I have written about YaYa Diaby (pronounced dee-AH-bee)all draft season.
I believe he has been vastly underrated, so let’s start there.
What does YaYa do that makes him stand out?
“I would just say my bend, and get off, and my versatility and just being able to just move and bend as a big guy”
And that’s just the beginning of what he’s bringing to an NFL team near you!
The Skills:
Spin move
A high motor that does not quit
Long and strong, balanced limbs
Violent and fast. How fast? Glad you asked!
20.8 MPH on the GPS.
YaYa is 6’3 263
Wields a pair of the most effective hands you will watch on film
Creates separation with arm extensions while punching
His first step is elite
Elite speed bursts
Elite lateral bursts
Above average bend for a man his size
Has the ability to release from his stance and get up the field, fast.
Can chase you down from behind
See a theme? He is fast and strong!
The Combine:
YaYa performed a 1.56 10-yard split while weighing in at 263 lbs.
That is rare and elite.
To put that into context, one of my favorite players in the draft, Nolan Smith, had a 1.52 10-yard split.
YaYa is 25 lbs heavier!
Diaby also ran a highly impressive 4.51 forty
He performed in the top 95th percentile of all edges
His other combine measurable were also elite
The short punch that regularly knocks OLs off balance
6’ 3’’, 263 lbs
ARM
33 7/8’’
HAND
10 3/8’’
Vertical 37″
Diaby earned a (RAS) Relative Athletic Score of 9.86 out of 10
This ranks 24th out of 1629 defensive ends from 1987 through 2023 (98th percentile).
He definitely brought his “A” game
“That’s what I wanted. Coming into the combine, there were a lot of doubters saying that I was going to run slow, and I always believed in myself and always push myself to be the best, so I knew I was going to go out there and run what I ran.”
So where did YaYa and all of his talent come from?
High School:
YaYA lettered in football, basketball, wrestling, and track & field while attending North Clayton High School in College Park, Georgia.
During his senior year, he earned All-State and First-Team All-Region honors in football and led his team to the Class 4A playoffs.
YaYa was considered too thin by college scouts and did not receive any scholarships.
I have always had a fondness for JUCO (Junoir College) transfers who grind, play with passion, and love, and force their way to the next level.
Diaby was about to do that.
College:
YaYa attended Georgia Military College, where he played for 2 seasons collecting 77 tackles and 7 sacks.
Diaby had attracted the attention of Kansas State, West Virginia, Florida State, Tennessee, and the school he chose to go to, Lousiville.
2020 was his first season with the Cardinals.
He only played in 8 games due to injury and COVID-19 (though he was asymptomatic) but he managed to make some noise by contributing 18 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs.
In 2021, he started 12 of 13 games and he increased his production to 30 tackles, 3 TFL, and added 1.5 sacks.
He also had 22, of the all-important, pressures and 18 QB hurries.
The breakout 2022 season was coming.
The Louisville defense was one of the most disruptive in college football, and YaYa was a large part of the reason.
While playing in 12 games and 452 snaps, he recorded 37 tackles, 19 TFLs, 31 pressures, 6 QB hits, 9 sacks, and two fumble recoveries!
The increase in sacks led to him being ranked 2nd in the ACC.
He also had a streak of 8 games registering 1/2 or more sacks, which ranked 4th in FBS.
As he was collecting accolades on the field, his stock was rising up draft boards off of it.
The Draft:
Sometimes, as fans, we lose a bit of the human element.
We watch so many players on YouTube and Twitter and just see a clip here and there without knowing another large part of the evaluation process.
Their heart, passion, love for the game, and their will and drive to succeed.
Often we don’t know the player’s backstories, and we don’t see the sacrifice that goes into not only their journey but their families and friends who assist them on their path as well.
YaYa has made a point of recognizing them and acknowledging their contributions on his way to draft day and has explained why it means so much to him.
“I want it badly, not just for me, but for my mom. She’s done a lot for me growing up, and the sacrifices she had to make to be able to provide for me and my siblings. It’s not about me. It’s about the people who care about me, my family”
As exciting as the draft weekend is for NFL organizations and fans around the country, it is a day that the players and their loved ones are rewarded when their name is called. A day that most have dreamed of since the first time they touched a football.
YaYa has an idea of how it will feel once his number is called as he awaits draft day.
He also knows what he wants to do first.
“It’s going to be awesome, I’m just waiting on the draft day so I can hug my mom and make her proud that I did what I told her I was going to do.”
YaYa is most definitely making Mom proud, and everyone else too.
Good Luck to you!
Watch the YaYa Diaby experience.