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CJ West

CJ West Player Profile

Summary

C.J. West was drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Round 4, (pick 113). West is a compact but stout interior defensive lineman known for his strength at the point of attack and his ability to penetrate gaps in the run game. At roughly 6’1″ and 316 lbs, he transferred from Kent State to Indiana for his final collegiate season to show his skills against higher-tier competition and boost his draft stock. The Draft Network He brings considerable experience—starting many games over his five years of college football—which helps his readiness for the professional level.

His game profile projects best when he’s asked to disrupt in the run game, make plays behind the line, and serve as a rotational guy early in his career with upside to grow.

Strengths

Run-Defender & Gap Penetrator: He shows the physicality and leverage to own blockers, shoot gaps, and make tackles for loss. For example, at Indiana he posted 7.5 tackles for loss in 2024. San Francisco 49ers

  • Strong Movement Skills for Size: While not extremely tall, he has shown lateral agility and quickness which helps him avoid being easily controlled at the point of attack. The Draft Network

  • Competitive Motor & Experience: Having started many games over his college career and transferring to a Power-5 conference for his final year, he shows willingness to challenge himself and bring effort. Bleacher Report

  • Immediate Impact Potential in the Right Role: Analysts view him as someone who can contribute fairly quickly as a run-stuffer or interior rotation piece. NFL Draft Buzz

Weaknesses

  • Arm Length / Physical Match-Ups: At interior DL, having longer arms is often beneficial to fend off blockers; West’s arm length is considered a limitation which may hamper consistency in engagements. NFL Draft Buzz

  • Pass-Rush Moves & Consistency: While he shows promise in the run game, his pass‐rush toolkit is less developed—he lacks a definitively consistent go-to move and his bull rush isn’t always effective. Bleacher Report

  • Anchoring vs. Double Teams: When asked to anchor against power double teams, his shorter frame and pad-level issues sometimes leave him less effective in holding ground. The Draft Network

  • Ceiling vs. Starting 3-down DT: While his floor is solid as a rotational interior lineman, his ceiling may be limited unless he improves his pass‐rush and develops more consistent technique to stay on the field in passing downs.

Fit & Outlook

C.J. West projects as a valuable rotational interior defensive lineman early in his career, with a floor of being a dependable run-defense presence and a chance to grow into greater responsibility if his pass-rush and technique improve. For a team that uses multiple DL packages, his skill set and experience make him a good fit, especially in run-heavy fronts or specialized pass-rush/stunt roles.

If he develops well, he could become a regular contributor and possibly a starter in the interior down the line, but his initial value will likely come from his run-stop ability and work in multi‐DL sets.