Converted safety with a walk-on's motor and a center fielder's coordination who has out-produced his athletic profile at every turn. Boettcher's instincts and coverage awareness are legitimate — he diagnoses quickly, reads quarterback eyes in zone, and has enough fluidity from his DB background to handle tight ends and backs in space. The problem is everything at the point of attack: he gets swallowed by offensive linemen, stuck on blocks from tight ends, and lacks the play strength to be a reliable two-gap defender. His Senior Bowl dominance (game-high 10 tackles) and Burlsworth Trophy pedigree will get him drafted, but his NFL ceiling is capped as a coverage-package linebacker and special teams ace unless he can add functional strength without losing the movement skills that make him useful.

• 🧠Exceptional instincts and pre-snap processing — diagnoses plays quickly, trusts his keys, and rarely takes false steps
• 🪂Coverage awareness rooted in DB background — reads QB eyes in zone, handles RBs and most TEs in man, tightens throwing windows over the middle
• 👑Relentless motor and competitive intensity — 584 career special teams snaps, led Senior Bowl with 10 tackles, plays with genuine passion every snap
• 👑Leadership and defensive communication — green-dot linebacker who commands respect, constant pre-snap communicator who makes sure the entire unit is aligned
• 🤲Reliable wrap-up tackler in space when kept clean — 136 tackles in 2025, strong hands to finish

• 🧱Undersized (6-1, 233 lbs) with short arms (30 5/8") — gets overwhelmed at the point of attack by NFL-caliber offensive linemen and even bigger tight ends
• 🤲Below-average play strength and block shedding — once blockers get hands on him, he cannot disengage and gets stuck, especially in the run game
• 🪂Bites on play action and misdirection too frequently, and lacks the range to recover when he's wrong
• 🚀Limited pass rush production (4 career sacks) — gets swallowed on designed blitzes and has no counter-move repertoire