Chandler Martin, LB, Memphis
Size:
Height: 5117
Weight: 229
Arm: 31 ⅞”
Hand: 10”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-AAC (2023)
“Chandler Martin is a highly explosive and physically gifted downhill linebacker who should compete for snaps on all three downs.”
Strengths:
Explosiveness
Twitch
Physicality
One-on-one tackling
Lateral footwork
Concerns:
Size
Experience in man coverage
Film Analysis:
Chandler Martin is a highly explosive and physically gifted downhill linebacker who should compete for snaps on all three downs. Hw was a highly productive defender during his years at East Tennessee State before transferring to Memphis.
Martin is a ball of knives downhill with the twitch and pop to serve as a highly athletic and versatile move piece within a front seven. While not the biggest or longest athlete on the field, which shows up in coverage, Martin’s eyes and instincts, coupled with his tackling ability, showcase an advanced linebacker who has the athleticism to compete at the NFL level.
As a run defender, Martin flies to the football with an innate understanding of run concepts and where blockers are looking to relocate. He will often beat players to the spot both inside and outside the tackles, though he does need work at contact in stacking/shedding larger opponents. Violent tackler but does not relinquish technique in an attempt to knock a ball-carrier off their feet. Scrapes from gap to gap well and is a player who has shown on multiple instances the ability to chase down plays from the backside, or change directions, accelerate, and bring players down at or near the line of scrimmage. Excellent eyes and patience against zone-read and is quick to close space, as well. Can be considered an advanced run defender at this point in time and a profile that should allow him to see the field early in that aspect.
In coverage, more snaps were warranted for Martin in that space. Zero to minimal snaps in man coverage during his time at Memphis. As a zone defender, Martin does a fine job of gaining the correct depth and keeping shallow concepts in front. He has the lateral agility to redirect and close distance on nearby targets, but his lack of length appears when challenging at the catch point. Three interceptions in the last two seasons showcase good instincts and awareness, but may run into issues when facing quicker, larger, more nuanced route runners at the tight end position at the next level simply due to his lack of experience in countering players man up. His range is fine at this point in time, but he does an excellent job of consistently rallying to the football no matter the depth.
Overall, Martin is a firecracker at the position who plays with his hair on fire each and every snap. While size and length may shy teams away, a peek around the league at a few players with similar stature (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Ivan Pace Jr.) showcases a quick path to snaps for Martin in a defense that prioritizes athletic, physical, aggressive downhill defenders at the position. His role may be limited early on due to the aforementioned concerns in coverage, but his knack for making plays near or behind the line of scrimmage (39 career TFLs) will be hard to keep him on the sideline.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Ryan Fowler
Exposures: Florida State (2024), UAB (2024), Rice (2024), West Virginia (2024)
