Gang Green Nation
Taking a look at a Jets offensive line prospect
The New York Jets recently signed former European League of Football offensive lineman Leander Wiegand as an undrafted free agent. Today we break Wiegand down in detail.
The 25-year old Wiegand is listed at 6’5” and 291 pounds. He did not play college football. He has been playing in the ELF (European League of Football) for the past three seasons and has been a two-time all-star.
Background
Wiegand was a three-star high school recruit who grew up in Germany and played football in an amateur league when he was 18 and 19. He was rewarded with a scholarship from UCF, who apparently had never seen him play and offered him based solely on his athleticism. Although he accepted the scholarship and attended UCF for a few months, Wiegand dropped out before he ever played a game due to personal reasons.
In 2022, Wiegand joined the Cologne Centurions of the ELF and started for them in his rookie season. In 2023, he moved to the Rhein Fire in the same league and earned first-team all-star recognition. Finally, in 2024, he changed teams again and earned second-team all-star recognition with the Munich Ravens.
Wiegand was eligible for the 2025 draft and drew interest after a strong performance at the IPP pro day. However, he was not selected.
After Wiegand went undrafted, the Jets signed him via the International Player Pathway to an undrafted free agent deal with $249K of guaranteed money.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Wiegand brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
As noted, Wiegand was able to impress UCF with his athleticism, after which he also impressed during ELF workouts in 2023 with a 32-inch vertical and 7.33 three-cone drill.
Wiegand has good size and adequate length. At the IPP pro day, he weighed in at 318, which is actually 27 pounds heavier than his current officially listed weight with the Jets.
His most impressive numbers there were a 32-inch vertical and 38 bench press reps. At the NFL scouting combine, nobody had more than 33 reps. In addition, only six people had a better vertical than Wiegand and only one of those was heavier than he was.
His other numbers were solid but unspectacular, although his 40-yard dash was clocked at a slightly disappointing 5.39.
Usage
Wiegand’s three years have given him some excellent experience and versatility as he started for most of each year in three different positions. He played right tackle at Cologne, then moved to right guard with Rhein before playing last season as Munich’s left guard.
He also lined up in the backfield or as a jumbo tight end from time to time. He had one carry for one yard and this athletic touchdown catch.
Pass Blocking
Wiegand started off as a tackle and showed the ability to drop into his stance and mirror the edge rusher’s approach. However, there were times...
