Nick Martin Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics)

School: Oklahoma State

Class: Redshirt Junior

Position: OLB

HT: 5’11

WT: 221 lbs

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Background: Nick Martin is from Texarkana, Texas and played at Pleasant Grove High School. Martin was a 4-star linebacker and top 50 player in Texas for the class of 2021. Nick was a two-way star and received offers as both a linebacker and running back. Martin was an all-state and all-region player during his time at Pleasant Grove. He also competed in track and field during his high school days. Nick Martin committed to play for Oklahoma State over Arkansas, Texas Tech, and others.

College: Martin redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 and then became a special teamer and reserve linebacker in 2022. Nick’s first season as a starter came in 2023 - and he did not disappoint. He earned First Team All-Big 12 honors after recording an astonishing 140 tackles. Martin had 47 tackles in just 5 games before going down with a season-ending knee injury in 2024.

Strengths: Nick Martin is an explosive athlete with unmatched athleticism as a linebacker. As a pass rusher, he is quick to set the edge and get into the backfield. Martin consistently wins with speed off the edge, overwhelming offensive linemen who are often knocked back on their heels due to the speed. Martin can convert that speed to power to win with strength despite being a smaller player. Martin can set the edge on the outside but can also shoot through the gaps on the interior. Martin has a quick downhill trigger to bring down the ball carrier in front of him. In the run game, Martin does well to diagnose run fits and clog gaps. Not only can he fill running lanes, but he can squeeze into the backfield to get those tackles for loss. Due to his athleticism, Martin is a solid coverage linebacker in both man and zone. He does well to take up the intermediate areas between the hashmarks and can keep up with tight ends in man coverage. He has fluid hips to flip from backpedal to sprint in coverage.

Weaknesses: As a run defender, Martin does not wait for plays to develop and tends to trigger too quickly. He can be deceived by play action, committing to the run when he should have stayed back in coverage. Martin has primarily played as an MLB in college, he will be significantly undersized in the NFL if he sticks to that position. He may be a candidate to play off-ball linebacker. As a pass rusher, Martin struggles to shed blocks and get into the backfield if he does not win off that first step. He will need to develop more counter rush moves.

Conclusion: Nick Martin is a versatile linebacker who can play in a variety of different defensive packages. His skillset is that of a three-down linebacker, but he will need to prove that size is not an issue. His coverage skills will allow him to make up for that lack of size.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Off-ball Linebacker

Best Team Fits: MIA, SEA, LVR

Player Comparison: Brian Asamoah

Player Grade: Round 2 (81.8)