Valdez strongest attribute athletically is with his flexibility when he is bending his knees and reaching for tackles. His explosiveness is there with him and it is shown with his first steps. Valdez does a solid job setting the edge and has decent range when in pursuit of defenders. His technique with the way he tackles is smooth and does a solid job wrapping his arms when making tackles. Valdez plays with toughness, a motor, and can cause a disruption, especially when forcing fumbles. Valdez has decent awareness and has position versatility as he was at points lined up as a linebacker as well as DE/EDGE. He is not the most agile player and at times does not have the best balance. He must improve his play strength as he can at times get dominated. Valdez lacks the punch needed to beat offensive linemen and it is shown with his poor usage of his hands and lack of strong pass rushing moves. It has resulted in Valdez not having the greatest Leverage when battling to get through the o-line. He has to get better with the way he finishes plays as he on occasion does not get to that point when he has the chance. Valdez has an inconsistent Gap Shooting ability and is very sloppy with shedding tackles. Valdez has an over reliance on his flexibility to reach and make tackles. Durability is a concern with his Knee and Hand injuries. Experimenting with Valdez is an option as he has experience at the linebacker position. I have Valdez going in the 6th or 7th Round of the 2023 NFL Draft..