is Isaiahh Loudermilk.
NFL Draft Projection: Late Day 3/Priority Free Agent
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.3 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 5.8-6.6
Games Watched: at Ohio State (2025), vs. Texas A&M (2025), vs. Vanderbilt (2025), at Kentucky (2025)
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