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The Cleveland Browns have signed Diabate as an undrafted free agent. He will look to impress enough to land on the practice squad with upside of making the 53-man roster.
Mohamoud Diabate may not be the largest linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft, but with top-tier athleticism, he can make plays from sideline-to-sideline. A talented rusher, Diabate also showcases skills down field in coverage—an attribute that is essentially required from every NFL defender in this air raid age.
A native of Auburn, Alabama, Diabate broke his hometown’s heart when he committed to SEC rival-Florida. Coming in as a four-star recruit, Diabate played in nine games as a freshman for the Gators, earning four sacks while forcing a fumble. After solid sophomore and junior campaigns in Gainesville, Diabate elected to transfer to Utah for his senior season. In his lone year with the Utes (2022), Diabate showcased 13.5 tackles for loss, which was second-best in the Pac-12. Also in his senior year, Diabate notched five quarterback sacks—a personal best.
Mohamoud Diabate: Scouting Report
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Diabate may have a tough time finding a true fit at the NFL level, as his slight frame leaves some to be desired. Still, he showed at both Florida and Utah that he can operate as a highly productive player against some of the most competitive college football programs. Again, his dynamic abilities downfield in coverage should open up NFL opportunities for him, but Diabate has been noted to have a slower processor for such a fast player.
Diabate may be able to fit the weakside linebacker mold in the NFL, but he’ll need to bulk up. However, despite being undersized, Diabate never shies away from physicality. On top of that, he has played in major games and has championship pedigree (2022-23 Pac-12 Champ).
Mock Draft landing spots
According to the NFL Mock Draft Database 2023 Consensus Big Board, Mohamoud Diabate is projected as the No. 213 prospect available. Currently, NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, Jordan Reid and Matt Miller all have Diabate outside of their Top-5 outside linebacker/EDGE prospects. He is not showing up in seven-round mock drafts at ESPN and CBS Sports.