1. Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Tech)– I remember the first time when I saw him play and from that point moving forward, I saw a star in the making. When you see him, you immediately ask yourself how is he a linebacker? He’s very tall for the position (6’5) with a ton of length for the position. He uses his size and his speed to his full advantage and he covers a large amount of ground. He has great lateral quickness and his feet are always moving. He has the length and playmaking mentality to make tackles at all sorts of angles. He can spin his way out of blocks and get himself back in the play to make the tackle and when he’s tackling in space, he captures and finishes. He has that length and burst to be a disruptive force when rushing the passer and in coverage, he shows his versatility and speed to drop back and cover running backs and bulky tight ends.
2. Roquan Smith (Georgia)– He was one of my favorite defensive players in the country last season and he always found a way to shine on the biggest stage. I saw him all over the place in the Bulldogs game against Notre Dame last September, the SEC Championship game against Auburn and in the playoffs against Oklahoma. He had people talking and he’s a projected top 10 pick. He’s your prototypical linebacker. At 6’1, he’s extremely fluid and explosive in open space and he displays a laser-sharp focus when trying to pursue the football. He was born to play football and his instincts show that. He can sense when a running back is getting set to run a screen and he reads the play, uses his speed and shuts it down. He’s a face-up tackler that puts his nose in noise. He can defend receivers coming across the middle and has the speed to keep up with them. I can’t wait to see his style of play transition over to the next level because he will be a star and play at an all-pro level for many years.
3. Rashaan Evans (Alabama)– He was born in Auburn, Alabama and many were against his decision to go and play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. For three years, he sat behind Reuben Foster and when he got his shot to start, he didn’t disappoint. At 6’3 and 234 pounds, he’s built like the new breed of linebackers in the league today. He’s an above average athlete with range, agility, and explosiveness and has a great first step and he follows his instincts. He’s quick to read plays and when it comes to making tackles, he’s fast enough to work his way around the blockers and get to his destination. He can dance from gap to gap and bounce around from sideline to sideline. He’s both mentally and physically tough and that shows when he’s preparing to make a tackle. He’s an explosive player that sees what he hits and strikes by all means.
4. Leighton Vander Esch (Boise State)– What a year 2017 was for this kid. He was voted as a team captain and he was named the Mountain West defensive player of the year. Now, he’s looking to see what he can do at the professional level. He’s a force at the position. He’s big, tall and athletic with fluid hips and smooth movement all over the field. He has a wide base and uses his long arms welcome ball-carriers in for the tackle. He can mirror the quarterback’s eyes with the ability to redirect from side to side as he follows. He uses active, catch-ready hands to break up the pass or take it away and shows real rush talent and instincts when blitzing. He may have enough ability to beat a tackle as an edge rusher from time to time.
5. Uchenna Nwosu (USC)– He’s a very athletic linebacker with loose lower-body movement. He plays with a directional change and has the instant start-stop quickness to place himself in a nice position to make a play. He has a great first step and always wants to attack the line of scrimmage and he possesses good burst and great chase speed. He’s always looking to impose his will on a ball-carrier and attempts to strip the football when the ball-carrier is slowed down. He’s a heavy hitter that looks to welcome running backs and receivers with a serious thud. Over his last two seasons in Southern California, he’s deflected 19 passes.
