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 Southeastern Louisiana DL Kaleb Proctor.
No. 2 Kaleb Proctor/DL SE Louisiana 6020/291 (Fourth-year Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Kaleb Proctor 6020/291 9 1/2″ 33″ N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.79 1.68 4.71 N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’5″ 33″ N/A
The Good
– Natural lower center of gravity due to his smaller stature
– Consistently plays with a lower pad level
– Added weight to his frame without sacrificing explosiveness
– Elite acceleration off the line of scrimmage
– Effectively converts speed-to-power
– Plays with a staggered stance that fires him off without wasted motion
– Good snap timing and first step quickness
– Highly developed pass-rush plan
– Lethal club-swim move
– Remains active with secondary effort when the initial rush is stalled
– Good lateral agility to flush down the line of scrimmage
The Bad
– Adequate, not great, arm length
– Insufficient mass despite added weight
– Below average when tasked with two-gapping
– Lacks the lower-body strength to hold his ground against bigger linemen
– Pops upright when he anticipates a run
– Susceptible to being overpowered by down blocks and combo blocks
– Struggles when his speed doesn’t initially win
– Low level of competition
Stats
– 2025 stats: 29 tackles, 9 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 22 stops, 39 total pressures, 13 games played
– Career stats: 107 tackles, 17 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, 61 stops, 79 total pressures, 48 games played
– 18.2 missed tackle percentage (2025)
– 20.2 pass rush win percentage on true pass sets
– 4.3 stop percentage against the run (2025)
– 2.1 depth of tackle (2025)
Injury History
– No known injury history
Background
– Unranked recruit out of Oak Grove High School, despite being an All-State linebacker
– Earned District 2-1A Co-Defensive MVP as a senior
– Helped Oak Grove win back-to-back state championships
– Grew up playing baseball, but focused on football as he grew into his frame
– Switched to defensive line when he arrived at Southeastern Louisiana
– First Southeastern Louisiana player to ever win Southland Conference Player of the Year (2025)
– Second-team All-American and first-team All-Southland Conference (2025)
– Named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for the best defensive player in the FCS (2025)
– Led the All-Southland Conference in sacks (2025)
– Second-team All-Southland Conference (2024)
– Often, the Student-Athlete rep is chosen to speak to the media or community groups
– One of a few players selected for the program’s media day
– Described as the vocal leader of the defensive line group
– Credits baseball for the development of his hand-eye coordination
– Played in the Dixie League in Oak Grove growing up
Tape Breakdown
After transitioning from a productive linebacker to the interior of the defensive line, Proctor took some time to adjust to his new home. Once he found his footing, he exploded, emerging as one of the premier FCS defenders. “Explosion” perfectly describes his style of play. His entire game is built around his initial quickness and his ability to win before offensive linemen are fully set.
Proctor’s first-step quickness starts with his stance. He plays from a staggered position that loads weight onto his front hand. This maximizes his get-off, firing off the ball with a low pad level while limiting wasted movement as he brings his feet underneath him.
Though his game is primarily speed-oriented, he can still generate surprising power as a pass rusher despite his smaller frame. Using his forward-leaning stance to stay low and pairing it with his lightning-quick first step, he gets underneath his opponent’s shoulder pads. That combination lets him drive blockers back into the quarterback’s lap and helps compensate for his lack of raw strength.
Despite being a superior athlete along the defensive line, Proctor doesn’t rely solely on his physical tools to win. He developed a bag of tricks to pair with his speed.
His primary move is the club-swim. He initiates contact by delivering a violent club with his outside hand to the guard’s outside shoulder, turning the blocker’s pads and compromising their balance. At the same time, Proctor fires a rapid swim move with his inside arm to clear the guard’s hips.
To further deepen his arsenal, Proctor developed a counter against overcompensating linemen. Because of his upfield burst, blockers will begin to set, expecting that vertical rush on every snap. Proctor uses that tendency against them by adding a rip. He sells the vertical rush, then plants and rips across the blocker’s face.
Proctor’s motor never shuts off. When his initial rush stalls, he doesn’t panic or concede the rep. Instead, he goes to work with active, chopping hands to knock down the offensive lineman’s punch. He refuses to stay blocked and continuously fights to shrink the cushion between himself and the quarterback.
Proctor’s biggest concern is his run defense. Although he is a polished pass rusher, his play against the run will likely limit him to a rotational role until he develops. The issues start with his leverage.
On clear passing downs, Proctor goes back to the staggered stance that gives him a leaning advantage and keeps his pads low. But when he can’t key pass and doesn’t know what’s coming, he tends to pop upright out of his stance. That forfeits his natural leverage and exposes his chest for linemen to get into his frame.
His lack of mass further compounds the problem. Proctor is not a fit for schemes that ask their interior linemen to consistently two-gap. He doesn’t have the raw strength to strike bigger blockers, lock them out, and hold his ground at the line of scrimmage.
The tape is much more encouraging when he’s allowed to one-gap. He’s at his best when he only has to fire into a specific gap and blow up the blocking scheme. His lateral agility also shows up here, allowing him to work down the line of scrimmage and close off the backside to potential cutback lanes.
Conclusion
One of the top defenders at the FCS level, Proctor shows advanced development in his pass-rush arsenal. He consistently overwhelmed his level of competition with a blend of superior athleticism and refined technique, and his pass-rush prowess alone should give him a legitimate chance to carve out an NFL role.
His lack of play strength keeps him from being trusted as an every-down defender. He’s undersized for an interior lineman, and that limited pop shows up when he’s asked to anchor against the run. His scheme dependence as a one-gap penetrator — and his liability when asked to two-gap — complicates his projection at the next level.
Any team investing in him will need to fully embrace what he is and what he isn’t to maximize his value. On obvious passing downs, he stacks up with some of the best interior rushers in this class when it comes to getting after the quarterback. But if he’s asked to play every down early in his career, his limited strength will make that transition a steep climb.
A strong comparison for Proctor’s projected NFL role is Milton Williams. Both are explosive interior athletes who dominated at the college level. Williams has carved out a solid career as a rotational piece rather than the focal point of a front four. Proctor has a realistic chance to fill a similar niche, but he’ll need to spend his rookie season living in an NFL weight room to close the gap in functional strength.
NFL Draft Projection: Early Day Three
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.9 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.4 – 7.4
Games Watched: @ Tulane (2024), vs. Eastern Washington (2024), @ Lamar (2024), @ Nicholls (2024), vs. MS Valley (2025), @ LSU (2025)
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