Antwaun Powell-Ryland Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
School: Virginia Tech
Class: Senior
Position: EDGE
HT: 6’3
WT: 258 lbs
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Background: Antwaun Powell-Ryland was a blue-chip recruit in the class of 2020. He was a consensus 4-star recruit out of Portsmouth, Virginia. Antwaun was a top 5 player in Virginia and a top 10 player at his position. Powell-Ryland played football for Indian Hill High School. After his senior year, Antwaun played in the Under Armour All-American Game. Antwaun Powell-Ryland committed to Florida out of high school over Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
College: Powell-Ryland was seen in a limited capacity in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, he was an SEC Academic Honor Roll member in both years. In 2022, Antwaun started 5 games and played in all 13. He recorded 6 TFLs and 3 sacks that year. After a solid campaign with the Gators, Antwaun Powell-Ryland chose to go back home and play for Virginia Tech. In his first season with the Hokies, he was an All-ACC Second Team selection. He recorded 14.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks in 2023. 2024 was an even better season for Powell-Ryland. He tallied 19 TFLs and 16 sacks for a truly prolific stat line. These numbers got Antwaun selected to the All-ACC First Team and he was named an All-American.
Strengths: Antwaun Powell-Ryland is a mover who plays with a tremendous amount of force at the point of attack to win his matchups. He has heavy hands to shed blockers. These heavy hands are consistent and accurate as he has efficient movements in the phone booth. Antwaun Powell-Ryland is an effective stunt rusher as he is able to get up and into the interior with force to penetrate the A gap. He has just as effective of a counter rush as his initial rush. His strength is shown on the counter rush where he is able to wear offensive linemen down throughout the course of a rep. As a run defender, Powell-Ryland does well to work around blockers and bring down ball carriers before reaching the second level. Even when engaged with a blocker, Powell-Ryland does not allow runners to slip by him in the gaps. He plays with a certain level of violence that sets the tone for not only the defense but the game as a whole.
Weaknesses: Antwaun Powell-Ryland has underwhelming measurables for the position. His arm length is lackluster and that shows up on tape. He gets long armed by the bigger offensive tackles. His power and strength are completely taken out of the equation when he cannot even properly engage in the phone booth. Antwaun has a slow get off and usually loses that battle to the edge, relying too heavily on his counter rush to win the rep.
Conclusion: Powell-Ryland brings fluid movement and athleticism to the position with decent power. He has a high motor that allows him to win on the counter consistently. His lack of length or a quick first step gives the opponent an easy blueprint to win the matchup. Unfortunately, these weaknesses are not coachable.
Scheme Fit: 4-3
Ideal Role: EDGE
Best Team Fits: LVR, SEA, SF
Player Comparison: George Karlaftis
Player Grade: Round 5 (54.3)
