By John Sarianides

The inside linebacker position is well stocked with quality depth. Teams should find be able to find some hidden gems at this position, especially in the later rounds. Alabama’s Reuben Foster headlines the group but Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan and Florida’s Jarrad Davis are also top level prospects.

Here is our top ten inside linebackers.

1. Reuben Foster, Alabama 6-0 229, NFL Comparison: Bobby Wagner
Strengths
-Foster is an explosive sideline to sideline linebacker who diagnoses running plays quickly and closes on the football.

-Plays square to the line of scrimmage and does a good job of attacking second level blockers. Gets small in the hole and can dip and rip through blocks.

-Foster is a finisher at the point of contact. A physical tackler who wraps and drives ball carriers to the ground effective. Gets depth in zone drops and can flip his hips and transition effectively.

-Fast enough to marry routes out of the backfield and carry them vertically in man to man coverage.

-Foster runs well laterally and can beat guards and fullbacks to the point of attack on off-tackle plays.

Weaknesses
-Gets walled off and sealed by second level guards too much.

-Gets lazy at times in his zone drops and doesn’t wall off crossing routes.

-Gets stood up in gaps as a blitzer. Needs to get skinnier and accelerate through the hole.

-Slow reader on keys. Doesn’t seem to consistently find the football.

-Foster has had shoulder issues in the past because of poor tackling technique.

Final Thoughts: Foster is by far the best inside linebacker in this class. He should be a top twelve pick. Some teams are concerned with his injury history and being sent home from the combine but that shouldn’t affect his draft status too much.

 

2. Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State, 6-2 240, NFL Comparison: Benardrick McKinney
Strengths
-Big, physical linebacker who attacks lead blockers, “sticks” them and forces the ball carrier to bounce.

-Physical on contact. McMillan does a good job of getting inside hand position on blockers, extending them and shedding them.

-Instinctive. I.D’s the ball carrier and has the ability to close quickly, especially inside the box.

-Smart. Understands inside route concepts and does a good job of getting to his spot in his drop and under cutting routes.

-Good tackler who wraps and holds on until the help comes.

Weaknesses
– Doesn’t always play to his size. Gets run over at times because he plays high.

-Limited in man coverage. Stiff hipped. McMillan can’t flip his hips and carry a route vertically.

-Avoids blocks in space way too much. He should be more willing to engage blockers, especially tight ends and fullbacks.

– If he doesn’t get inside hand position on an offensive player, he gets blocked and stays blocked. Doesn’t disengage quick enough.

-Take questionable angles sometimes. Take the long way to the ball carrier way too often.

 Final Thoughts: McMillan is a good player. He can start on Sundays but will more than likely be a two down linebacker. A great combine improved his stock. Mcmillan could go as early as the second round.  

 

3. Jarrad Davis, Florida, 6-1 238, NFL Comparison: Shaq Thompson
Strengths
-Well built, athletic linebacker ideally suited to play in the 4-3 as a SAM backer.

-Attacks gaps and creates separation on contact. Consistently beats blocks at the point of with speed.

-Downhill player who plays square and can chase and finish from the backside.

-Has the speed to mirror and match up against running backs out of the backfield in man coverage.

-Physical tackler who wraps up and drives his feet threw contact.

Weaknesses
-Plays high at times, especially when engaging blockers.

-Over runs off-tackle running plays and takes himself out of position.

-Needs to bend more. Davis has a tendency to attack blocks too high.

-Average in zone coverage. Drops are fine but he has a tendency to lose routes in his zone.

-Instincts run hot and cold. Doesn’t always trust his eyes based on the path he takes to the ball.

Final Thoughts: Davis is the total package in terms of ability and leadership but he doesn’t always play up to it. He needs to be more consistent. Regardless, he will be off the board no later than the second round.

 

4. Kendall Beckwith, LSU, 6-2 243, NFL Comparison: DeVondre Campbell
Strengths
– Beckwith is a physical, downhill SAM linebacker who recognizes his keys quickly and plays with good instincts.

-Physical. Wraps and finishes on contact.

-Moves well laterally and can get to the ball carrier off tackle.

-Can play in space both as a run defender and in coverage. Moves well laterally in zone coverage and can adjust and cover down on routes in his zone.

– Strong at the point of contact against blockers. Gets inside hand position, shocks them and separates.

Weaknesses
-Gets easily engulfed by guards which is surprising considering how big he is.

– Plays high. Not a natural bender. He exposes his chest plate and struggles to disengage.

-Misses too many tackles in space. Takes bad angles and gets caught out of position. COD is not great.

-Struggles to flip his hips in man coverage and carry routes vertically.

-Not a great athlete. Projects as a two down linebacker due to his limitations.

Final Thoughts: Beckwith has physical limitations but he offers scheme versatility and is a plus run defender. Teams will love his temperament and toughness.

 

Ben Boulware, Clemson, 6-0 238, NFL Comparison: Mant’i Teo
Strengths
-Super competitive and a tremendous leader. Boulware was the heart and soul of the Clemson defense the last two seasons.

-Plays with good balance and strength in his lower half. He can stack and shed a blocker and locate the ball consistently.

-Moves well laterally can scrape over the top and fill on off-tackle plays.

-Very instinctive. Boulware consistently finds the ball and can make big plays.

-Effective pressure linebacker who can get to the quarterback from depth or come off the edge.

Weaknesses
-Boulware is stiff in coverage. While he shows good instincts and can adjust to the ball, he doesn’t transition well or unlock his hips.

-Tends to play reckless and out of control at times. Takes himself out of plays by taking bad angles.

-Gets caught up in piles because he is overly aggressive. Boulware is a guy who target in a game plan because he can take advantage of his weaknesses.

-Doesn’t move well laterally and has a hard time picking up backs in man coverage.

-Short armed. Boulware struggles to punch and disengage against offensive lineman when he is in space.

Final Thoughts: Boulware looks like a character out of the movie The Program but he is a good football player who was highly productive at Clemson. He has some key physical limitations that could limit his effectiveness at the next level.

 

Next Five
6. Anthony Walker Jr. Northwestern, 6-1 235, NFL Comparison:  Kiko Alonso
Walker has prototypical SAM linebacker size. He is a fluid athlete who reads his keys and can get downhill quickly. Physical at the point of attack, Walker can stack, shed and get off of blocks. He is more effective in zone coverage than man coverage. He can wall off inside running routes and adjust to routes in his area. Walker is not a natural bender and has a tendency to miss a lot of tackles in space. A good athlete that can play in all situations.

7. Connor Harris, Lindenwood, 5-11 240, NFL Comparison: Elandon Roberts
Harris is built like your prototypical 4-3 MIKE backer. He plays with great instincts and can locate the ball in traffic. A quick twitch, short space linebacker who can finish at the point of contact. Harris is a sound tackler who finishes plays. Strong with a muscular frame. Plays with good balance and can maneuver his way around blocks. Height is a concern for Harris as is level of competition. He gets overwhelmed at the point of attack by isolation blockers. Harris will make a team because of his work ethic and attitude.

8. Harvey Langi, BYU, 6-2 250, NFL Comparison: Josh Mauga
Langi is a former running back so the athleticism is certainly there. He can play inside linebacker as well as come off the edge on passing downs. Can get his hands inside on offensive lineman and stack and disengage. Langi moves well laterally and can diagnose and get to the ball with consistency. Plays stiff at times. Langi is not a natural bender. Absorbs a lot of contact as a result.

9.Ben Gedeon, Michigan, 6-2 245, NFL Comparison:Joe Schobert
Gedeon is another classic SAM linebacker in this class. He is physical at the point of attack. Does a great job of sticking blockers and disengaging. He has a strong upper body and he uses to create separation on contact. Instinctive in coverage. Gets depth on his zone drops and gets into passing lanes. Gedeon does a good job of getting his hands on tight ends and receivers and re-routing them. Not a great athlete. Can’t unlock his hips and plays stiff.

10. Marquel Lee, Wake Forest, 6-3 240, NFL Comparison: Dont’a Hightower
Lee is a line of scrimmage player who does his best work on film playing along the line of scrimmage. Lee has strong hands. He can punch and disengage. He has an explosive first step and can be an effective pass rusher who can pursuit and finish from the backside. Free lances too much at times and he walks into kick out blocks. He needs to learn to play more under control.