It features a mixture of top-end talent and depth that the past couple of years haven’t been able to match. Fort, LB, Ravens. The Commitment Forecast graph shows commitment predictions over the course of the prospect’s high school career. The inside linebackers in the draft that more often get drafted high are really going to be Middle Linebackers in a 4-3. There are many familiar names on the market, Rams trade for Matthew Stafford continues to be clear frontrunner for best move, Of all the changes at quarterback in 2021, nothing is likely to come near the difference of Jared Goff and Stafford. Parsons collected 109 tackles with five sacks, four forced fumbles and five passes defended in 2019. Etheridge played well in 2020. '19 - Germaine Pratt, N.C. State. Mar 20, 2021. With his athleticism, he can do a lot of things that other linebackers can’t. He could also play linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, where his ability as a blitzer could be magnified. Those are havoc plays for a defense. 2021 NFL Draft Outside Linebacker Rankings. There’s a bit of tightness ot his hips and he’s not the most fluid in his coverage drops — not certain how well he’ll hold up in man to man coverage against NFL TEs that implement a lot of pressure looks and isolate their backers in coverage. Fields (6-1, 220) was a productive tackler over the past four seasons at Arizona and West Virginia, with his steady play earning him a spot at the Senior Bowl. 0. Michigan emerges as U.S. COVID epicenter. They even preferred him as their starter over Kirksey who was one of their offseason signing and was expected to be the starter. Fearless with sticking his head in the action, he brings lots of physicality to ball-carriers and it’s often that they are knocked cleanly backward when experiencing hits from him. Offseason outlook: Inside linebackers. If not even going so far as to convert safeties to linebackers or vice versa. 9/5/20: Alabama has been a factory for linebacker talent, and Moses will keep that tradition alive for the 2021 NFL Draft, provided he can stay healthy. Werner came on strong late in the season for Ohio State. Vince Williams, 1 year left on contract, $7,031,668 cap hit for 2021 He is a dependable run defender, but he looks like a backup quality linebacker and special teams contributor for the NFL due to limitations in pass coverage. 2021 Steelers Roster Outlook: The Inside Linebackers. They feel he could be a 4-3 Sam linebacker or Mike - middle - linebacker while also being a great fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Age: 31. On Day 2, he offers a ton of value with his physical potential. 2021 NFL Draft: A look at the Inside Linebackers, The remaining free agents along the defensive line, LA might not be finished looking for defensive line help. Kwon Alexander is a talented linebacker, but will miss a chunk of the 2021 season because he tore his Achilles late in 2020. The inside linebacker position group is how we’ll close out the week here on Mile High Report. There are, of course, other teams that could also use Cox’s talents. 2021 NFL Draft Inside Linebacker Rankings includes a prospect ranking, a breakdown of scouting for the position, key questions about the position, and a link to learn more. Britt was a solid run defender for Auburn in 2020. Will the Rams select one (or more) of these players? For 2018, he totaled 83 tackles with five for a loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He has had an interesting college career, having served as North Carolina’s starting quarterback for seven games in 2017, where he completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,342 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Vince Williams, LB, Steelers. 2021 OUTLOOK - The Bears need a reserve inside linebacker this offseason, because it doesn’t seem like they trust either Woods or Iyiegbuniwe to play any meaningful reps on defense. In the 2021 NFL Draft, Collins should go no lower than the second round. The Steelers have different types of needs at their two linebacker positions going in to the 2021 season. L.J. Surratt has issues with missed tackles, and his instincts can be streaky. The top Inside Linebackers in the 2021 NFL Draft from the College Football 2020 Season! Erroll Thompson is a top-heavy, old-school, thumper type of MIKE (middle) linebacker. Tuputala has so far worked his way into a contributing role with the Huskies. He is raw and needs development. Linebacker was the position with the most picks last year but that doesn't mean teams won' be looking for fresh faces at the position during the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.. As … He also fits the locker room culture that these teams are trying to establish as they look to take the next step. 137 overall player in the country and the No. The Packers really seemed to like him as the season went on. PFF clearly knows the Rams need help at inside linebacker heading into the 2021 NFL draft. April 27, 2020 We get you ready for the start of spring practice for Tennessee’s football team with our position preview series. Find draft stars, QB sleepers, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued. He should be a reliable contributor on defense, but whether he has starting upside will depend on the defense he lands in. Let’s take a look at my Top 10 list of inside linebackers in the upcoming 2021 … The 2020 season was underwhelming overall for Moses. Fisher kept up his relentless tackling in 2020, but he has pass-coverage and athletic limitations for the NFL. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. 1. Barnes made rookie mistakes. McGrone is just a redshirt sophomore who enters the NFL draft process with just 19 games and 15 starts at Michigan under his belt—a significantly small sample size that will leave teams needing a little extra clarity in order to decipher his ceiling within their respective defensive systems. With a couple of young guys at the position, the Packers could target a veteran player to take on more of a mentoring role and fill in as needed. He offers sufficient lateral mobility and range and can fill the MIKE role at the NFL level comfortably from an athletic perspective. Those challenges are only compounded when evaluating the inside linebackers, as rankings and organization can be difficult when looking at these players who may fill several different roles, depending on what type of defense they are playing in. The Green Bay Packers should target any of these three inside linebackers in free agency to bolster the position for the 2021 season. Which positions should the Rams avoid drafting? Sanogo missed a good bit of the 2019 season after suffering a season-ending ankle injury during the second game of the season. Expect him to be the starter heading into 2021. In an NFL where that mix-and-match capability is so important, that’s a big point of emphasis for the LSU linebacker. This year could present many challenges in evaluating how the 2021 NFL Draft will fall, making it even more difficult to predict than usual. Loves football…this is mentioned for this position more than any other (referring to linebackers in general). ... we published a list of the Denver Broncos' 20 largest salary cap hits for the 2021 season. Background: Bolton played 35 games for the Tigers over three seasons and was selected as a first-team … Chase down running backs and wide receivers. 2021. Bolton projects as an off-ball WILL linebacker at the NFL level. To view other positions, follow the links below. Fisher may not have the speed, athleticism, and cover skills to be a three-down starter in the NFL. Personally; I believe that honor should be directed to the safety position as I see a lot more talent at the inside linebacker than most. Houston had a quirky 2020 schedule because of the virus, but Stuard stayed consistent, producing quality tackle totals. For the NFL, Surratt has a good skill set with size, speed, strength and athleticism. Finney and Cameron Sutton. TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 21, 2021 - Inside Linebacker Devin White #45 and Inside Linebacker Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at … Could Indiana safety Jamar Johnson be a sleeper fit with Rams. Bolton will need to be in a defense in which the defensive line eats blocks and allows the linebackers to rally to the ball in run defense, as well as a zone-heavy pass coverage. Copyright © 2021 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, 2021 NFL Mock Draft – John Ellsworth – Round 2, 2021 NFL Mock Draft – John Ellsworth – Round 3, 2021 NFL Mock Draft – John Ellsworth – Round 4, 2021 NFL Mock Draft – John Ellsworth – Round 5, 2021 NFL Draft Inside Linebacker Rankings. Last … All rights reserved. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder has some speed and athleticism to chase down ball-carriers and is a solid tackler. Returnees. Your email address will not be published. If he is 100% back from the torn ACL which ruined his 2019 season before it began, Alabama's Dylan Moses is the odds-on-favorite to win the Butkus Award and be a first inside linebacker … If a linebacker in college is a tackling machine, is big and strong, a violent tackler that wraps up well, and they seem to be much better moving forward than back, they are probably going to be an ILB in a 3-4 at the next level. He's 31, so regression is coming soon. Reading his keys faster and showing more anticipation are points of development for Moses. Today: Inside linebacker WHO’S UNDER CONTRACT? 8 insider linebacker. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Tuesday, the Steelers released veteran inside linebacker Vince Williams to save $4 million on the cap and help the team sign players like Zach Banner, B.J. As a sophomore in 2018, Sanogo finished third in the SEC in tackles per game with 9.3, becoming just the second Rebel of the past twelve years to record over 100 tackles in a season. College’s outside linebacker could be the NFL’s inside linebacker, and vice versa. Many have projected the inside linebacker position as the thinnest among the defensive side of the ball. BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2021 NFL draft inside linebacker prospects at all levels of college football. Teams like the Washington Football Team, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, and Atlanta Falcons, would benefit greatly from Cox’s dynamic ability. Chazz Surratt, … He’ll be 23 by the NFL Draft, but his ability to quickly adapt to his surroundings bodes well for him, both for his impending transition and for his quest to become a starter. Fields totaled 88 tackles, an interception, a sack and two passes defended in 2020. The 2021 linebacker class is shaping up to be the best group at the position in recent memory. Penn State’s Micah Parsons is the best inside linebacker in the draft, but he was a COVID opt out last season and he’s been involved in some off-field altercations that have flagged concern. Tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and passes defended are grouped together up there because those are the three central components for charting havoc rate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Showed good effectiveness to punch, stun and shed blocks from interior OL climbing to influence his scrape. In the 2021 NFL Draft, Collins should go no lower than the second round. Certain data provided by STATS, LLC. In time, he could be a good pro linebacker, but improving his instincts, tackling, and reading his keys will be imperative to develop into a good NFL player. Will Rams pick up a veteran running back? Chinese official condemns 'systemic' racism in U.S. They can probably stay away from the punters, Walter Football’s Top 12 Inside Linebackers, Random Ramsdom: Rams have met with UCF WR/TE Jacob Harris. Inside Linebacker Rankings: Micah Parsons, Penn State; Nick Bolton, Missouri; Chazz Surratt, North Carolina; Jabril Cox, LSU; Baron Browning, Ohio State; Tony Fields II, West Virginia Get the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. DraftBlaster He was always around the ball and produced some splash plays for Penn State. Feb 23, 2021. Borland was solid for Ohio State. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos look for a coverage linebacker in free agency this spring. That is Inside Linebacker Pressing Need for Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft | Steelers Now He recorded 61 stops and a sack on the year. While Moses showed some coverage skills and tackling ability, his instincts were just average at best according to team sources. View Inside Linebacker Rankings: Click Here. Here are 18 potential inside linebackers for the LA Rams to look at as the draft approaches and only a couple of them are being projected at this point to go well ahead of the Rams’ first pick in the second round. After some skepticism from NFL scouts at the start of the fall, they were raving about Collins by the end of the season. “Instinct” is a difficult concept to put words to or describe; it can often simply … 2021 NFL Draft Roquan Smith was a star in 2020.He earned second-team All-Pro honors after a season in which he had more solo tackles than Bobby Wagner … collected more tackles, sacks, QB Hits, and tackles-for-loss than Darius Leonard … and more total tackles, solo tackles, tackles-for-loss, and sacks than Fred Warner. While he is a solid athlete and has plenty of power when it comes to tackling, he doesn’t appear to have the ability to hold up in man coverage at the NFL, nor does he take on blockers well. And it is much harder to predict than many expert mock drafters would claim. Often referred to as “off-ball” linebackers, just another term for a guy suited for ILB in 3-4 or middle linebacker. Re-signed with Ravens (1 year) L.J. ... s highest-ranked signees when he signed under Pruitt as the No. Navy inside linebacker Diego Fagot, shown celebrating a sack of Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond III in 2019, acknowledged that he wants to hold the title of … There were 15 combined havoc plays for the inside linebackers this past season. Thompson loves physicality and would stick his head in barbed wire if that was the case to get to the ball. I am posting 12 names from WalterFootball’s website and supplementing that with six more names to consider from around the internet. Maybe the toughest scouting reports to make, because a lot of confusion: Inside linebackers in 3-4 aren’t generally premium players in the draft, but there is always a couple that have exceptionally well rounded skillsets that sneak into early rounds. As a junior, he had 97 tackles with one sack and four passes broken up. '18 - Malik Jefferson, Texas. Team sources were really excited about seeing him in 2019, but a torn ACL in training camp ended his season before it started. Nick Bolton, Missouri. Cox has the tools to fill in at both weak and strong-side linebacker situationally. The definitive source for all Rivals news. Find out where your favorite Linebackers stacks up against the 2021 class and view expert mock drafts. Browning was quiet in the early going before finishing the 2020 season well. He was a tough run defender who came up with some clutch stops for the Buckeyes. Malcolm Smith. DRAFT TEK HOME 2021 MOCK DRAFT 2021 BIG BOARD SCOUTING REPORTS TEAM NEEDS TRADE VALUE CHART CONTACT/ABOUT US 2021 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 6-foot-4, 260-pound Collins has showed explosive speed, athleticism, an ability to cover, and play in space. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Quay Walker brings the kind of size that Smart loves to have at inside linebacker. Versatility is the name of the game for Cox. He made some nice plays in the playoff against Clemson and Alabama. That unit produced 22.5 in … Micah Parsons, JR, Penn State. '20 - Troy Dye, Oregon. So forgive the “order” that follows because it is not really an order at all. 9/5/20: Surratt broke out at linebacker for the Tar Heels in 2019, totaling 115 tackles with 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble, three passes defended and an interception. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. But after top dog Micah Parsons, it will be a “choose your own adventure” of sorts. 2021 Top Inside Linebacker Recruits (128) 2021 Top Inside Linebacker Recruits. Fisher has quality instincts and is a solid defender with a knack for forcing the ball loose, as he has nine forced fumbles in his career. Fort is a two-down linebacker who thrives against the run. He didn’t show significantly improved pass-coverage ability, but he had a solid week at the Senior Bowl. He has special teams potential for the NFL. That’s so much of anything, but at inside linebacker at the Power 5 level, it’s magnified. 2021 NFL Draft Inside Linebacker Rankings includes a prospect ranking, a breakdown of scouting for the position, key questions about the position, and a link to learn more. What used to be called the Will linebacker position is now the Money in Georgia’s defensive scheme, and Walker is expected to play a key role there. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. By Dave.Schofield @STLRSuperFanDad Apr 3, 2021, 12:30pm EDT / new He is fine a respectable job with his tackle totals and run defense. Alabama Football is loaded at outside linebacker and there is inside linebacker talent but ILB depth could be a 2021 concern. Carlton Martial, Troy. As the most productive defensive player in the FBS, Carlton Martial isn’t just … Stuard could stand to add some weight for the NFL, but his steady play earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he had a decent week. Parsons broke into the starting lineup as a true freshman and showed a lot of upside to develop into an intriguing player. © 2021 Verizon Media. Browning has a quality skill set and some upside to develop. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Collins has showed explosive speed, athleticism, an ability to cover, and play in space. He showed enough upside that he could be a decent starting inside linebacker. 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