LINEBACKER
TOP 5 QB VIDEO
1
Bryce Young
2
CJ Stroud
3
Hendon Hooker
4
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
5
Jaren Hall
1
Payton Wilson
LB | NC STATE | 6'4 | 238
Wilson is a high-motor and productive linebacker with a knack for making plays. He has great explosiveness and pursuit, and shows impressive processing skills on the field. Wilson is a hard tackler with a decisive trigger. He adds additional value by being able to pressure the QB and play good reps in coverage. Wilson sometimes gets over-aggressive and needs to stay more disciplined in open space. He is a defensive leader who has the traits to succeed. However, as a sixth-year senior with an unfortunate medical history, this could impact his value as a prospect. Nonetheless, I absolutely love his game.
Grade: Round 2
Zach Cunningham
2
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
LB | CLEMSON | 6'0 | 230
Trotter Jr. is a well-rounded and instinctual linebacker with football bloodlines. He has great coverage skills and can quickly diagnose where the ball is going and act accordingly. It doesn’t pop off the page, but Trotter Jr. has good speed to play his brand of football. He adds value as a blitzer and understands how to create pressure. Trotter Jr. has been a productive player in a big program for multiple seasons. He brings a high floor full of coverage skills, IQ, and processing.
Grade: Round 3
Patrick Queen
3
Cedric Gray
LB | NORTH CAROLINA | 6'3 | 235
Gray is a well-rounded linebacker with a thick build. He is a technical and reliable tackler who can make plays in the trenches and get it done in open field. Gray is a very polished player who doesn’t make too many mistakes and knows how to play the game properly. He’s got good body control, takes proper angles, and isn’t overly aggressive. Gray’s athleticism is adequate but doesn’t pop on tape—his sideline-to-sideline speed is average at best. He should be a reliable and high-flor linebacker at the next level.
Grade: Round 3
Jordan Hicks
4
Edgerrin Cooper
LB | TEXAS A&M | 6'3 | 230
Cooper is a high-upside linebacker with a lot of intriguing tools. He’s a rangy, fast, and explosive defender who seeks out plays and likes to put his body on the line. He has the agility and length to make plays at the next level. However, Cooper has a lot of development to do before he can get there. My biggest concern is the paths he takes to get to the ball. He needs to do a better job of navigating traffic. Cooper has the tools to make a fun impact down the road, but I’d like to see some refinement before I pull the trigger.
Grade: Round 3
Jerome Baker
5
Junior Colson
LB | MICHIGAN | 6'3 | 247
Colson is a physically gifted linebacker with an impressive ability as a tackler. He is at his best in traffic, always seeking contact and making a play on the ball. Colson has been a consistently productive player in a big-time program. His sideline range, athleticism, and instincts aren’t anything special, but Colson is an extremely reliable tackler who can plug gaps in the run and do the dirty work. He should be an impactful early-down linebacker who can hopefully develop more into a versatile piece.
Grade: Round 3
Ja'Whaun Bentley
6
Tommy Eichenberg
LB | OHIO STATE | 6'2 | 239
Eichenberg is a high-effort linebacker with good production. His motor on the field is evident and he’s always staying alert on every play. Eichenberg has a lot of power as a hitter and loves to get physical. He is generally a very good processor who understands the game but can occasionally get lost by misdirection or trickery. While his true upside as a game-changer may be limited, Eichenberg is a well-rounded, physical, and driven player who can provide consistent play and coveted effort to a team.
Grade: Round 3
Jack Campbell
7
Ty'Ron Hopper
LB | MISSOURI | 6'2 | 221
Hopper is an extremely unique hybrid linebacker who is suited for the modern game. He’s a versatile playmaker with top-notch athleticism and speed. Hopper’s burst and explosive is evident on tape—always in the middle of a play and making chase-down tackles. He plays with a high motor and can be used in so many different ways. Hopper is absolutely undersized—and will struggle as a consistent player in the trenches. However, with where the game is headed, Hopper could be utilized as a very valuable piece if he lands in the right spot
Grade: Round 3
Kyle Dugger
8
Marist Liufau
LB | NOTRE DAME | 6'2 | 235
Liufau is a physical and disciplined linebacker. He’s got good power, is willing to put his body on the line in the trenches, and tackles with a ton of pop. Liufau is a smart player who can easily diagnose plays and stay poised throughout trickery. He’s got alignment versatility and can make an impact as both an on-ball and off-ball defender. Although he’s got good pursuit speed, Liufau isn’t the most agile player and sometimes struggles to change direction. I am slightly concerned that he doesn’t have the weight to back up his desired play style, but think he is a high-floor prospect with a lot of likeable traits.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
9
Jaylan Ford
LB | TEXAS | 6'3 | 242
Ford is a well-built linebacker with great instincts and fundamentals. He is very spatially aware and does a great job of staying disciplined during misdirection plays. Ford has the frame to succeed in the trenches, but needs to develop better in block deconstruction. His eyes and IQ allow him to excel in coverage, but he doesn’t have the sideline-to-sideline speed or athleticism to be a jack of all trades. Ford’s football acumen and size will allow him to find a solid role at the next level.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
10
Tyrice Knight
LB | UTEP | 6'2 | 235
Knight is an experienced and productive linebacker with a ton of likeable traits. He’s a slightly older prospect, which might limit his range in the draft. Knight has great size, sporting a thick and long frame that can handle NFL traffic. He’s a conservative player who doesn’t get overly aggressive, yet can still wreak havoc on defenses and be a disrupter. At times, he leaves too many tackles on the field and needs to do a better job of finishing. Knight’s linear speed is better than his agility. He has the traits to be a very productive player at a good price tag.
Grade: Round 4
DeMarvion Overshown
11
Curtis Jacob
LB | PENN STATE | 6'1 | 236
Jacob is a versatile linebacker with solid starting experience. Fitting the hybrid categorization, he has solid coverage skills to drop back into space and match up with TEs. Jacob is good at reading the quarterback and making reactive plays. His functional strength is questionable, but he does a solid job in block deconstruction. Jacob tends to get downhill too quickly and could benefit from gaining more discipline. His play style fits what defenses need to do if they want to match up with modern offenses, making him a potentially valuable late selection.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
12
Trevin Wallace
LB | KENTUCKY | 6'2 | 240
Wallace is a long and strong linebacker with a good build. Although his functional strength could quickly improve, he has the frame and growth potential to consistently produce in the trenches. He is a physical and rangy player who doesn’t shy away from contact and can make plays in open space. With limited experience, Wallace’s instincts are a work in progress. He has to improve his recognition in the run game and his patience and discipline as an attacking defender. Wallace has the tools to be a solid value pick with developmental upside.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
13
Omar Speights
LB | LSU | 6'1 | 235
Speights is an experienced college linebacker with some intriguing traits. He has a good combination of size and mobility, but will have to work on his functional strength—oftentimes getting knocked off balance. Speights is a heavy hitter in open space, but will need to prove his consistency in that area. He has a good feel in coverage and possesses the athleticism to work downfield and cover TEs & RBs. Speights can sometimes get over-aggressive with his angles and will need to stay more disciplined. If he’s able to fine-tune some technical issues, Speights’s tools will allow him to find a fun role in the NFL.
Grade: Round 4
Darius Leonard
14
Steele Chambers
LB | OHIO STATE | 6'0 | 223
Chambers is a rangy and versatile linebacker. He plays fast, showing the ability to keep up with the natural chaos of the game. Chambers can move sideline to sideline, defending in open space, while also dropping back into coverage. He shows a good feel while playing in zone. Chambers is a violent tackler who plays with a high motor. His natural feel for the game could improve, oftentimes struggling with instincts and misdirection. Nonetheless, his fit in the modern NFL and arsenal of tools give him some fun developmental upside on day three.
Grade: Round 4
Dorian Williams
15
Edefuan Ulofoshio
LB | WASHINGTON | 6'0 | 236
Ulofoshio is a thickly built and sturdy linebacker. He’s a physical tackler who invites contact and can win in the trenches. Ulofoshio has solid functional strength and can win as an early-down linebacker. His radius as a tackler is limited but he has a good ability to produce in traffic. As a sixth-year senior with a maxed-out frame and a lack of athleticism, his upside at the next level is questionable. However, for a late value, Ulofoshio could provide the polish and physicality to a win-now team looking for some reliability.
Grade: Round 5
TBD
16
Nathaniel Watson
LB MISSISSIPPI ST. | 6'2 | 244
Watson is a highly productive linebacker who had a great college career. He plays with a very high motor and has been said to be an emotional and hard-working leader. Watson has a great build — possessing both the size and length that is coveted in the NFL. He adds value as a pass-rusher, but seems to get swallowed at times in traffic despite his frame. Watson is prone to taking questionable angles and can be moved by misdirection. He could be an asset on special teams and in the locker room, but I’m not sold on him as a consistent defender.