Once upon a time, professional linebackers coming out of South Bend yielded zero results in a dry spell that lasted far too long at Notre Dame. Beginning with the high-profile recruitment of Manti Te’o things started to turn around for the Irish at this position and now another veteran exiting campus is looking for some opportunity in the NFL.
SPECS
Name: Asmar Bilal
Position: LB
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 227
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
STATS
| YEAR | SOLO | ASSISTED | TACKLES | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 3.0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 1.5 |
| 2018 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 3.0 |
| 2019 | 48 | 31 | 79 | 10.0 |
| TOTAL | 92 | 82 | 174 | 17.5 |
BIO:
Bilal’s journey was a slow and rewarding one. As part of a massive Indiana linebacker haul from 2015 he watched fellow Hoosier Josh Barajas wash out of Notre Dame quickly but then took a back seat as Tevon Coney developed quickly into the top linebacker from the class. Bilal would earn Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year honors as a true freshman then saw mostly special teams action in 2016 and backup defensive reps for both his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons.
He ascended to the starting Rover role in 2018 making a decent impact at times but wasn’t a big enough playmaker to stay on the field consistently. Following an important off-season and switch to inside linebacker, Bilal finally flourished in his final season racking up more solo tackles in 2019 than the previous 3 years combined.
STRENGTHS:
Displays really good speed from sideline to sideline. When he’s able to diagnose correctly, Bilal is quick to move his feet and be disruptive. Showed a lot of positional growth moving from a high school hybrid safety to Rover to inside linebacker. A sound tackler. Improved his game moving in space and covering receivers and tight ends. With more playing time, Bilal continued to be a playmaker even if it wasn’t an integral piece of the defense.
WEAKNESSES:
Quite stiff at times. Prone to misdiagnosing plays and getting washed out by stronger linemen and blockers. A bit under-sized for middle linebacker. Struggles moving laterally, especially through traffic. Usually a good tackler but has a tough time finishing plays occasionally. Not much of a threat on the blitz, lacks the bend and dip to work quickly around defenders. Serviceable in pass coverage, needs to improve here at his size.
OVERVIEW:
Some feel like Bilal was snubbed from the NFL Combine. In my opinion, he’s better off out of the spotlight and turning in his best Pro Day on campus. He’s an intriguing player for testing. I imagine he’ll run the 40 well and produce quality strength numbers in his workout. His agility tests will likely be crucial for him. If he surprises there and can convince some teams he’s on a path to greater development there’s hope for a NFL career.
PREDICTION:
Undrafted Free Agent – Signed by the Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have 4 picks in the Top 100 as they sit atop every round. They also don’t have more than their 7 picks to begin each round. Bilal could be a worthy flier to bring in after the draft.
More scouting reports to come:
Cole Kmet
Troy Pride
Tony Jones, Jr.
Alohi Gilman
Jalen Elliott
Julian Okwara
Khalid Kareem
Jamir Jones
Chase Claypool
Gonna be a tough road for him. He’s probably best as a passing down linebacker, but most NFL teams are looking to stash a guy like that on a practice squad. Did he play much special teams at ND? I don’t recall ever seeing him out there, but I feel like that will be a must for him to grab a roster spot in the NFL.
Hmmm, I think he played a ton of special teams. At least for 2016-18.
Yeah I hear ya. Then again, if James Onwualu and Matthias Farley can carve out somewhat decent NFL careers and make rosters, who knows. Beyond Kmet, Okwara and Pride being top-100 picks, nothing really would surprise me. Claypool probably deserves it but the WR’s being so deep, who knows where he goes.