2012 NFL Post-Combine
Top Ten OLB Rankings
- 2013 Prospects:
Offense
- 2013 Prospects:
Defense
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2012 Post-Combine Analysis - Inside linebackers
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2012 Post-Combine Analysis -
Outside linebackers No. 11 - 25
1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama 6-2, 272 Proj. 1
Hightower measured as big as everyone expected, but his 22 reps on the bench were slightly disappointing. It didn’t matter. He looked the part of a big defender who could do a little of everything on the outside.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Huge. Built to work either inside or out and could spend time as a defensive end in the right situations. … A fighter. He’s a warrior who loves to compete and is always going full-tilt. A terrific motor. … Beats people up. An intimidating tackler who packs a huge punch. … Great drive to be a pass rusher. He’ll work his way into the backfield.
Negatives: Not an elite athlete. Moves well, but he’s not going to fly into the backfield. … Okay cutting ability, but not great. He’ll be average at best in pass coverage. … Will stay blocked at times. He’s physical, but he’ll gets pushed out of plays if he doesn’t dictate the play from the start.
2. Zach Brown, North Carolina 6-1, 244 Proj. 2
He’s faster than the 4.5 he timed in Indy. It was still good enough to be the best of the true outside linebackers by far, but some were expecting a 4.4. Part of the reason might have been his size, beefing up around ten pounds.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Really, really fast. Will be one of the NFL’s fastest linebackers with a phenomenal burst. Some defensive backs wish they had his speed. … Smooth as silk. Cuts on a dime and is effortless getting around. … Should grow into the best linebacker in the draft in pass coverage, and it might not be close.
Negatives: Soft against the run. Not exactly a rock when run at. … More of an athlete than a football player. Not known for having a killer instinct. … Needs to be consistent and can’t freelance. Has gotten by on being more athletic than everyone else.
3. Lavonte David, Nebraska 6-1, 233 Proj. 2
It was a bit of a disappointing workout. He was a bit bigger than expected, but the 19 reps were light. He moved well in the short drills and the 4.65 40 was fine, but there wasn’t anything WOW about him.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Peerless tackler. Gets down every man he gets to. … Always moving and always active. A “motion creates emotion” sort of defender that everyone seems to feed off of. … Tough as nails. Worked in the middle in college but will end up being a good run defender for his size on the outside.
Negatives: Small. Doesn’t have a big frame or a big build and will get road graded by big NFL O linemen on the move. … Not for every defense. Not big enough to work on the inside and not athletic enough to be a 3-4 pass rusher. … Okay in pass coverage, but not great. His worth is as an active run defender.
4. Bruce Irvin, West Virginia (DE) 6-3, 245 Proj. 2
Few defensive players did more to up their stock. Irvin is a bit of a tweener, but he showed he could become a terror of a pass rusher with a blazing 4.5 even after adding ten pounds of good weight. He was lightning fast around the short drills.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: An elite pass rushing prospect. Zips off the ball and always seems to get a first step on a tackle. … Ultra-productive. A player who comes up with the stats and the plays. … Could be a devastating specialist. Not Von Miller, but could be a major disruptive force.
Negatives: A pure speed rusher. He’s not going to be physical enough against the run. … Might just be a specialist and might not be able to do it all as an outside linebacker. … Needs to bulk up a bit. He has the frame, and now he needs to get to a good 250.
5. Keenan Robinson, Texas 6-3, 240 Proj. 2
He plays faster than he timed. The 4.79 was jaw-dropping slow, but he made up for it by showing tremendous athleticism in other areas. The 27 reps were strong.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Flies around the field. Fast, athletic, and smooth. … Looks the part. Has the right frame, the right size, and added a bit more weight appears to be able to handle it fine. … Great in pass coverage. Cuts on a dime.
Negatives: He’s not going to beat anyone up. Not an intimidating tackler. … More of a pass defender than a run defender. Might not be for every defense. … He’ll miss stops. He doesn’t run through ball carriers.
6. Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma (Jr.) 6-2, 253 Proj. 3
Some see him as a defensive end, and he might be after adding a ton of weight to get up to 253. However, now he’s maxed out. The 36 reps were tremendous and now he showed the great size to be a tweener on the outside.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: A big hitter. Great at getting through a ball-carrier and great and coming up with the big stop. … When he has a bead on a runner, it’s over. He’s great at chasing people down. … Great skills. Could be molded into something special with a little bit of patience.
Negatives: Not quite physical enough when blocked. He’s a great hitter, but can get held up. … Needs work. There’s upside, but he’s not a finished product. … Needs to prove he wants it. He’ll be as good as he wants to be, and now he has to find the full-time killer attitude.
7. Nigel Bradham, Florida State 6-2, 241 Proj. 3
He tried to get bigger, but there wasn’t much room to add more muscle to an already perfect physique. The 24 reps were fine, but hardly special, and the 4.67 was good enough. He zipped around the short drills without a problem.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: A fighter who wants to make big plays. A warrior who loves to mix it up. … Strong and plays like it. Pushes people around and is a tough guy. … Rocked up. Out of central casting.
Negatives: This is it physically. He has good size, but he’s not getting any bigger. … Okay in pass coverage, but not great. … Sometimes goes for the kill shot. Doesn’t miss too many hits, but he occasionally goes for the highlight reel hit.
8. Kyle Wilber, Wake Forest 6-4, 249 Proj. 4
Considering he’s supposed to be used as a possible pass rusher, the 4.86 was a concern. The 25 reps were great and he moved well for his beefed up size. Showed the frame to get even bigger.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Smart. Doesn’t make a slew of mistakes and is always in the right position. A leader. … Comes up with a big pop. He’s physical enough to come up with intimidating hits. … Could be used in a variety of ways. Will get into the backfield on want-to.
Negatives: Not a superior athlete. Speed is just so-so. … Needs to get functionally stronger. He might be physical, but he can be shoved. … An okay run stopper, but not elite.
9. Sean Spence, Miami 5-11, 228 Proj. 4
The big question mark was his size, and while he added a bit, he still checked in at a smallish 231. He didn’t show much athleticism with a slow 4.71 for his size, and the mere 12 reps were awful. He’s a better football player than an athlete.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Purely a great football player. A terrific linebacker who made tons of plays as one of the defensive stars. … Doesn’t miss a tackle. Tough and fierce when getting to the ball. … Will work for it. Has the right fire and the right attitude. Smart.
Negatives: Too small with little room to get bigger. Might have maxed out physically. … Gets pushed around a bit. Much, much better with room to move. … Can get erased by a good block.
10. Brandon Lindsey, Pitt 6-2, 254 Proj. 4
Uh oh. He was actually a wee bit smaller, and he also turns out to be one of the slowed defensive ends, much less an outside linebacker with a glacier-slow 4.93. Considering his lack of bulk, even with a great shuttle drill, it was a rough workout.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Versatile. Part end and part outside linebacker. Productive and grew into a nice player. … A pass rusher. Could be used as a third-down specialist and could blossom with a big more development. … Athletic. Moves well enough to be used as an outside linebacker and could grow into the role.
Negatives: Okay against the run, but not great. Can be easily erased. … Got by on athleticism and quickness. Needs to be more than just a pass rusher to see the field more than on third downs. … Gets shoved without a problem. Has to get off the ball in a hurry to make the play.
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2012 Post-Combine Analysis - Inside linebackers
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2012 Post-Combine Analysis -
Outside linebackers No. 11 - 25