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ASU LB Kyle Soelle stays home, signs with Arizona Cardinals as UDFA

© Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ASU linebacker and Scottsdale native Kyle Soelle signed with the Arizona Cardinals, staying home as an undrafted free agent after not hearing his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Soelle was the most familiar Sun Devil on defense to fans, as he played five years in the Maroon and Gold after redshirting his freshman year. He tallied 110 tackles in 12 games in 2022, leading the Sun Devils in tackles for the second straight year. He ended his career with four interceptions, 259 tackles and four sacks in 53 games.

He came to ASU as a local three-star prospect from Saguaro that played both tight end and outside linebacker. He only played linebacker for the Sun Devils, even though he was rated higher as a tight end in high school. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds.

Soelle was the consensus 340th best NFL prospect, according to NFL Mock Draft Database. He did not receive an invite to the combine, but participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl alongside teammate Xazavian Valladay, who recently signed with the Texans as an UDFA.

Soelle and Merlin Robertson, another five-year player for the Sun Devils, were the ASU two linebackers who could have been selected in the  NFL Draft. ASU has not had a linebacker drafted since Christian Sam was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2018.

ASU players to watch in NFL Draft

Pro Day Results

Soelle showed off his athleticism at ASU’s pro day. Below are his results.

Scouting Report/ Bio

Draft Network’s scouting report on Soelle:

“Kyle Soelle is a fifth-year senior linebacker. Throughout Soelle’s, career he has been a productive linebacker, totaling more than 200 tackles in his career. Soelle’s 2022 season was his most productive season, tallying 110 tackles and two interceptions. Soelle’s tackling production as a linebacker is a direct correlation to his instincts as a linebacker. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Soelle’s size/length and instincts as a linebacker helps him play at a high level in both the run game and against the pass—showcasing his range as a player.

In the run game, Soelle is a downhill player who does a plus-level job of quickly diagnosing the run and working downhill. Soelle has smooth movements as a player and plays with ideal pad height, which allows him to always be in position to make an effective tackle. Soelle is able to flow sideline to sideline and when he gets the proper jump on a play, he can prevent a ball carrier from turning upfield on outside run plays. Soelle is an inside-to-outside run defender that is reliable filling his gaps and enforcing the gap integrity of a defense.

Against the pass, Soelle’s value is as a zone defender. Soelle does a good job of flipping his hips and getting depth to drop into his zone. Soelle shows well in reading the quarterback’s eyes to bring him to the receiver and become a disruptive pass defender. Soelle also appears to play with good body control in space and can break down on ball carriers in space and make the tackle.

Soelle’s biggest deficiency as a player appears to be his athletic profile. While Soelle has shown to be a productive player, he may be a mismatch with some receivers on the next level. In man-to-man coverage, he may struggle to consistently cover running backs and receivers on the next level.”

Soelle will try to show off his athleticism and establish himself to fight for a roster spot with the Cardinals.

ASU RB Xazavian Valladay signs with Texans as UDFA

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Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on twitter via @Brendan_Mau

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