This years OLB class is interesting because it is elite at the very top has some depth and a bunch of guys who could prove everyone wrong but only one or two will. Anthony Barr and Kahlil Mack are obviously the best two and worthy of first round picks. The next four could all potentially go in the second round, and some guys are just flat out missed by the authorities of the draft such as Kevin Pierre-Louis.
1. Kahlil Mack – 6’3” 251 Ilbs. 4.65 40 Buffalo – 7.0 – Kahlil is a tremendous football player he can do it all. A four year starter at Buffalo however he did not play against elite competition most of the season. Mack has shown great ability at pass rushing and had forced over 15 fumbles during his college career. He also has the ability to defend the pass in coverage earning three interceptions his senior year along with seven passes defended. Kahlil hits like a freight train, can defend passes, and make any kind of play there is to make in football.
2. Anthony Barr – 6’5” 255 Ilbs. 4.66 40 UCLA – 6.75 - One of the most athletic prospects in the draft and he also has ideal size for an outside linebacker. Barr is incredibly agile making it difficult for tackles to block him on the edge. Running backs have a difficult time beating him to the edge and cannot run him over. Only a junior Anthony was clearly the best linebacker in the Pac 12 and one of the best products of the division for quite some time. If Barr slips he could wind up being the steal of the draft. He is adequate at pass defense but is best suited rushing the passer on obvious passing downs. I have not watched enough film on Mack that shows me that he is better than Barr hence the ranking but I believe five years down the road Barr will be the better NFL linebacker.
3. Kyle Van Noy – 6’3” 243 Ilbs. 4.71 40 Brigham Young University – 6.25 - Great combination of size and speed. Kyle is a three year starter that has played mostly in a 3-4 system. Cleaned up his act after getting into some trouble mainly with drinking. He has good pass rush ability averaging a little over 7 sacks a year. Kyle makes an impact in more than one area earning 8 interceptions and 9 forced fumbles over the past three seasons. His ability to defend the pass makes him incredibly valuable to me. Van Noy has the range and instincts to be dominant against the run as well. One of my more favorite linebackers in this year’s draft, most do not have him graded in the first round but if he falls low enough into the second round or out of the second definitely steal potential.
4. Ryan Shazier – 6’1” 237 Ilbs. 4.42 40 Ohio State – 5.9 - Ryan is a gazelle running faster than most wide receivers in this year’s draft class. A productive player at Ohio State starting the past three years and he is only a junior. Shazier can contribute in the pass rush and is more of a speed outside rusher than anything else but the kid is versatile. His ability to cover down the field is well represented on film. Ryan has the ability to disrupt the run in the backfield, force fumbles, or simply hold the ball carrier to a modest gain. Ryan has a consistent motor and if he slips into the middle to late second round he is a steal.
5. Jeremiah Attaochu – 6’3” 252 Ilbs. N/A 40 Georgia Tech – 5.75 – A three year starter and can play either a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE (last season played DE 12.5 sacks). Jeremiah is an effective and proven pass rusher earning over 20 sacks in the past two seasons. Attaochu also has the ability to stop the run and he defends the edge very well. Not a proven cover linebacker but could learn some basic coverage packages. He was shut down by North Carolina’s Left Tackle James Hurst which is a lower rated player than Attaochu. Jeremiah needs to land on a team that has the ability to develop outside rushers. This is a player that where he goes can dictate his career, if he goes to Minnesota (Mike Zimmer) or Green Bay I love his chances. If he goes to the Raiders or Browns he’s probably going to fade out of the league.
6. Trent Murphy – 6’5” 250 Ilbs. 4.86 40 Stanford – 5.5 - A three year starter who averaged a little over 10 sacks a season with 15 coming last year. He has the ability to play a few different positions in the NFL OLB in the 3-4 or MLB, DE or strong side OLB in the 4-3. Although he is a little slower and weight room weaker than we would like to see in a prospect for his position there is no denying his ability to play. Murphy is a good pass rusher that has a few different moves to get to the quarter back. Plays the run well inside the tackles however most backs have the ability to beat him to the outside. Great motor but won’t catch too many players in the open field if they have a yard on him. He is okay in coverage with ten pass defenses over the past two seasons. Played in one of the tougher divisions and was rated much higher before the combine. As an ILB I believe he has the skills to dominate although some of his pass rushing skills would go unused. He will play for a while in the NFL whether he is a Barrett Ruud type or a Vontaze Burfict type is unknown. I believe he will be asked to either play DE in a 4-3 or a ILB in either set. You have to love guys from Stanford coming out of an academic school with a tremendous program. Anybody who’s hobbies consist of bull riding and steer wrestling has to be a fan favorite, this kid enjoys wrestling with baby bulls that sounds like a linebacker to me!
7. Adrian Hubbard – 6’6” 257 Ilbs. 4.69 40 Alabama – 5.4 - Two year starter who decided to come out early as a junior even though he has not had a tremendous season yet. His stats might be misleading due to the lack of plays Alabama’s defense has seen over the past two seasons. Hubbard is an adequate pass rusher averaging 5 sacks the past two seasons. Adrian is better in run defense than in coverage or rushing the passer. Personally I believe he is overrated definitely the least impressive linebacker to come out of Alabama over the past few seasons. I could be wrong however I do not see Hubbard starting in the NFL and should not go higher than the fifth round.
8. Kevin Pierre-Louis – 6’0” 232 Ilbs. 4.51 40 Boston College – 5.35 - A four year starter who is a little short for a linebacker but has decent size and great speed. Looks like there is not an ounce of fat on him. He is good in the pass rush had 6 sacks last season and has the speed to disrupt on the edge. Great in defending the run able to make plays all over the field including in the back field. He has good experience in coverage and has more room to grow. Honestly I do not know why this kid is rated so low he has more athletic ability than anyone in the position he has the stats that others rated above him can only dream of. Plain and simple Kevin is a true sleeper there is talk about him going undrafted or low rounds? This guy is a ripped 232 who put on 15 Ilbs. of muscle between his junior and senior year. Somebody is going to get a steal with him in my opinion he can easily become a starter in the NFL.
9. Telvin Smith – 6’3” 218 Ilbs. 4.52 40 Florida State – 5.2 - Telvin is a three year starter that has the speed coveted by teams in the NFL. If he can add some bulk and not lose much speed he could become a good linebacker. Smith is a below average pass rusher, once a lineman gets his hands on him he is done for the play due to lack of size and strength. However if he learns some outside moves he could become an average speed pass rusher. He excels more in chasing down tackles, not allowing rushers to hit the edge, and in coverage. Whoever drafts him has a hard decision to make on whether or not to leave him at Linebacker where he will be undersized his whole career unless he gains ten pounds or try him at strong safety. Developmental prospect that could pay big dividends.
10. Chris Kirksey – 6’2” 233 Ilbs. 4.72 40 Iowa – 5.1 - Chris is a three year starter and has a good combination of size and speed. He is a tackling machine which is his best asset stopping the run. Chris is decent in coverage and able to cover most tight ends he went up against however he is best in zone coverage. He looks the part of an outside linebacker in college and could be a sleeper. He can definitely start in the NFL at some point it is just a matter of can he turn into a playmaker which most teams want out of their linebackers.
11. Christian Jones – 6’3” 240 Ilbs. 4.74 40 Florida State – 5.0 - Jones is a three year starter with a good size/speed combination. Not great in the pass rush however he plays well against the run. He has shown some ability in pass coverage but not fantastic at it. Not impressive on film or on his stat line but could turn into a starter in the NFL. Probably going to be selected in the 4-5th round any earlier than that is a reach.
12. Jordan Zumwalt – 6’4” 235 Ilbs. 4.76 40 UCLA – 4.95 - Three year starter in the Pac 12 with great size and good speed. Jordan is not the best pass rusher but does contribute elsewhere. Zumwalt is at his best when he is defending the run. He has above average coverage ability that can cover most tight ends or help out in zone. Overshadowed by Anthony Barr the past two seasons Zumwalt could be undervalued as well due to the attention paid to Anthony. Could be a sleeper that can become a starter in the NFL in the right system.
13. Lamin Barrow – 6’1” 237 Ilbs. 4.64 40 LSU – 4.9 - A two year starter in the SEC who averaged a little under a 100 tackles the past two seasons. He is a below average pass rusher only earned 1.5 sacks last season. He is at his best when he is protected and able to chase down the running back, not a heavy hitter. Lamin is good in coverage able to drop back and cover pretty good ground. The only position he can really play in the NFL is weak side linebacker. A defensive coordinator or linebacker coach is going to have to take him under their wing and teach him a few things before he can make an impact in the NFL. Will probably stick around as a special team’s player that backs up at OLB.
14. Jordie Tripp – 6’3” 234 Ilbs. 4.67 40 Montana – 4.8 - Tripp is a three year starter however one of the seasons in between the three he suffered a torn labrum. He has made his name off of his effort and motor. Although he has a good blend of speed and size his short arms make him not that effective in the pass rush. Tripp is good between the tackles in run defense however he shows a lack of agility in the open field to tackle good rushers. Not that effective in coverage. Tripp is a long shot to start in the NFL but could become a good special teams player.
15. Prince Shembo – 6’1” 253 Ilbs. 4.71 40 Notre Dame – 4.8 - A two year starter with a combination of good size and speed. Looks the part a little short but he has good arm length and decent speed for the position. Prince is a decent pass rusher averaging 6.5 sacks per year. Limited number of tackles makes me think that he is only a decent defender against the run. Does not have much to show for coverage ability. Another linebacker that has the talent just needs to find the right team however he will be lucky to earn a starting spot in the NFL.
16. Derrell Johnson – 6’1” 248 Ilbs. 4.78 40 East Carolina – 4.75 - a four year starter at multiple positions. Somehow played DE in the 3-4 a few seasons ago. Derrell is best fitted in the 3-4 at OLB where he mainly has one assignment per play. Above average pass rusher recording eight sacks last season. He is a capable defender against the run as well. Below average in coverage but can disrupt receivers off the line. Has the ability to start in the right system most likely a late round pick or could go undrafted.
17. Khairi Fortt – 6’2” 248 Ilbs 4.71 40 California – 4.7 - A one maybe two year starter with a good combination of height, weight and speed. Definitely did not earn great stats. Below average pass rusher. Fortt is okay against the run and does not have much to offer in coverage. Might not get drafted.
18. Jonathan Brown – 6’0” 238 Ilbs. 5.03 40 Illinois – 4.6 - Three year starter with awful size and speed combination. Highly productive over the past three seasons. Has shown a good ability to rush the passer but probably does not have the size or speed to beat NFL lineman. He shows good stats when it comes to the rush defense which tells me his football instincts are terrific due to his slow running speed. Played like a leader at Illinois if he becomes a starter I have been fooled on this guy.
19. Ronald Powell – 6’3” 237 Ilbs. 4.65 40 Florida – 4.5 - Not sure how many years he started but he has a good size/speed combination. Unfortunately after his measurables that is where it stops very few tackles (26) could not have been on the field too much. Below average in pass rush, run defense and coverage. I will be surprised if he gets drafted.
20. Tyler Starr – 6’4” 250 Ilbs. 4.95 40 South Dakota – 4.5 - Great size but below average speed. Best suited as a rush linebacker in the 3-4. Although he has nine sacks he is a below average pass rusher usually depending on his athleticism to beat below average lineman. Average against the run between the tackles. Tyler will have to show versatility to earn a roster spot in the NFL.
