Eric Gentry

● Rare height, body length and wingspan ● Light-footed athlete and moves well laterally to mirror/spy ● Able to maneuver with Frogger-like quickness in the box to avoid contact ● Can stride out, cover ground and hawk down runners ● Puts long arms to work creating forced fumbles (eight in his career) ● Size makes him an interesting man-cover matchup versus tight ends ● Flashes blitzing talent; coaches will be interested in developing his pass-rush length ● Rave reviews from coaches because of his emotional energy and toughness ● Averaged more than five tackles per game over his career

● Lanky, slight frame with marginal muscle mass ● Lack of functional strength limits ability to win near the line ● Below-average anchor and can be pushed around once engaged ● Tackling consistency declined on 2025 tape ● Lacks redirection quickness; runners can cut back across his face ● Missed two games as a sophomore because of left ankle injury (Oct. 2022); reinjured left ankle in 2023 season opener and missed two games as a junior; suffered a series of concussions (Sept. 2024) and decided to redshirt for the rest of that season (suited up for the bowl game)

A four-year starter at USC, Gentry lined up as a Will linebacker in former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s scheme (also learned from Trojans assistant and longtime NFL coach Rob Ryan). He transferred to USC after one season at Arizona State and was consistently productive, finishing his college career with 269 tackles. His ball production (14 passes defended, eight forced fumbles) can be directly tied to his rare length. With a body type more analogous to a basketball small forward, Gentry is a long, stretched-out athlete with very little mass on his frame. He has decent speed and read-react ability, with the quickness to give blockers the slip. However, he is easily out-leveraged at the point of attack and struggles to stack and shed. He also has a tough time unfurling his long legs and responding to athletes in the open field. Overall, Gentry is a unique prospect. His length, flexibility and long strides are intriguing traits, but his below-average build, play strength and limited change-of-direction skills temper that excitement. Whether he’s the edge, stacked or playing as a nickel, NFL teams will need to stay open-minded about how he is deployed.