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Continuing our series of the top ten prospects at each position in the 2021 NFL Draft, we'll now look at the ten best linebackers.
Once again, I have evaluated the talent on the field and how I think these players could project to the next level, without considering injuries and off-field concerns, when NFL front offices make their decisions come late April.
I have categorized the linebacker position as off-ball second-level defenders. So it won’t include edge rushers, like 3-4 outside backers, even though some of them may have been used in that role.
This NFL Draft class might not be very deep necessarily, but in terms of this top ten, in particular, it might actually be an underrated one. So, without further ado, let's have a look at the top ten linebackers in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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#1 NFL Draft Prospect: Micah Parsons (Penn State)
6’ 2”, 245 pounds; RS SO
Head coach James Franklin told Micah Parsons, a top-five overall recruit at the defensive end, he would play middle linebacker. Despite starting only one game, he still became the first true freshman to lead the Nittany Lions in total tackles (82 – with four for loss).
In year two, he was just making plays all over the field and became the first linebacker for Penn State to be named in the first-team All-American selection since LaVarr Arrington. He put together 109 total tackles, 14 of them for loss, five sacks, five passes broken up and four fumbles forced. He opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the upcoming NFL draft.
Micah Parsons primarily lined up on the weak side of a 4-3 over front in 2019, recording a nation-best 94.8 run defense grade by Pro Football Focus while playing as a fast-flowing second-level player.
You could see him shoot the gap and dip underneath the blocker, combined with a rip-through on the front side of zone runs to force cutbacks. He did so with the flexibility to square his shoulders again or redirect against the original direction when he puts his foot on the ground.
Parsons has the physical ability to back-door blockers. Even when a guard is in a good position to pin him inside, Parsons can still rip through the arms of the blocker and work across his face to chase after the play.
His start-stop ability and the way he can run guys down towards the sideline is phenomenal. He has plenty of experience with containing responsibilities on edge or off the ball when shaded outside, and he man-handles tight-ends in the run game.
Parsons was one of only two linebackers in the FBS in 2019 with 75+ tackles and less than ten misses, missing only 11 of his 188 career attempts overall. He was all over the field in the Cotton Bowl versus Memphis (his final college game), producing 14 tackles and a couple of passes broken up. He also had two sacks and fumbles forced apiece, including a strip-six off a crossdog blitz, which directly led to a defensive touchdown.
This guy is a flash as a blitzer. If you give him a clear lane off a game that you run up front or he’s not picked up right away, he will get to the quarterback in a hurry.
Parsons is a nightmare on cross-blitzes as the secondary guy because of how quickly he arrives at the QB. Penn State put him as an extra guy on the outside of the line quite a bit. But some NFL teams might ask him to play on the edge in their scheme, where he has the skillset to be that kind of hybrid player on passing downs, thanks to his bursts and strong hand-swipes.
On his 94 pass rush attempts as a true sophomore, he came up with 26 pressures and five sacks. He wasn’t asked to cover a whole lot, considering what he did as a spy and rusher. But he ended up being targeted 64 times and didn’t allow a single touchdown on any of them, forcing four incompletions and five stops in coverage. The quickness and sudden bursts are certainly there to defend backs on option routes.
However, Parsons only spent 64 snaps in man-coverage in 2019. His block deconstruction is still a work in progress, and he is more of a see-ball, get-ball player at this stage of his football career.
He gets his eyes caught up with in what’s happening in the backfield a little too much, with H-backs on sift blocks making him hesitate. Moreover, Parsons tends to work too much vertically when flowing with zone runs, which restricts his ability to gain depth when he realizes it’s play-action.
I would like to see him get deeper on his drops because he missed a lot of opportunities to make plays on the ball. But he’s just smooth in going backwards.
At Penn State, he had a lot of freedom to just keep going and turn into an add-on rusher when it wasn’t a run play. While he does have plenty of production as a pass-rusher, when offensive linemen get their hands on him quickly, the 2021 NFL Draft prospect gets hung up quite a bit.
Still, he has looked like a top-ten lock in the NFL Draft, even when there was talk about what kind of guy he is off the field and how he treats his teammates.
Nevertheless, from a purely footballing perspective, Parsons is best suited to stay in that role in the NFL or transition to the strong side in more of an on-ball role.
If NFL teams would like to make the most of his skillset, they could utilize his ability as a pass-rusher, as he may not perform well in coverage. He could have issues deciphering everything from MIKE with NFL speed, but he has the size, speed and quickness to be a game-changer in the NFL.
#2 NFL Draft Prospect: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame)
6’ 1”, 215 pounds; RS JR
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the former three-star safety recruit, didn’t get off to a great start in his collegiate career. He spent his first year on the practice squad and then missed all but two games of his debut campaign because of a broken foot.
Since then, he has been one of the most versatile and dynamic playmakers on the defensive side of the ball for the Fighting Irish. In 25 games in the last two seasons, he has combined for 162 total tackles, with 96 of them solo and 24.5 for loss, seven sacks, seven PBUs, an interception, five fumbles forced and four more recovered.
He took one back to the house against Clemson in their first meeting last season. For that, he earned the triple-crown of ACC Defensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American and the Butkus award for the top linebacker in the country.
The guy, who is often referred to as JOK, presents a slim build with more of a safety skillset, but he is freakishly athletic. He played that ROVER spot or field-side OLB for the Irish, who depending on the formation set, would basically be a big nickel or stack over the guard when the offense put the formation into the boundary.
Owusu-Koramoah routinely flashed on tape when I watched the Notre Dame edge rushers and safeties for the 2020 NFL Draft. This guy can run, and he is a true joker for this Notre Dame defense.
He shows up around the ball constantly, and even though his frame wouldn’t suggest it, he is an incredible run-defender. He has a fabulous rapid shuffle, as he works laterally., But he is also not afraid to shoot the gap and take great angles towards the sideline against outside stuff.
JOK has the quickness to side step and almost jump-cut around linemen working up to him at times. He is also dynamic in going underneath a blocker, trying to cut him off by dipping under without losing speed to work horizontally.
He has the speed to shuffle a couple of steps with the run and still chase down the receiver, catching the ball on an RPO bubble on the backside if his opponent makes one cut-back inside. If somebody tries to put their hands on him, he can fight through the reach.
In the pass game, JOK is loose in pedaling backwards in zone coverage. He is actually pretty physical, dropping out and knocking receivers off balance as they try to cut underneath him. He has the speed to carry not just tight-ends but some of the fastest receivers down the middle of the field. That ability to get back in the picture and knock the ball down is incredible.
Quarterbacks looking to hit seam routes his way often check down quite a bit because of the way JOK can carry vertically. The athletic phenom had one rep against Boston College in 2020, where he turned and ran with their fastest receiver on a slot fade.
Even though the ball was slightly underthrown, the closing burst to get a hand on it was mesmerizing. Teams can forget about throwing any flat or leak-out routes to their tight-end when JOK is in man-coverage.
There are plays where a slot receiver may have leverage on an out-route, but Owusu-Koramoah shoots back into perfect position as they break towards the sideline or go through the recipient on slants. When receivers reach for the ball, he consistently rakes through their hands to knock it out.
Because he played a big part with the Irish as their flat or hash defender, JOK has a super-quick trigger against screen passes, and his quickness allows him to get around bodies with ease to make big hits in the backfield. This guy is like a blur as a blitzer and can make an impact even when coming off the slot, where he has a lot of room to get around the back. So the time to throw the ball is very limited if teams don’t have a plan for him in their protection scheme.
JOK's lack of size doesn’t come without any negatives, though. When bigger bodies get into his frame, JOK has a tough time getting away from them, and I’ve even seen him get shielded by slot receivers on too many occasions.
USC’s Amon-Ra St. Brown comes to mind, who should not be able to hold up any linebacker for too long, considering his slender frame. Owusu-Koramoah leaves his feet a little too much as a tackler and had ten misses in each of his last two years.
One can argue that his role at Notre Dame doesn’t get valued as highly in the pros because nickel corners get drafted on day three every year. And in certain schemes, where he is not 'protected' by the D-line, allowing big bodies to directly climb up to him could give him trouble. Yet, if he adds some mass to his frame, that could impact his movement, which is the most intriguing thing about him.
However, if used correctly to maximize his strengths, JOK could be a special player at the next level.
If teams put him at WILL with a lot Under fronts in a 4-3, for example, they could make him their dime backer on passing downs, where he could sink deep over the middle if there is a threat way. Moreover, teams can also utilize him as a blitzer from different angles.
JOK could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl player for many years. However, if teams ask him to take on blocks as a box-defender and not use his movement in space accordingly, they may not realize his optimum potential.
#3 NFL Draft Prospect: Zaven Collins (Tulsa)
6’ 4”, 260 pounds; RS JR
Once outside the top 2000 overall recruits, Zaven Collins redshirted his first year with Tulsa and was a very good player already as a two-year starter in the AAC.
However, he saw a meteoric rise in 2020 at the heart of a very good Hurricane defense. In eight games, he recorded 54 tackles, 7.5 of them for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and four interceptions, of which he took two back to the house.
For his exploits, Collins was named the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Nagurski, Bednarik and Lombardi awards. The first two usually go to the top defensive player in the country and the latter one to the best player regardless of position.
Collins has a good frame and primarily lined up as a stack WILL backer behind a three-down front.
He displays a quick trigger in the run game, trusting what his eyes show him and instantly reacting to pulling linemen. Unlike most modern linebackers, he has a strong base to hold his ground against guards climbing up on him. With some strike in his hands, he can make the pads of big linemen pop back, and he usually keeps them in extension to where the ball-carrier runs into the blocker’s back at times.
Collins can shove-pull guards to the side at times and wrap up the ball-carrier. Centers have almost no shot in sealing him off and even when linemen find a way to engage with him as they climb up, they rarely get inside his chest, as he finds ways to disengage them.
Collins does a good job of leveraging the ball when he is responsible for C-gap out, and he is like a grizzly to get away from when he wraps up ball-carriers. He has the thunder behind his pads to deliver splash hits. He has become a more reliable tackle, making a ton of ankle tackles when he can’t get a clear shot on the guy with the rock.
And his pursuit speed at 260 pounds is just absurd. A guy his size should not be able to run through the backside A-gap on wide zone runs and still chase the running back down from behind. But it’s also just him blowing up tunnel screen when lined up in between the tackles or banging somebody out of bounds at the opposite side of the field.
In pass coverage, Collins was primarily responsible for the shallow zones, either on hook drops or covering the flats when lined up outside the tackle. Last season, he looked much lighter on his feet, not only in tracking down ball-carriers on speed sweeps but also his ability to move backward and laterally in space. He also shows good bounce to his step when he has a running back approaching him and trying to read his leverage to break either way.
Two years ago in the Oklahoma State game, Collins brought down RB Chuba Hubbard for a 10-yard loss on a screen play on a third-and-long. In 2019, he was used more as an edge defender but still showed prowess in passing downs, where he displayed a natural feel for using his hands on a well-timed chop-rip, combining with his ability to corner off his inside foot.
Yet, he was equally effective rushing up the middle and coming on plenty of delayed blitzes when a lane opened up. Collins was the only linebacker to earn a PFF grade of at least 90 while rushing the passer and in coverage last season.
He had many huge, clutch plays for the Hurricanes: a game-winning pick-six in overtime against Tulsa, a game-sealing INT against SMU, an incredible TFL that resulted in a safety on a zone run play against UCF, which was part of his team's upset victory down in Florida.
Collins isn’t the easiest projection to the NFL because Tulsa played a lot of Oki front with three down-linemen and the ends in 4i alignments, where he really only read A-gap to C if something went out to the edges.
He can get overrun in fits at times, allowing cutbacks in the process. While he graded out, he did a lot of simple spot drops in coverage, not being asked to carry anybody down the seams.
When he comes off the edge, he tends to aim at the wrong hip and lets quarterbacks escape to the outside on too many occasions. But I wouldn’t say he contributes as much in that regard yet to be out there over true schooled pass-rushers. So there’s the possibility of him being one of those guys who have trouble sticking in one spot as a tweener between on-ball and stand-up backer.
Nevertheless, I think this is one of the cases where you can’t overthink it. It’s hard to find a linebacker who is built for the modern NFL in terms of the athletic skillset at 260 pounds.
Collins could make an impact shooting gaps or being a stack-and-shed run defender. He could take on a versatile role as a pressure player. If his responsibilities in coverage are limited, he can have major production in that area, something he showed in the last season and can be built on.
#4 NFL Draft Prospect: Jabril Cox (LSU)
(6’ 3”, 235 pounds; RS SR)
Once outside the top 3000 as a two-star recruit, Jabril Cox was an impact as soon as he stepped onto the field for North Dakota State. After a redshirt year, he was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year and then the first-team all-conference as well as second-team FCS All-American the next two years.
During his career with the Bison, Cox not only won three FCS national titles, but he also amassed 258 tackles, 32 of them for loss and 14 sacks, to go with six INTs and two defensive scores.
He transferred to Baton Rouge in 2020, wherein ten games, he recorded 58 total tackles, 6.5 of them for loss, three PBUs and three INTs, including a pick-six in the season-opener against Mississippi State.
Jabril Cox isn’t just fast for a linebacker. He can chase down fast receivers in the SEC to legitimize what he showed against FCS competition before. He has the range to make plays all over the field.
Cox is tough to put a hand on in the box, as he can shoot gaps with sudden movements combined with the dip and rip like a pass-rusher almost. He consistently beats pulling linemen to the spot, and he has the speed to scrape over the top of the blocking and chase guys out of bounds coming over from the backside.
When he is lined up in the slot, teams can forget about stalk-blocking him. He has collected several TFLs in his career, as he can go underneath a receiver, shoot into the backfield and bend his path back laterally to trip up ball carriers.
However, when he is put outside the box and reads inside runs, Cox stays patient in not letting the ball get around the edge while having the burst to make tackles before the second level is cleared. He can defend both guys on speed options at times, as he has a quick change of direction to play in between them and still be able to wrap up once they commit.
Cox has no issues picking up slot receivers on shallow crossers and running with them stride for stride. He is also fluid in flipping his hips and run with guys down the seams. His ability to carry receivers vertically is highly impressive, whether it’s turning with guys in match zone or manning up against the number three in trips.
He does an excellent job finding targets in space and adjusting his drops in zone accordingly while having a good balance in toggling his eyes between the quarterback and his receivers. He could soon be elite in man-coverage on backs and tight-ends.
Cox had that highly impressive pick-six against Mississippi State last season, where he opened with the number three in a trips set and got beat across his face. But he was back in the hip-pocket a split second later and took it away. He has the ability to work over the top of picks and quickly erase RAC opportunities by closing the space.
However, he can also be very dangerous as a blitzer. At NDSU, he lined up over slot receivers and then rush the QB from there, arriving there in a heartbeat. Go back to the Northern Iowa game in 2019, where he put a couple of huge hits on quarterback: he timed up the snap perfectly and came through unblocked. Something else that is pretty impressive about Cox is that he wasn’t flagged once all of last season.
In general, Cox uses his length and quickness well to avoid contact with blockers, but when he’s just lined up in the stack and has those big bodies get into his frame, he has problems disengaging and playing through contact. Therefore you see him get caught in the trash on a few occasions.
In coverage, as he can aggressively jump crossers, Cox might get punished on pivot or whip routes. As a blitzer, when he is actually accounted for, he gets pretty hung up with contact and still needs to show more of a plan in defeating blockers.
While I do think there is a big three at the linebacker position, where all of them could easily go in the first round, there're five to seven more names that could all be impact starters early on.
However, Cox is my favorite among the bunch because of well he projects as a run-and-chase defender, his ability to elude blockers in space and how well he projects as a coverage piece. He is a modern-day linebacker who can get a TFL shooting the backside B-gap one snap and then cover a big slot the very next.
#5 NFL Draft Prospect: Jamin Davis (Kentucky)
6’ 4”, 230 pounds; RS JR
Barely a top-1000 recruit back in 2017, Jamin Davis got an interception in each of his first two years with the Wildcats, seeing action in every game as a backup and once as a starter.
Last season, he made first-string and outside of one game missed due to COVID-19, Davis was an impact player for UK in every contest. He recorded just over 100 tackles, four of them for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, including one taken back to the house, a fumble forced and recovered apiece.
Davis primarily was used as the Wildcats’ SAM linebacker, either on the edge of the box or over the number three receiver in trips. He has a way of avoiding blocks in space because of his very innate feel and suddenness to avoid getting hung up with contact. He can do that by slipping underneath or working across the face, combined with swiping down the blocker, showing lateral agility that is just off the charts.
Not only is he slippery, but he is also just fast through the hole, especially when something opens up to shoot through, which makes him a dangerous run-blitzer. On the backside of zone schemes, he stays patient for cutbacks but also has the athleticism as a scraper to work over the top of traffic.
And you see the flat-out burners to chase down running backs and even receivers from the backside 30-40 yards downfield. Davis plays under excellent control and is quicker than pretty much anybody else in tight spaces, thanks to his natural feel and understanding of the subtleties of the linebacker position.
Since you rarely see anybody squaring him up when he is flexed out wide with them, Davis can set the edge against any outside runs without giving the ball-carrier a runway to build up momentum.
As swift as Davis is with bodies around him, he is also a natural mover in space. He stays low and is very smooth in his pedal while keeping his eyes on the quarterbacks throughout plays in zone coverage. What I appreciate about him in that facet is his understanding of down and distance, not just racing up against underneath shallow crossers on third-and-long, but getting proper depth and then coming upfield, where he is an outstanding open-field tackler against backs catching check-downs or when the quarterbacks decide to take off.
In 150 career attempts, he has had only 11 total missed tackles, with an even lower rate last season in particular (7.3%). Moreover, he has the speed to shut down any quick leaks or swings into flats when lined up in the box.
NFL teams would feel comfortable about putting him in man-coverage flexed out because of the way he carries slot receivers and tight-ends down the seams. Moreover, he is an absolute nightmare to put his hands on in the screen game.
Nevertheless, Davis, at times, is too conservative when teams run right at him, as his first step is to go backward. With his lanky frame, he won’t necessarily set the tone when he is met head-on with linemen climbing up to him or making straight tackles against big backs.
Davis also doesn’t necessarily chase his opponents off all the time, as he tends to slow down or jog when he sees his teammates have the ball-carrier corralled pretty well.
While his skillset would indicate that he could be a very effective blitzer in the NFL, he has minimal experience and tape doing so. And we don’t know the exact coaching points he has been given. But at times, I’d like him to find the closest target in coverage and transition to man late because you see catches being made around him as receivers curl up when nobody else is around.
Davis has only 837 career snaps on defense. As per PFF, he spent just 26 snaps in man-coverage last season. However, while you would think his length might give him some trouble changing directions, there is nothing on tape that would suggest that’s the case.
Jamin Davis can literally play big nickel on first down and then slide inside to MIKE to take away backs or the quarterback one-on-one on third downs. With his innate feel for eluding blocks and the ground he can cover, he can be a really fun watch.
#6 NFL Draft Prospect: Baron Browning (Ohio State)
6’ 3”, 240 pounds; SR
Baron Browning is a former five-star recruit who was generally looked at as the top outside linebacker and on the fringe of being top ten overall.
He quickly got a role in the rotation for Ohio State and started three games in year two. His junior season was when he really broke out, recording 43 total tackles, 11 of them for loss and five sacks. Last year, in seven games, he picked up three TFLs, a sack and two across the board for PBUs, fumbles forced and recovered.
This young man was a hybrid SAM linebacker for the Buckeyes and filled a multitude of roles. He lined up off the ball in the box, on edge over tight-ends, splitting the difference to the slot receiver and straight up on number threes in trips.
As a run-defender, I love the way he leverages the ball when he has contain responsibility. Ohio State trusted him to stop anything out to the sideline when the corner travelled over to the twin side, making Browning the closest guy to the white line.
That was thanks in part to the type of reliable tackler he is in space, as he only missed three total attempts last season. Yet, when he can get a clean shot on somebody, he can pack a lot of punch to knock them backwards.
Browning also has the speed to be lined up off the ball, shaded outside of the tight-end, and still chase down a zone-run play from behind. He brings plenty of thump at first contact to take on lead-blocks from tight-ends and can pul linemen with his 33-inch arms, allowing him to lock out. He has some freaking wheels when he gets into full-on chase mode too.
There was a really funny play in the second series in the third quarter of the Sugar, where Clemson ran a zone-read and Trevor Lawrence carried the fake; Browning gave him a little shove and flipped him, as if the quarterback got hit by a truck.
However, what makes Browning so intriguing to scouts is his position-less versatility and unique skillset, especially considering what he can do as a space-player, despite weighing in at over a solid 240 pounds.
Browning has all the athletic tools to match guys coming out of the backfield. When flexed out wide with backs and tight-ends, he even showed the ability to defend jump-balls (great break-up in the end-zone against Penn State last season).
He is much more fluid in his lower body and is agile to change directions, belying his size. He can routinely make those 180-degree turns with ease and can cover a lot of ground horizontally while keeping his eyes locked on the quarterback.
Browning has the closing burst to get back to the RB, releasing into flats after avoiding traffic in the middle on mesh concepts. Used as a blitzer from many different angles, he showed a good feel for how to get through and avoid contact.
He was also asked to show a ton of pressure and bail out of it, whether that’s being lined up on the weak-side edge and drop out into the flats or threatening the A-gap and taking the hook zone, where he gets the center to commit but ends up with his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage a good ten yards away from the ball in less than two seconds.
Browning is quick to find targets in space and then pivot his eyes back to the passer. At the Senior Bowl, he showed the most impressive skill movement among all American linebackers. When you look at his explosive get-off coming from the edge, you would think he can play that position full time because he can threaten tackles around the corner.
It took Browning quite a while to establish himself as a key contributor for the Buckeyes defense. While the coaches rotate their linebackers a ton, he was off the field more than Pete Werner and even Tuf Borland, who really was a liability in coverage.
Browning needs to do a better job shooting across the face of blockers in space to funnel the ball back inside on bubbles and sweeps, for example. He could fall foul of NFL scouts calling him a 'jack of all trades, master of none.
He has limited experience reading run schemes from between the tackles. He has yet to learn any moves for an edge rusher. As impressive as his movement abilities in space maybe, he primarily does a lot of rather simple spot-dropping.
Browning’s numbers in coverage last season appeared much worse on paper than what the tape showed because he was tagged the closest defender. Even though he didn’t just lose, the ball was checked down in front of him. He made those tackles with ease.
In the Penn State game last season, Browning took on blocks from Penn State tight-end Pat Freiermuth and then stuck with him on a crossing routs a few snaps later. Any player who can do that is who I'd want in my team because he can give me the flexibility to leave him on the field no matter what type of player I need.
Browning can be an impact player in base and then a mismatch eraser on passing down to go with his untapped potential as a pass-rusher.
#7 NFL Draft Prospect: Nick Bolton (Missouri)
6’ 0”, 235 pounds; JR
Once just outside the top 1000 overall recruits, Nick Bolton saw action in every game as a rotational player in his freshman season.
Over the last two years, he has recorded 198 tackles, with 16.5 of them for loss, three sacks, 12 PBUs and two interceptions, earning First-Team All-SEC accolades twice in addition to Second-Team All-American honors from the AP in 2020.
Bolton is quick in filling against the run. At times, you see him just burst through his gap on the front-side of zone runs. Before anybody can even put their hands on him, he can pop running backs. He is a from the back side as well, as he has the speed to scrape over the top and run down ball-carriers on outside runs or shoot through open gaps and chase the man down from behind.
Yet, he also has the ability to back-door linemen climbing up on him, avoiding contact by reducing his shoulder or dipping underneath the blocker, thanks to his ability to get to the ball-carrier. He displays a pretty quick change of direction to flow with the run initially but then redirect to chase after screens as part of RPOs.
Bolton quickly IDs and drives on screen passes when he can read them straight up, taking away those opportunities to regain lost yardage or producing negative plays, in general.
His 30 tackles for no loss, no gain since 2019 are the most by any SEC defender during this period. When Bolton gets there, he can pack some pop behind his pads. He had an unbelievable hit at the goal-line against Tennessee’s Jauan Jennings on a sweep play in 2019, taking away the touchdown in one of many splash hits.
When you look at his alignments, Bolton was primarily put on the short side of the field, taking away the flats in coverage, picking up backs on swings and option routes. He has plenty of experience manning up against them on those kinds of underneath patterns.
However, he could primarily be used coming forward on passing downs, where he has a pretty good ability to bend and turn the corner when coming off the edge and is like a blur blitzing up the middle. He was often used on delayed blitzes or a cross-dog with the second linebacker, for which he has impeccable timing and anticipation of the snap altogether.
And when he arrives there, he absolutely smokes quarterbacks. He blew up LSU’s Myles Brennan and Alabama’s Mac Jones to the point where I wasn’t sure if those guys would still get up. Missouri lined Bolton up on the edge or for exerting pressure in one of the gaps quite a bit on third downs as well.
On the flipside, Bolton is eager to overrun his fits and give up his assignments in the run game. For a big hitter, he doesn’t really set the tone at the point of attack against bigger blockers working up to him, as he stays more conservative in those situations and tries to get around them.
His lack of height also makes him lose sight on the running back at times when he is stuck in traffic. And too often, there are yards through contact, even though the first collision looks good. That's because Bolton doesn’t stand the ball-carrier up and completely stops their momentum, which is evident in 12 percent of his tackles last season.
I don’t think he is at the same level as a space-player in coverage as some of the guys ahead of him area. Bolton has limited awareness for targets around him and just executes his drops the way they are drawn up on paper. He did play quite a bit of man-coverage against backs but doesn’t look as comfortable and gets grabby when flexed out wide.
I realize I’m a little lower on Bolton than most analysts out there, but I think that’s more about how much I like numbers four to six than anybody else. I don’t think Bolton's worthy of a first-round pick, but if a team grass him on a day and let him play forward on passing downs, he could be a very effective player.
I think the former Missouri standout would fit well as an OLB to protect the edges against the run, get involved in blitz packages or spy the quarterback and just chase the ball with bad intentions.
#8 NFL Draft Pick: Pete Werner (Ohio State)
6’ 3”, 240 pounds; SR
Pete Werner, a former four-star recruit, had to earn his stripes through special teams. He led his team in tackles as a freshman, but it only took him a year to earn a starting spot in a loaded group of linebackers for the Buckeyes.
In the last three seasons, he has amassed a combined 167 tackles, 15.5 of those for loss, four sacks, 13 pass break-ups and four fumbles forced, finally receiving recognition last season when he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after being an honorable mention the year prior.
Werner originally started more on the strong side, but last season, he primarily lined up at WILL linebacker for the Buckeyes and flipped over to MIKE in nickel sets.
This guy plays with some fire and has had, by far, the cleanest transition from college to pros among the Ohio State inside backers. When ID-ing run schemes, Werner keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, works down with good bounce and can get those stalemates with pulling guards in the hole – which for today’s requirements for the position are very uncommon.
And when someone is working up to him on an angle or tries to meet him in space, he does a nice job of attacking the near shoulder while keeping the outside arm free and not allowing the ball-carrier to bubble. He keeps a good extension on linemen, thanks to his long arms, and doesn’t lose sight of the ball.
Werner rarely overruns plays from the backside, and he shoots those hips through at first contact as a tackler to stop the ball-carrier’s momentum. Moreover, he displays excellent pursuit all around the field.
He had this incredible play last season against Penn State, where it looked like the Nittany Lions had two linemen out in front on a screen pass, but Werner shot right past them and blasted the running back for no gain.
When I watched Werner move in coverage, I was much more impressed than I thought I would be because of how much I’ve been seeing opposing teams attack that second level for Ohio State at times.
Werner got good depth in his drops and was even asked to carry guys down the middle in Tampa-2 a few times. He is physical with tight-ends looking to release up the seams and then he comes upfield quickly to shut down any additional yardage on crossers and check-downs.
The former Buckeye key piece also has some experience covering backs and tight-ends in man and looks comfortable matching underneath routes. As a blitzer, he beautifully times up the snap, and his speed is on display when he quickly gets from his original spot to the quarterback. Moreover, he can smack backs in protection in the face at the back-end of it.
In the CFP semi-final against Clemson last season, Trevor Lawrence faded away and braced himself on several occasions because Werner came charging in like a torpedo, which led to plenty of missed throws.
However, I’m not sure if Werner has the fluidity to be matched up with NFL running backs one-on-one, who run a complete route-tree and can test his ability to flip the hips and change directions.
He doesn’t have that athletic skillset his teammate Baron Browning has as a space player. While his quick trigger against the run is obviously a good thing, for the most part, some teams that have specialized in it took advantage of it quite a bit in their RPO game.
I am a little surprised to see this, but according to PFF, Werner missed 14.6 of his tackling attempts over the last three seasons, which are pretty consistent numbers.
I believe Werner can be a three-down backer at the next level, who can probably play in any front, weak and strong side. Teams may want to pair him with a more fluid coverage guy next to him so that he could play more forward as a pressure player.
Werner is one of the more pleasant surprises in my evaluations because of how much Ohio State rotated their linebackers. It was tough to pick up too many things when I just watched the broadcast of their games back in the fall.
#9 Cameron McGrone (Michigan)
(6’ 1”, 235 pounds; RS SO)
Just outside the top 100 overall recruits, Cameron McGrone only saw action in one game in his first year in Ann Arbor and started his redshirt freshman season as a backup.
He then took over as a starter after just one game, recording 65 tackles, nine of them for loss and 2.5 sacks. Last season, he didn’t have enough time to put together impressive stats, as Michigan had a five-game season, but he still impressed scouts with what he did in the middle of his team's defense.
I said this already coming into the 2020 NFL season – McGrone has all the athletic tools to be a star linebacker. He rarely takes missteps, shows great bursts out of his stance and can slip through tight creases almost like a running back, while being able to twist his body to get hands-on the ball-carrier.
McGrone rarely allows blockers to work across his face and get their bodies in front of him. While he doesn’t look big enough to deal with fullbacks and guards climbing up on him, he somehow doesn’t get blown backwards and often times through the play-side shoulder of the blocker to get through a gap and is able to work through and slip off contact routinely.
Yet, he also has the speed to back-door or go underneath blockers trying to pin him inside, and you routinely see him scrape over the top from the backside, where he can flat out run people down on jet sweeps and other outside stuff.
However, what makes him unique as a run-defender – and it’s not that easy to describe – is his ability to seemingly stop his momentum, like shooting through a gap, so the blocker can’t put hands on him. McGrone is then able to drag down the running back as he makes his cutback. He adds that extra bit of chippiness, routinely, giving a little shove to the ball-carrier when he gets up.
McGrone’s speed as a blitzer really stands out, especially when the O-line can’t decipher quickly enough to pick him up in protection because his closing speed is pretty crazy. And once again, he’s not very big, but when he blows into those guys, he can create some vertical movement, and he has the suddenness to make the back whiff when he oversets to one side.
In Don Brown’s blitz-happy defense, McGrone provided pressure from many different angles, oftentimes looping around the edge, where he displayed a natural ability to corner and flatten the quarterback.
In coverage, his speed to fly around the whole field is pretty apparent. He can cover a lot of ground after stepping up initially against play-action fakes. and you see him cover tight-ends down the seam with pretty good success.
McGrone was much more of a forward player because that’s what linebackers do in that Big Blue scheme, but in terms of quickness, speed and fluidity in the lower body, I don’t see why he can't develop into a player who can sink deep in zone and cover option routes one-on-one. While it is a limited sample-size, McGrone didn’t miss any of his 26 tackling attempts last season, which tells you about his ability to bring down the ball-carrier in the open field.
On the flip side, the young man still gets his eyes lost at times, reading run schemes, oftentimes not finding the ball-carrier because he doesn’t seem to be able to look over or through the offensive line. And it takes him a while to find the ball, which ends with him following the tailback on a jet sweep or toss fake as the offense runs a fullback dive, for example.
I would like to see him show some better backside discipline on zone runs, as he is prone to overrun his fits at times, in general. At this point, he plays a lot on feel rather than reading his keys. In coverage, he certainly has the mobility to cover a lot of ground, but he still doesn’t show much of a plan or process yet in terms of working through progressions and identifying route patterns.
Nevertheless, let’s not forget McGrone is still only 20 years old. Whether he's able to add to his frame, learn how to work through his keys in the run game, with extension work in the film room or just the reps he can get in practice, there is a lot of room for growth.
He can be an impact player in the NFL if deployed as a blitzer or matchup piece in man-coverage. If he improves in his deficient areas, the sky is the limit for this kid, depending on the future coach he may work with.
#10 NFL Draft Prospect: Dylan Moses (Alabama)
6’ 3”, 240 pounds; SR
Once a top-15 overall recruit, Dylan Moses originally committed to LSU but decided to join their arch-rivals in Tuscaloosa instead.
As all linebackers for the Crimson Tide, he has had to earn his stripes early on in special teams and as a rotational player. But in year two, he took over as a starter, recording 86 tackles, with ten of those in the opposing backfield and 3.5 sacks.
Unfortunately, he missed all of 2019 because of a knee injury. Without Moses, you saw the Alabama defense play at a much lower level than they usually do. Last season, Moses added another 76 tackles, with six of those for loss, three PBUs and his first interception since his freshman campaign.
When I look at Moses, I see a very patient run defender who keeps his shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage when working laterally on the front-side of zone plays. But he can take on linemen off combo-blocks with good extension, and his outside arm free, he allows a big hole to open up in between the linemen and the down-man.
Yet when he’s lined up on the backside with the edge man in contain, he has the speed to run around the tackle and chase the running back down from behind when an opportunity presents itself.
On gap-schemes like duo, he can be leveraged to one side behind the double-team because he has the sudden quickness in short areas to meet the ball-carrier on the other side. Moses also shows good lateral agility to work around pullers on power plays and initiate first contact.
Yet, when he sees something coming, he does not shy away from shooting the gap or running into bigger bodies either by cornering and getting his hands on the ball-carrier, to go along with his strong arms to drag them down from the side.
As a coverage-defender, he is a very easy mover. At times, he looks more like a big safety or designated dime backer, when you watch him glide around the field.
He has quick bursts to attach to the hip of tight-ends on crossing routes off play-action, where he gets pretty physical with them, or cover ground into the flats against quick dump-offs, and he does a nice job of taking away hooks and deep curls over the middle. Moreover, Moses is a very reliable tackler in space, who paces, puts his facemask on the ball-carrier and wraps up to great effect to hold check-downs to the back and scrambling quarterbacks to minimal yardage.
Overall, he has just 13 missed tackles on 192 career attempts. That’s why Nick Saban and company utilized him as a spy in certain matchups. As a blitzer, he comes in at a million miles per hour and has a great feel for anticipating the snap, running through several backs along the way. He was utilized to wrap around and as part of a lot of different pressure packages, where he showed good timing and ability to set up those cross blitzes.
While I do like the patience he displays in the run game, Moses does borders on too slow at times, and he can miss out on opportunities. While in other situations, he sometimes blindly commits to one key he sees, like following a tight-end on a sift block of a split-zone, because he expects the back to follow him, getting himself out of position and giving up a big gain, in the process.
If O-linemen get into his frame, Moses struggles to get away from them, at times even with big tight-ends. Against Missouri in the 2020 matchup early on, the TE literally drove him about ten yards into the backfield and put him on his butt.
I’m not sure how much I would trust Moses in manning against backs because of how grabby he can get in those situations. While he doesn’t shy away from banging into linemen as a blitzer, he rarely knocks them backwards, though.
Moses’ presence was immediately felt when he returned for Bama’s 2020 season-opener against Missouri, where he constantly showed up in the backfield.
At times, his tape can be rather underwhelming, and he doesn’t have as much production in the pass game as you would hope. But he is a highly dependable tackler, can cover plenty of ground and has proven to be a key piece for one of the best-coached defenses in the country.
I believe Moses is best suited to stay in a 3-4, where he has a strong nose in front of him to let him run around freely. He could be a core special team player.
Honorable Mentions:
# NFL Draft Prospect: Monty Rice (Georgia)
6’ 3”, 240 pounds; SR
Once a four-star recruit, Monty Rice was called the next Roquan Smith after the All-American linebacker. While he didn’t quite live up to that hype, he recorded just under 200 combined tackles, 8.5 of those for loss, two sacks, five PBUs, three fumbles forced and a scoop-and-score in his last three years as a starter.
For his exploits, Rice received the second-team All-SEC honors in 2019 and was first-team all-conference last season, right in the middle of one of the elite defenses in college football.
Rice is quick to work downhill in the run game and won’t shy away from contact while keeping his hands busy to disengage from blocks. He uses his hands well to avoid any cave-in or crackback blocks and works over the top,to chase the ball-carrier out to the sideline.
He doesn’t allow eye-candy to get him out of position too many times, as he plays with good control and rarely overruns plays, yet he displays great pursuit and hustle across the field. And he has some sudden movement to get his hands on the running back, as he slaloms through the blocking at the second level to go with often beating linemen on the backside of zone runs quite a bit.
Rice is also a pretty fluid mover in space and can move in any direction without any problems. I’ve seen him carry Alabama receivers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle down the seams, and Rice didn’t look like he was totally out of place, maybe he was a couple of steps behind them.
He has also really improved his timing and hand usage as a blitzer to get around problems. Rice made an unbelievable play in the Tennessee game in 2020 when he came on a blitz, worked around the back for a strip-sack, scooped it up and took it to the house to pretty much seal the win.
However, Rice sinks too deep at times and can get lost in coverage. He doesn’t look super comfortable taking down guys one-on-one in open space and still has to learn how to break down and wrap up properly.
His lack of height and length means he has issues dealing with blockers in his face, and he tends to read the action in the backfield rather than ID-ing blocking scheme, which gets him out of position on play-action and counter runs at times.
Rice has been taken off the field quite a bit on passing downs. The numbers may not tell the entire story because they just take into account which the closest defenders at the moment of the catch are. But according to PFF, Rice allowed completions on 24 of 25 targets last season. And he isn’t very effective lining up in the gap or on the edge because when linemen get their hands on him as a blitz in general, he has a tough time making any impact.
Nevertheless, you don’t turn yourself into one of the top linebackers in SEC – which nowadays has much more wide-open offenses than it used to – if you can’t play.
Rice is a really solid all-around linebacker, with good feel for the position and excellent pursuit. Outside of 2019, when he missed a highly uncharacteristic 16 tackles, he has been a very dependable tackler, with just five misses in 113 attempts between 2018 and 2020. He may have some limitations in coverage, but he can be a quality starter in any NFL team.
# NFL Draft Prospect: Chazz Surratt (North Carolina)
6’ 1” ½, 230 pounds; RS SR
This young man was actually recruited as a three-star quarterback and started seven games as a redshirt freshman for the Tarheels. However, with the struggles he had, especially with the arrival of Sam Howell on the horizon, Chazz Surratt decided to switch to the defensive side of the ball in 2019.
That move paid off big time, as he was a first-team All-ACC selection in his first two years of playing the position. Surratt tallied just over 200 combined tackles, 22.5 of those for loss, 12.5 sacks, two INTs, five PBUs and two fumbles forced and recovered each in 24 games.
Surratt instantly turned himself into a TFL machine in the run game. He is quick to shoot gaps and oftentimes gets through almost unblocked. He has the speed to beat blockers across the face routinely and can dip underneath them to open a lane behind him.
He has got a lot better at finding ways to sort through blocks on the inside, stepping around them, keeping his hands active to disengage and meeting the ball-carrier in the hole. Surratt has long arms, which help him wrap up ball-carriers from the side and bring them down as they try to make him miss.
He simply doesn’t stop pursuing the gets in tackles late constantly. In zone coverage, he brings a lot of range to the table and has really improved his feel for targets in space in 2020.
Surratt can run and carry slot receivers down the seams as well as chase guys down towards the sideline when they catch a crosser and try to turn it upfield. He presents a large radius in the middle to break up passes.
When quarterbacks threw it underneath, Surratt went from an absurd 27 missed tackles to 'just' 11 last season because he is super patient and always seems to get a piece of the man.
Surratt was also brought down late and rushed off the edge quite a bit, where he shows good lean to shorten the corner. He was used on cross-dog action as well. Moreover, he was deployed as a spy in certain matchups and situations, where his long arms allow him to take away passing lanes, and he covers a ton of ground bailing out of A-gap pressure looks.
However, he is still very new to the position, and it shows in his angles, block-deconstruction and tackling consistency. Surratt’s eyes can get trapped in the backfield rather than reading the blocking. And he is just not very physical when dealing with blocks, almost backing up as he tries to get around them at times, getting driven out of the screen or pancaked a couple of times when coming down against pullers.
Even on draw plays, he seemingly waits for the center to work up to him and give the ball-carrier a two-way go almost. While he has had some success as a blitzer, when he is charging down in-between the tackles, you rarely see him actually drive linemen backwards.
So this is definitely more of a project. I think Surratt has already shown a lot of improvement from years one to two, and with the right coaching, he'll continue to rise.
My problem with him – and this is not supposed to be about quarterbacks being soft – is that he simply isn’t a very physical overall player. However, I like the range he presents as a coverage defender and the length he has to work with.
I don’t think he deserves to go ahead of anybody in my top ten, but after them, I like bringing him in if you feel comfortable about the way you can develop him.
The next names up:
Garrett Wallow (TCU), Paddy Fisher (Northwestern), Charles Snowden (Virginia), Tony Fields II (West Virginia), Justin Hilliard (Ohio State), Grant Stuard (Houston) and Derrick Barnes (Purdue).
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