1. Reggie Ragland, Alabama, 6-1 247 Ragland is a smart, instinctive linebacker who processes his keys quickly and makes good reads. He takes good angles and gets to the ball quickly. Ragland takes good angles in coverages and he does a great job reading the quarterback, feeling the route and breaking on it. He’s physical and a sound tackler. Not as fast as you’d want from your middle linebacker. I have some doubts as to whether he can be a three down player long term. Sure fire first rounder.

2. Scoobie Wright, Arizona, 5-11 1/2 239: Wright suffered a serious knee injury last season but he came back for the New Mexico and played well. Wright is instinctive. He does a great of processing his keys, finding the ball carrier and getting to the ball. He moves well laterally and can play over the top on his spill read. Wright is athletic in coverage. He can match up with running back in man coverage and he’s fluid in his zone drops. Plays a little out of control at times but Wright is tough and he loves the game. I think he’s a second round talent.

3. Kentrell Brothers, Missouri, 6-0 1/2 245: Brothers does a great job locating the ball in his reads. Attacks blockers and is strong to stack and shed at the point. Brothers has the lateral quickness to play over the top on a spill read. He is a physical tackler who makes good contact, wraps up and finishes. A tackling machine. He had 42 more tackles on the season than the second best tackler in the SEC. Brothers is a bit tight hipped and stiff in coverage. Shows limited range in zone coverage. Long term, Brothers is a two down linebacker. He is an excellent second round value.

4. Dominique Alexander, Oklahoma, 6-0 232: Alexander is a good athlete who plays fast along the line of scrimmage. He does a great job recognizing outside flow, slipping over the top and making the tackle. Alexander is an effective blitzer as well. He times his blitzes well and can close quickly. Changes direction in the open field effectively and he is fluid in his zone drop. Alexander is a bit undersized and he struggles with second level offensive lineman blocking. He needs to get stronger to play in the box. Solid 3rd or 4th round value.

5. Tyler Matakevich, Temple, 6-0 238: Matakevich isn’t the most athletic linebacker in this class but he is instinctive and gets to the ball. Matakevich is long and uses his length to his advantage, especially when engaging and separating from blockers. Matakevich is tough and displays great leadership on the field. He can play special teams as well which gives him an advantage over other guys trying to make a team. 

6. Blake Martinez, Stanford, 6-1 1/2 237: Martinez is a physical linebacker who is a sound tackler and does a good job of getting to the football. Martinez displays great leadership skills and was well regarded and respected in the Cardinal locker room. Struggled at times in coverage. Lacks the change of direction skills to break on routes. Has special teams potential and he could develop into a starter. 

7. Josh Forest, Kentucky, 6-3 249: Forest has good size and instincts. He played SAM linebacker and middle linebacker during his time at Kentucky. Forest does a good job reading flow, working through traffic and finding the ball. Forest is a bit stiff hipped in zone coverage. Gets caught flat footed and can’t adjust to the open receiver in his area. Plays tall at times and ends up absorbing too much contact. Forest has upside but he will need to end up in a developmental situation.

8. Nick Vigil, Utah State, 6-2 1/2 239: Vigil has good size. He’s built like a 3-4 inside linebacker. Vigil attacks blockers, squares them up and is able to stack them and shed them. He plays with good instincts and is able to find the ball in traffic. Tough. Vigil is a physical tackler who finishes in contact. He shows good instincts in coverage but he is too tall in his drop and a bit stiff. Needs to play more relaxed at times, especially in passing situations. On the surface, Vigil is a two down linebacker but he does posses good day three value. 

9. Nick Kwiatkowski, West Virginia, 6-2 243: Kwiatkowski is an old fashioned MIKE linebacker. He is a solid tackler who plays with good instincts and locates the football. He is a load at the point of attack. Kwiatkowski is strong on contact. He out leverages opposing blockers and drives them back. He’s not really a man coverage linebacker. In fact, he struggles when he has to match up against a running back out of the backfield. He’s better in zone coverage. Kwiatkowski is another inside linebacker who has the look of a two down player. 

10. Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn, 6-1 248: McKinzy has good upside but he was inconsistent at times through out his career at Auburn. He has a tendency to play tall and he can get caught up in the clutter when making his reads. For guy with his athleticism, he needs to be better against the run, especially on outside running plays. McKinzy is solid in coverage, especially man coverage. Can get a little lax in zone coverage and caught out of position. McKinzy has starter potential but he will need to develop.