CJ West 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Looking closer at his on-field performance, West’s biggest strength is clearly his performance as a run defender. Indiana’s transformation into an elite run defense was largely due to West. Not only is he adept at holding up blockers, West is also stout at disengaging his matchup and making tackles in traffic. He can eat up double teams and still win his fair share of reps. West is a powerful rusher, but he is technically sound, too. He is not a prospect who won in college simply by being quicker and stronger than his opponents. West has the skills to win consistently even when he doesn’t have the physical advantage.

Weaknesses

CJ West’s most obvious weakness is his lack of production as a pass rusher in college. There’s still a place in the NFL for run stuffers, but the role isn’t as desirable as it used to be. West will need to improve as a pass rusher in order to carve out a consistent role for himself in the NFL. While he’s pro-ready as a run stopper, he’s far from it at getting after the quarterback. Because of this limitation, West might have to start his career strictly as a nose tackle until he can become a more successful pass rusher. This, in turn, will lower his playing time early in his career.

West’s other big drawback is his lack of size. While he certainly has the necessary strength, he’s on the smaller end for an NFL defensive tackle, especially a nose tackle. Being undersized could hurt West’s success when his physical advantages aren’t as pronounced in the NFL as they were in college. While he could take on a double team and still make the tackle in college, he might just get swallowed up by double teams at the next level. Like his lack of pass rushing skills. West’s size may also limit his versatility along the defensive line.

Potential Team Fits

• Cincinnati Bengals
• Arizona Cardinals
• Buffalo Bills

CJ West NFL Draft Projection

Expect CJ West to come off the board in the third or fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While he’s limited as a pass rusher and slightly undersized, he truly has the potential to be a transformational piece of a team’s run defense. Given his elite athleticism and high-end strength, teams will be eager to work with West and develop his pass rushing repertoire. And while he develops that aspect of his game, he will be ready to contribute against the run in a big way immediately as a rookie.