ESPN has him listed as the 6th best outside linebacker prospect. 7/10/21: With Micah Parsons sitting out the 2020 season, Smith flashed for Penn State, showing speed and athleticism. A three-year starter for the Panthers, Dennis is a bit undersized. To rise as a senior, Henry needs to produce more in pass coverage and show an ability to cover downfield. 4/27/22: Asamoah totaled 80 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles in 2021 after recording 66 stops with two sacks, an interception and four passes broken up in 2020. NFL Draft rumors: How, why the Detroit Lions drafted RB Jahmyr Gibbs at 12. Lanky playmaker is one of safest picks in first round. The Posts Ryan Dunleavy gives his top 10 linebackers in this years NFL draft, based on evaluations and conversations with people around the league: 1. Though he does not have the elite 4.4 speed that some of the other linebacker prospects in this class have, he is still an elite all-around athlete, and that much is obvious when you see him take the field. His hand usage and balance raise some question marks, but he can be coached up in the right system. Jake Hansen, Illinois (fifth round) 7. High-school valedictorian and finalist for Campbell Trophy (academic Heisman) in college. Landman needs to show pass-coverage skills with NFL speed and athleticism. 7/17/21: Muma had a quality 2020 season stopping the run for the Cowboys. Harris is the first linebacker on this list that has all the tools, but no toolbox just yet. He filled up the stat sheet in 2021, rocketing him to NFL.com's No. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds, had a vertical jump of 36.5 and posted a broad jump of 127. General manager Ryan Poles has just six draft picks to work with, From 2013 to 2022, an average of 32.5 LBs were selected, with a low of 25. 4/27/22: Lloyd amassed 111 tackles, eight sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions and six passes defended in 2021. Linebacker remains one of the Eagles biggest offseason needs. The departure of Bobby Okereke in free agency will hurt the room, but they did retain E.J. There simply isnt a better run defender in this class than Leo Chenal. He falls prey to false steps and wasted motion at times. This small school jack-of-all-trades player has shot up NF Knicks face their season's moment of truth in crucial Game 2, Devils great still irked by blown Game 7 chance against Rangers in 1994, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Perez Hilton: 'Boring' Meghan and Harry need to 'give up and move' back to UK, Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert. 7/17/21: McClain was a tackling machine for Auburn in 2020, totaling 113 stops. But in a middling draft for linebackers, they might be better off casting their net for a Rodriguez or Houston late. All it takes is one team to fall in love with him, though, and that team will reap the rewards from one of the best playmaking defenders in this class. He has the ability to be moved around along the front 7 do fit the needs of stopping runs. He's a late-round sleeper who could be a backup and special teams contributor. $$ Pure WalterFootball with no advertisements for $7.99 a month. He was also dealing with some injuries, although he continued to play through them. 7/17/21: Over the past three seasons, Rose has been a tough run defender for Iowa State. Should be core special teams player. All Scouts Average Overall Rank 20.8. John Reed-USA TODAY Sports. Houston had eight sacks in seven games as a rookie and earned base defensive snaps at outside linebacker late in the season after debuting as a designated pass rusher. However, there are a few guys who are versatile enough to thrive wherever you place them in. Right now, there are two linebackers projected to go in the first round in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. From 2013 to 2022, an average of 32.5 LBs were selected, with a low of 25. All rights reserved. The Lions could use another playmaker for the middle of their defense, especially if he can help on pass downs. Kyahva Tezino, Pittsburgh Maulers 2. The best linebackers in the league today are playing between 220 and 230 pounds. Heres how the linebackers in this draft class stack up. Tindall: Didnt make a ton of plays for Georgia, but then again neither did likely top-two overall pick Travon Walker. The Detroit Lions have made use of all the draft picks they received when they dealt Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. At worst, Chenal is an early-down run specialist in the NFL that can also sub in as a pass rusher. Dean's stock dipped in the spring because an injury kept him from running the 40-yard dash and he is said to not be a blazer in that test. He flashed at times for Illinois in the past two seasons, and he has the skill set to produce more. Led SEC with 135 tackles in bounce-back season after losing starting job in 2020. 1. The Indianapolis Colts will enter the 2023 NFL draft looking to address several positions, and it wouldnt be a surprise if Three straight seasons He led the team in passing and rushing (21 rushing TDs) in 2018 before starting the rest of his games at linebacker in 2019 and 2021 (2020 season was canceled due to COVID). He scored an unofficial 9.33 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. 4/27/22: Tolson collected 48 tackles, one sack and two passes defended in 2021. This ranked 148 out of 2188 LB from 2022 NFL Draft The star Inside Linebackers are most often playing OLB in college, and need certain skills: Able to call defenses, so smarts and experience. The game against Alabama helped him a lot, and he was able to show off his talents against a bigger opponent. NFL Draft Walker has a good combination of height, weight and speed. 44 and No. Hampton posted a team-best 9.5 tackles for loss in 2022, adding seven sacks, 39 tackles and The next class of players is getting prepared now for another year of college football. 2022 NFL Draft The 2022 NFL Draft is fast approaching and teams are zeroing in on their needs for the draft. He has a see-ball, get-ball mentality and hunts runners with good build-up speed and an aggressive demeanorMuma profiles as a backup inside/strong-side linebacker with four-phase special teams talent that should lock him into a roster spot as a Day 3 selection.". Published: Mar 22, 2022 at 03:45 PM. 4/27/22: Deng recorded four tackles over two games in 2021 before losing the rest of the season to injury. Atlanta drafted Bergeron with the No. He is explosive and has great power in his moves. Devin Lloyd, Utah (third round) 3. READ MORE:How James Houston could have Micah Parsons-like impact on Lions defense in 2023. He projects as an NFL strong safety and low-hole defender who should be a regular on special teams.". It was a big improvement over 2019, when he had 55 tackles, but the sophomore did have three forced fumbles and an interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Some team sources have raved about Clark. The off-ball linebacker position is losing some value in the modern NFL, but a playmaking linebacker in the middle of the defense can still be highly valuable in pass and run defense. Harris showed a lot of upside and the skill set to improve after gaining experience. DraftBlaster He then produced well as a run defender in 2020. Landman turned in an excellent sophomore season in which he did a good job defending the run and produced a lot of big plays in pass defense. Christian Harris is agile, athletic, and has the pursuit speed to keep up with some runners. All Scouts Average Position Rank 2. Linebacker Third Georgia linebacker on this list never started a game in college, but finished third on loaded defense in tackles in 2021. WalterFootball.com: 2022 NFL Draft: ILB Rankings Jack Campbell: +250. Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon. After an injury to Dylan Moses, Harris was thrust into a larger role and turned in an impressive freshman season for Alabama in 2019. He is listed as the fourth best prospect on NFL.com and the ninth best interior linebacker prospect on ESPN's Best Available. Forty Time Secs 4.52.