Bryce
Boettcher.
Bryce
Boettcher.
Oregon· 6'2"· 233 lb· 4.61s 40
R4 · #135 · Indianapolis Colts"Walk-on-to-All-American Oregon MIKE with 269 career tackles and a Burlsworth Trophy; instincts, tackle grade and dual-sport athleticism sell the profile, tight-space testing is the flag."Pre-draft read
A downhill throwback mike who diagnoses first and moves second — snaps his eyes to the running back, reads guard flow through the pulling tackle, and beats blockers to the entry gap before they can climb. Squared-up striker at the point of contact, wraps low and drives through the ballcarrier's hip, and finishes a very high percentage of solo shots without needing help.
Sideline-to-sideline range is functional rather than plus; makes up for average change of direction with anticipation and clean pursuit angles. Coverage is zone-first as a hook and curl dropper who reads the quarterback's shoulders; man matchups against tight ends and receiving backs are the ceiling question. Blitz timing is decent off scrape exchanges but he is not a pass-rush weapon.
This prospect thrives in a Cover-3 match scheme, leveraging his instincts and zone-first coverage reads from a Mike linebacker position.
He projects as a Year 1 core special teams player with the ceiling to develop into a reliable two-down Mike linebacker.
His value diminishes significantly in heavy man-coverage schemes, particularly those requiring him to consistently cover athletic tight ends in space.
Boettcher's exceptional run diagnosis and sure tackling make him an asset against the run, best utilized as an instinctive downhill presence.
Bryce Boettcher 2026 NFL Draft Highlights | Round 4 Pick 135
Team-produced highlight reel released the night Indianapolis drafted him — run-fits, tackles, coverage drops from his 2025 All-American season.
Bryce Boettcher | 2024 Burlsworth Trophy Winner
Official Oregon feature on Boettcher winning the Burlsworth Trophy for top walk-on in college football after his breakout 2024 season.
Bryce Boettcher Highlights | Oregon | 2026 NFL Draft
Full pre-draft breakdown covering diagnose-and-trigger reps, tackling technique and the walk-on to All-American arc.
Evaluators see a downhill, instincts-based MIKE whose ability to diagnose and trigger on run plays stood out repeatedly. The plan for an NFL team buying into his skill set is to deploy him as a core special teamer who can rotate into base defense, utilizing his run-stopping prowess and high finish rate on tackles. His 4.61 pro-day forty time confirmed a solid but not elite athletic profile.
He entered the draft with 269 career tackles across 55 games, earning a 2025 first-team All-American selection and two second-team All-Big Ten nods. A former walk-on, he led Oregon in tackles with 136 during his senior year. His 2024 rivalry win over Oregon State, where he recorded 11 tackles, further highlighted his game-day impact. He was also a 13th-round MLB draft pick, showcasing dual-sport athleticism.
Many boards projected him as a Day-3 prospect, betting on his instincts and production over his tested athletic ceiling. His frame (6-1½, 233 pounds) and coverage versatility against modern receiving threats were noted concerns. Ultimately, the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the fourth round, prioritizing his tape and football character.
- 01
Tackle grade over five years
269 career stops shows a very high finish rate on solo shots with minimal missed tackles on tape.
- 02
Diagnose-and-trigger
reads pulling guards and tight-end flow correctly, hitting gaps before blockers can climb.
- 03
Elite competitor résumé
2024 Burlsworth Trophy winner for top walk-on, 2025 first-team All-American, and two-time second-team All-Big Ten.
- 04
Dual-sport athleticism
13th-round MLB pick showing up as fluid hip turn and pursuit tracking of ballcarriers on football tape.
- 05
Special-teams runway
three-phase Oregon coverage reps and undersized frame make him an obvious rookie-year gunner and wedge candidate.
- 01
Tested athletic ceiling
4.61 forty time at Pro Day puts him middle of the pack, capping man-coverage projection versus tight ends and backs.
- 02
Frame and length
233 pounds and 30.75-inch arms limit take-on mass, allowing climbing centers to stalemate him.
- 03
Coverage versatility
zone-first player whose man matchups against modern tight ends and receiving backs require scheme protection.
- 04
Non-factor as a pass rusher
four career sacks across 55 games; teams won't get an add-on rusher from him.
— — — positional median (p50)
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- 4.61sp50
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| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Oregon | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Oregon | 14 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Oregon | 14 | 87 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | Oregon | 15 | 132 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Career | — | 55 | 258 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Undersized former Indiana walk-on who stuck as a rotational MIKE and core special-teamer — the fair Day-3 outcome for the profile.
Undervalued-recruit MIKE who grew into a productive starting captain — the ceiling if Boettcher's instincts translate and Franklin himself becomes his mentor.
Tackle-first sub-athletic linebacker whose NFL role never grew past backup snaps plus fourth-phase coverage — the floor if the testing gap closes the coverage door.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context Bryce Boettcher's path is the sport's oldest cliché — a Eugene kid from South Eugene High School who walked onto both the Oregon football and baseball teams in 2021, sat two years at the bottom of the linebacker depth chart, and did not start his first game until his junior season. From there the arc bent sharply upward: 94 tackles as Oregon's leading tackler in 2024 and a Burlsworth Trophy for the top walk-on in college football, then 136 tackles and first-team All-America honors as a 2025 senior anchoring the Ducks' Big Ten title defense. In between he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB draft as a Gold Glove outfielder who hit .276 with 12 home runs — a genuine second-sport option that he ultimately paused to pursue football full time. Combine week featured all body measurables (6-1½, 233, 30.75-inch arms, 9-inch hands) but he skipped on-field testing, saving the 40 for a 4.61 unofficial at Oregon's March 17 pro day. Boards had him fixed on Day 3 as an instincts-and-production MIKE with baseline athletic testing.
NFL fit — Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis drafted Boettcher in the fourth round with Zaire Franklin already installed as the starting MIKE and captain — a natural mentorship pairing given both players share the walk-on/undervalued-recruit backstory. Year-one usage projects as core four-phase special teams plus the backup MIKE role, with base-down rotations available if either of the Colts' veterans miss time. His coverage assignments should be zone-first hooks and curl-flats where his eyes and diagnostic feel translate; man matchups on tight ends and passing-down slots are what the staff will develop as a Year-2 goal. Contract-two upside depends on whether he stays a career special-teams anchor and rotational backup or grows into a starter opposite Franklin.
Retrospective The Boettcher evaluation was always about how much you weighted his tape — 269 tackles, an All-American season, a rivalry-game statement in 2024 — versus his ceiling as tested at 233 pounds with a 4.61 forty. Indianapolis bought the tape and the football character in the fourth round, betting that instincts and finish rate travel to Sundays even when the athletic profile doesn't scream. If he sticks it will be as a Franklin-adjacent grinder; if he doesn't it will be because the tested athletic gap closed the coverage door.