the Steelers need to find James Farrior's eventual successor at ILB and an OLB that can provide some depth behind Woodley and Harrison.
By Frank Cooney, USA TODAY
Thanks in part to the NFL's evolution into an offensive air circus, only four true middle linebackers have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft during this century.
So, while this year's draft offers the usual array of athletic, rush-or-cover outside linebackers, the biggest intrigue surrounds an inside linebacker, Alabama's Rolando McClain, who could be selected in the top half of the first round. At No. 12 overall, McClain is the highest-rated linebacker by NFLDraftScout.com, which lists four outside linebackers among first-round prospects.
The top outside linebackers expected to join McClain in the first round are two pass rushers who played defensive end in 2009 —Brandon Graham of Michigan and Sergio Kindle of Texas— and versatile Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri.
A closer look at this year's top linebacker prospects, listed with their school, height, weight and projected round of selection (*denotes underclassman):
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Brandon Graham
Michigan, 6-1, 268, 1: Before straining a hamstring at the scouting combine, Graham displayed the speed and agility to make the transition to outside linebacker. The No. 5-rated defensive end by NFLDraftScout.com because of his lack of prototype size for the position, Graham could be the first outside linebacker off the board if he performs well at his April 8 pro day workout — and just remember how well LaMarr Woodley, another former Wolverine, made the transition in the NFL. Graham finds a way to overcome larger opponents with a relentless attack. He uses just enough speed and surprising power that comes from his understanding of using leverage from his 6-1 frame. Despite only average footwork, he shows enough awareness to help in underneath zone coverage. After leading the nation with 26 tackles for loss and recording 10½ sacks in 2009, Graham was the most dominant player on the field during Senior Bowl week.
2. Sergio Kindle
Texas, 6-3, 250, 1: Instinctive, athletic playmaker at outside linebacker in the 3-4, but might be a terror as a 4-3 pass-rushing defensive end if he adds about 20 pounds. He is tightly wound and competitive yet has natural balance and athleticism to play under control. He started 24 games in his career, including 13 at defensive end in 2009. Kindle is a two-time All-Big 12 selection with career stats that include 168 tackles, 13½ sacks, 39 tackles for loss, 56 pressures, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He has a history of nagging injuries and off-field issues, including being treated for a concussion last year after crashing his car into an apartment building while text-messaging in July.
3. Sean Weatherspoon
OLB, Missouri, 6-1, 239, 1: The Spoon plays bigger than he measures, and his impact includes motivating teammates with his infectious enthusiasm. He impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his play and leadership, and his engaging personality didn't hurt him at the scouting combine, either. As a freshman, he led Missouri in special-teams tackles, then became a starter on the weak outside as a sophomore, where he collected 127 tackles (9½ for a loss). In 2008, Weatherspoon had 155 tackles, including 17 in his MVP performance in the Alamo Bowl. Last year, he had 104 tackles, including 14½ for a loss, and 4½ sacks. He has the athletic ability to run around and make things happen, but he will need to show he has the strength to be a consistent defender in the NFL.
4. Jerry Hughes
TCU, 6-2, 255, 1: Hughes is only the second two-time consensus All-American in Texas Christian's history, and last year he won the Lott Trophy and the Ted Hendricks Award after collecting 16½ tackles for loss, including 11½ sacks. In 2008, he led the nation with 15 sacks and six forced fumbles. A standout running back in high school, Hughes was moved to defensive end as a freshman at TCU. But because of a lack of size, he is expected to move to outside linebacker in the NFL. Hughes will need a more extensive array of moves to be considered a constant pass-rush threat at the next level, but he is a feisty player who attacks like a pit bull until the whistle.
5. Daryl Washington
TCU, 6-2, 230, 1-2: If his production catches up to his potential, he can be special. But he doesn't appear to be instinctive. Washington manages to get in on more than his share of plays with sheer aggression and sideline-to-sideline speed. After playing behind Jason Phillips for most of his career, Washington became a starter for the first time last season and made the most of it. He helped TCU repeat as the top-rated defense in terms of total yardage allowed, leading the team with 109 tackles, 11 for loss, two sacks and three interceptions. To maximize his positives in the NFL, a team might need to restrict his assignment to a simple attack mode.
6. Ricky Sapp
Clemson, 6-4, 252, 2: Moved from defensive end to standup linebacker last year, he responded with career highs in tackles (60), tackles for loss (15) and sacks (five) to go with a forced fumble. Those numbers became even more impressive when he revealed at the combine that he played the season on a right knee that was at 60% strength, stemming from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November 2008. Sapp had surgery to repair the injury. Whether Sapp plays outside linebacker in a 3-4 or defensive end in a 4-3, his promise is as a pass rusher. A high school track sprinter and basketball star, Sapp has an overall athleticism that is more striking than his football ability. If he learns to harness all his talent, he can become an elite pass rusher in the NFL.
7. Koa Misi
Utah, 6-3, 251, 2: He is a pick-your-poison type of athlete who is powerful enough to take on and shed a blocker on the spot and fast enough to run around you and chase down his victim. Put that together with excellent instincts, a high-rev motor and team-leader type personality, and this prospect should fit well on somebody's roster. A standout in his one year at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College, Misi then moved on to terrorize opponents for three more years with the Utes. Misi impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his overall ability.
8. Eric Norwood
South Carolina, 6-1, 245, 2-3: The only player in Gamecocks history to earn first-team all-Southeastern Conference honors for three consecutive years, Norwood was a productive college player at defensive end, inside and outside linebacker. He is far better going forward, especially as a pass rusher, than he is going laterally or backward, so he is expected to be moved to defensive end or pass-rush outside linebacker in the NFL. His athletic ability is not obvious, but his production shows his well-honed instincts and a high-rev motor. He was a captain in 2009, and his work ethic is reflected in a criminal justice degree he earned in three-and-a-half years.
9. *Thaddeus Gibson
Ohio State, 6-2, 243, 2-3: As a college defensive end, he had 10 career sacks and 25 tackles for a loss, but he might be more productive as an outside rush linebacker in the pros. When the NFL advisory committee projected him as a second-round prospect in January, he said he opted to enter the draft in order to help pay family medical bills. His natural athletic ability is obvious, but scouts wonder how quickly he will be able to diagnose and react properly when confronted with complex NFL offenses. His strong point is as a fluid pass rusher in open space, but he needs to show the ability to disengage when a blocker gets on him.
10. *Navorro Bowman
Penn State, 6-1, 242, 3: On the field, Bowman might be short in stature, but he is long in production. He is especially impressive coming off the edge, where he is quick and agile, though he can take on a blocker with a decent bull rush. Off-field issues have been a concern; he was suspended two games and received one year of probation and 100 hours of community service after a fight in October 2007 and then received another year of probation for violating the terms of the original sentence by admitting he didn't complete the 100 hours of service and smoked marijuana. But last year, he changed his jersey number (to No. 11) and possibly his lifestyle. Last summer, he became a father, and in December he graduated with a degree in crime, law and justice.
11. Dekoda Watson
Florida State, 6-2, 240, 3: Watson is fast and athletic enough to find a role in the NFL. Although he is one of the most impressively built athletes in the draft, his sculpted body has not resulted in consistent production, and he had durability issues. He missed time last season with a groin injury and had problems with his left elbow and left hamstring. He also served a three-game suspension for his role in the infamous Florida State academic scandal. Despite the limitations, he played in all 13 games last season and had career highs in tackles (65), tackles for loss (13) and sacks (six). An outstanding week of Senior Bowl practices was noticed by scouts.
12. *Rennie Curran
Georgia, 5-11, 235, 3-4: Curran opted to enter the draft after his junior season because there was nothing another year in college could do to improve his most obvious shortcoming: He stands 5-11. But he is not short on athletic ability, instinct or intensity. Gets in on far more than his share of plays, as evidenced by his Southeastern Conference-leading 130 tackles last season and 115 in 2008. He will probably get in on more than his share of plays in the NFL if he manages to get a spot on somebody's defense. If not, some team will get a relentless special-teams player, especially on kickoff coverage.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. *Rolando McClain
Alabama, 6-4, 254, 1: McClain was to national champion Alabama's No. 1 defense what Ray Lewis is to the Baltimore Ravens or what Patrick Willis is to the San Francisco 49ers— a leader who commands respect and leads by example. Some scouts wonder how much he benefited from playing in coach Nick Saban's hyper-aggressive 3-4 defense that kept him free to roam behind the likes of huge nose tackle Terrence Cody. But McClain won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the country. He collected 105 tackles, including 14½ for a loss and four sacks, and had two interceptions. McClain's quiet demeanor in combine interviews was curious to some, but teammates say he is more a man of action than words.
2. Brandon Spikes
Florida, 6-3, 249, 2: Spikes has the instincts, quickness and aggression to be consistent against the run and very good against the pass despite a lack of elite speed. That said, he is alert and opportunistic, as evidenced by the fact that since 1996, he is one of three linebackers in the nation to have four interceptions returned for touchdowns. He gained notoriety last season for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey, for which he was suspended for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. He excused himself from the entire game so as not to become a distraction. He is a cousin of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes.
3. Sean Lee
Penn State, 6-2, 236, 2-3: Lee tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in the spring of 2008, forcing him to redshirt his fourth season at Penn State rather than taking over for Dan Connor at middle linebacker. After a year spent acting as a coach from the sideline and in practice, the team captain earned second-team all-conference honors in 2009 with 86 tackles, 11 for loss, and seven pass breakups. He doesn't have great speed but has that combination of anticipation, instinct and aggressiveness that is common among successful journeyman NFL linebackers.
4. Jamar Chaney
Mississippi State, 6-1, 242, 4: He started at inside and outside linebacker in college and was just beginning to show outstanding pro potential when his progress was interrupted in 2008 by a broken leg. He returned in 2009 to lead the team with 90 tackles, including 4½ for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. After making the Senior Bowl with a late invitation, Chaney impressed scouts in practice and was named defensive MVP in the game after collecting eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
5. Donald Butler
Washington, 6-1, 245, 4-5: Butler's stock has been rising quickly the past few months, especially after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl workouts. Based on that, he became a late addition to the invitation list for the combine, where he put up a position-best 35 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds. Because of injuries to others, Butler moved between inside and outside linebacker in 2008 and did it well enough to be voted the Huskies' most improved defender. He was then selected team captain for 2009, going on to lead the team with 94 tackles, 15½ for a loss. He added two interceptions, a fumble recovery and three forced fumbles.
6. Phillip Dillard
Nebraska, 6-0, 245, 4-5: After missing the first two games of the season, Dillard made a conspicuous ascent into the consciousness of teammates, opponents and scouts with a series of take-charge performances. This really began before the 2009 season, when he worked off extra weight and got into the best shape of his life. A heady, intense team leader, Dillard finished last season with 83 tackles, second on the team only to All-America defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, including 11 for a loss. His nine starts were one more than he had total entering the season, partly because of injuries (anterior cruciate ligament in 2006, ankle in 200.
7. Pat Angerer
Iowa, 6-0, 235, 5: With anger in his name, he must be a linebacker, right? Well, he was in college, and a pretty good one, considering that his 135 tackles ranked among the top five in the nation last year. But now pro scouts aren't sure how well he will fit into the NFL. In college he was able to rely on exceptional instincts and physicality to get the job done. But he didn't look fast enough in game tapes and ran in the mid-4.7-second area at the combine. That's not bad, but it certainly isn't good if you're only a hair taller than 6 feet and weigh less than 240 pounds. Everybody loves his attitude, but college overachievers tend to have a difficult time in the pros.
8. Darryl Sharpton
Miami, 5-11, 236, 5-6: Height aside, he seems to measure up as an excellent pro prospect whose athletic ability was used at several positions in college. However, scouts are not sure that his obvious athleticism translates to football well enough to consider him an elite candidate. He appears to be inconsistent diagnosing plays and is often suckered by fakes. But he managed to lead Miami with 106 tackles last season, and the Hurricanes have produced fine NFL linebackers through the years.
Cooney is the publisher of NFLDraftScout.com, the scouting service of USA TODAY
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by fezziwig
Bookmarks