2008 NFL Draft Position
Rankings
The Linebackers
Rankings & Breakdowns
Top 50 Players - 1 to
25 |
Top 50 Players - 26 to 50
|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs |
Wide Receivers
|
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Tackles
Offensive Guards |
Centers
|
Defensive Ends
|
Defensive Tackles
Linebackers |
Safeties
|
Cornerbacks
|
Punters & Kickers
By
Pete Fiutak
The Class
Is ... Lousy. There isn't a sure-thing star and Keith Rivers
and Dan Connor are barely first round talents. Beau Bell and
Curtis Lofton are fine, but they're two of the only real players
for the inside. Potentially, the best outside players, like
Cliff Avril and Quentin Grove, are slight projects.
The Best Value Pick Will Be ... Jerod Mayo, Tennessee
Most Underrated ... J Leman, Illinois
Most Overrated ... Ali Highsmith, LSU
The Deep, Deep Sleeper Is ...
Curtis Johnson, Clark Atlanta |
POTENTIAL NFL STARTERS
1.
Keith Rivers, OLB USC
Is he really good, or does he stand out because this is such a
miserable year for linebackers? It's a little of both. He has the
body, the quickness, and the pop to be an impact playmaker on the
outside and he plays faster than he actually is. Tough enough to
play on the inside and quick enough to wreak havoc on the outside,
he could end up being a better pro than a college player if he's
turned loose more often into the backfield. He's not going to be a
top-shelf run stuffer and he's not a sure-thing Pro Bowl star, but
he'll start for a long time.
CFN Projection: First Round
2. Dan Connor, OLB Penn State
A typical Penn
State linebacker, Connor is a great tackler, is all over the field, and
gives all-out effort all the time. It says something that he's the
all-time leading tackler at Linebacker U. finishing up his great career
with 145 stops and 15 tackles for loss. He even grew into more of a pass
rusher making 6.5 sacks, but he's not going to get into the backfield on
a regular basis in the NFL. He's not Paul Posluszny and he can't play on
the outside, but he'll be a nice starter who'll make a ton of tackles.
CFN Projection: Second Round
3. Jerod Mayo, OLB/ILB Tennessee
One of the high
risers among scouting circles, everyone came late to the party; this guy
was one of the SEC's best players for a few years even with his knee
problems. While he looks more like a pumped up safety and a thick,
blow-'em-up linebacker, he's a great tackler who can play inside and out
in any system. He makes a lot of mistakes, but they're usually errors
coming from trying too hard. He needs to be on the outside to be a star,
and both will happen.
CFN Projection: Second Round
4.
Curtis Lofton, ILB Oklahoma
A tremendous inside presence, the 243-pound playmaker is a consistent
big-hitter who's great when the spotlight goes on. The best pure inside
linebacker in the draft, Lofton plays better than his athleticism
because he always knows what he's doing and has great anticipation.
While he might not be able to run down too many speedsters, he takes
good enough angles to overcome his lack of raw speed. He's a flat-out
baller.
CFN Projection: Second Round
5.
Quentin Groves, OLB/DE Auburn
Groves is a
textbook example of how lazy scouts can be. He came back for his senior
year and was a bit of a disappointment, which led to him getting
downgraded. Lost in the analysis by many was how Groves tried to play
through dislocated toes, not just a toe, along with a shoulder. If used
right, he's going to be a devastating pro with tremendous speed to be a
perfect 3-4 outside linebacker/defensive end. He needs to turn up the
intensity and he could get more physical against the run, but he's the
type of toy defensive coordinators love to play with.
CFN Projection: Second Round
6. Beau Bell, LB UNLV
It would've been interesting to have seen him at the Combine, but a
knee injury suffered at the Senior Bowl kept him under wraps. He needs
to get in better overall shape and he needs a lot of work on his overall
technique and skills, but once he gets some NFL conditioning the upside
is limitless. It can play either inside or out, can rush the passer or
hold up against a power running game, and he was great last year against
the pass. He's a huge hitter. A HUGE hitter.
CFN Projection: Second Round
7. Erin Henderson, OLB Maryland
While he's not huge and is a bit lanky at 6-2 and 244 pounds, he
plays bigger than he is with excellent toughness and good tackling
skills. He's a leader who isn't afraid to tell players what to do, in a
good way. Good in pass coverage and quick enough to get into the
backfield, he's an active player who came up 17.5 tackles for loss along
with 247 tackles in two years. He's not a big hitter and he's not an
elite athlete, but he'll be able to handle himself well at either
outside spot.
CFN Projection: Second Round
8.
Jordon Dizon, LB Colorado
An
undersized, ultra-productive tackler who came up with a whopping 297
stops, most of them solo, over the last two seasons. He's always
working, has a tremendous motor, and finds his way to the ball over and
over again. He's a good athlete, but he's not an elite one and it'll be
asking a lot to hold up in a 16-game schedule at just 5-11 and 229
pounds. He plays through everything, including dehydration issues, and
he'll have to prove he can handle the duties on the outside, but he'll
be a major-league producer in the right system.
CFN Projection: Third to Fourth Round
9.
Cliff Avril, OLB/DE Purdue
What do you want to do with him? A huge linebacker at close to 6-3,
253 pounds, he can be used on the end and can be an ideal outside player
in the 3-4. Big enough to be moved inside if needed, his versatility
will keep him on a team for a long time. Strong, not just big, he can
handle himself well against the more physical teams. However, he needs
to be tougher against the run. He's not quite a good enough athlete to
dominate on the outside; he'll be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
CFN Projection: Late Fourth Round To Early Fifth
10.
Marcus Howard, OLB/DE Georgia
Originally considered poor man's Quentin Groves as an NFL prospect,
Howard is an undersized defensive end who has to make the full-time
conversion to outside linebacker. At 6-0 and 237 pounds, he's not all
that small, and he shocked everyone by tearing off a 4.45 in post-season
workouts to get on the radar. While he only did it for one year at
Georgia, serving as a backup for the first three seasons, he turned into
a tremendous pass rusher. He's a finesse player who'll have to learn to
be more than just a pass rusher, the upside is limitless.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
11. Geno Hayes, LB Florida State
A tremendous athlete with good speed and a great nose for getting
into the backfield, Hayes closes in a heartbeat and he finds ways to
make plays. He's not big at only 6-0 and 227 pounds, but he plays bigger
and hits like a ton of bricks. However, that's his size; he's not going
to get bigger. Purely a weakside linebacker at the next level, he could
be an ultra-productive starter if he has help around him.
CFN Projection: Third Round
12.
Ali Highsmith, OLB LSU
A
mega-disappointment in a few off-season workouts, he timed at 4.76 in
the 40 and was knocked down a few pegs. He's a great athlete who plays
faster than he is, and he's been a good, tough producer at the highest
level for the last three years. The biggest problem is his size. At 6-0
and 220 pounds, with little room to get bigger, but he should still
flourish as a weakside defender who can play in space. As long as he
doesn't have to be too physical, he'll be fine.
CFN Projection: Third Round
13. Xavier Adibi, OLB Viginia Tech
A phenomenal athlete who might be a big undersized, built more like a
big safety than a tough outside linebacker, he was tremendously
productive and a great running mate next to Vince Hall. He'll get killed
by the more physical NFL blockers and he's not going to hit anyone hard,
but he has the make-up and the speed to be a phenomenal cog in right
system. He has the potential to be a far better pro than he was in
college, and he was great at Tech.
CFN Projection: Second Round
14. Philip Wheeler, OLB Georgia Tech
A
big outside playmaker who was a good all-around player for the Yellow
Jackets for the last three years, Wheeler has the look of a defender who
can do a little of everything. However, he's not a power linebacker and
can get shoved around, and he's not all that fast and not that great in
pass coverage. He started out his career as a defensive back and he has
that kind of all-around athleticism, but he could use some more work on
his game to find the right niche in a defense.
CFN Projection: Third Round
15. J Leman, ILB Illinois
An overachiever
with a true linebacker's mentality, he knows exactly what he's doing at
all times, doesn't make mistakes, and never misses a tackle with 284 and
29.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. He's not exactly nimble
and he doesn't stuff plays as much as he happens to get in on them, and
while his name gets called all the time, he's not the playmaker you'd
think he is considering all the stops. Even so, he's a player.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
16. Spencer Larsen, ILB Arizona
An ultra-productive overachiever with nice size, good toughness, and
the smarts and leadership to be someone's main man in the middle for a
long time if he gets help around him. Not the best of athletes and not
the biggest of hitters, he struggles in pass coverage and can get blown
up at times, but he makes up for his deficiencies with his drive and
effort. He's the type of guy you want on your team.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
17.
Tavares Gooden, LB Miami
With excellent size to play inside or our, the athleticism to be a
disruptive force in the right system, and coming off a productive year
on a bad team, Gooden has the potential to be a great pro. The problem
is that he'll need time and coaching. He made a lot of tackles being
moved inside in his senior season, but he has to be on the outside in
the NFL. Is he tough enough and can he handle an NFL playbook? There are
just enough question marks to keep him from being a sure-thing starter.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round To Early Third Round
BEST OF THE REST
18.
Stanford Keglar, OLB Purdue
A hard-working hitter with nice size and surprising speed, he's a
good all-around linebacker who could be a nice backup in just about any
system. He upped his stock in a huge way with some great off-season
workouts and showing off better athleticism than expected at the
Combine. He's smart, will work his tail off, and will do whatever is
needed. He'll stick around the league for a long time and could grow
into a starter.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
19. Jolonn Dunbar, ILB Boston College
Not quite big
enough to be a full-season inside presence at the NFL level, the 6-0,
231-pound Dunbar is a good player who attacks the ball and was the
leader of the Eagle defense over the last two seasons. He can get erased
at times against bigger blockers, but he's a hard-worker with great
character. He'll have to be a special teamer early on to stick, and
he'll be willing to do it.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
20. Jameel McClain, ILB Syracuse
A good college defensive end, he's too small to play on the line at the
next level and will have to work to become a decent linebacker. He's a
tough player who'll handle himself well when the plays come to him, but
can he become a sideline-to-sideline performer? He's not the athlete to
be special, but he could be a decent piece to be moved around in
someone's puzzle.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
21.
Bryan Kehl, OLB BYU
At 6-2 and close to 240 pounds, he has the size to play on the
inside or either outside spot, and he has good enough speed to become a
pass rusher. He'll work his tail off and will do whatever it takes to
get on the field and make a team, but he has to get functionally
stronger. He was great in the off-season workout circuit and stood out
next to the other linebackers.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
22.
Curtis Gatewood, OLB Vanderbilt
Can be be a
linebacker? A good end at Vandy, he's a linebacker at the next level. A
classic tweener, he's 6-2 and 248 pounds with decent, but not great
speed. He has good potential but he needs to become a better overall
athlete by getting into outside linebacker shape and hitting the
weight-room harder. He can do that. With good character and work effort,
he could make himself into a nice all-around defender.
CFN Projection: Fourth To Fifth Round
23. Jonathan Goff, ILB Vanderbilt
He was toying around with the idea of coming out last year but stuck
around and had his best year at Vandy with 113 tackles and 6.5 tackles
for loss, He also made himself a much better pass defender. A smart,
tough leader with great character, he's the type of player who could be
a main man for a corps ... at least from the head up. He's just not
fluid and he doesn't play tough enough against the power running teams.
He makes a lot of tackles, but he's not necessarily a top hitter.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
24. Robert James, OLB Arizona State
With
safety athleticism and excellent pop, he's an intimidating player who
can blow up a ball-carrier and he isn't afraid to get his uniform dirty.
The big question is his durability. Banged up throughout his career, he
finally broke through as a senior. He has the strength, but at only 5-11
and 225 pounds, he's purely a weakside prospect.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
25.
Wesley Woodyard, OLB Kentucky
Very small
but very productive, he plays much, much bigger than his 6-0, 227-pound
size making 361 tackles over the last three years as the leader of the
UK D. He's always working and is always all over the field looking to
make something happen, but he's not going to blow anyone up and he's
going to get shoved around by stronger running teams. He timed fast
(4.53) but can he play faster in pass coverage? If so, he'll have a nice
career as a backup on the weakside.
CFN Projection: Fifth To Sixth Round
26. Ezra Butler, OLB Nevada
A phenomenally productive hitter for the last three years, he was
the WAC's best defensive player with the ability to rush the passer and
fill a hole for the running game equally well. A one-time defensive end
with 4.57 speed, he can play any of the three linebacking spots. The
problem is how much he looks the part and how much he really is the real
deal at the NFL level. As good as he was, he could've done a lot more
for the Wolf Pack. A stats guy, he earned his honors, but he was a bit
overrated.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
27.
Bruce Davis, OLB/DE UCLA
At 6-2 and 252 pounds, he's too small to be a defensive end
and too slow to be a top outside linebacker. He was a tremendous pass
rusher who was always in the backfield and was always hitting the
quarterback. While he doesn't have more to his game than just being a
pass rusher, at least not yet, he showed off in off-season workouts and
at the Combine that he has the potential to become a good linebacker if
given time to develop.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
28. Ben Moffitt, ILB South Florida
A great producer as the heart of the USF defense for the last three
years, Moffitt started the last 38 games and made 312 stops in the last
three seasons. Forget about putting him on the outside, he's not a good
enough athlete, and he's not as good a tackler as his production would
suggest. If he's not in the middle, he can't be on the field at the next
level.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round
29.
Marc Magro, LB West Virginia
A tough, strong
tackler who has a non-stop motor and makes plays with hustle, Magro
transformed himself into a decent pass rusher and a good all-around
player after serving as a key reserve for three years. However, he only
did it for one season, has problems with his knees, and isn't a good
enough athlete to be more than a backup.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round
30.
Vince Hall, ILB Virginia Tech
It's not fair. An ultra-productive college player with a ton of
heart and a ton of caring about his craft. He's just not quite big
enough and he's certainly not fast enough. At 5-11 and 232 pounds, he's
not small, but he doesn't have the ideal inside size, and running a
horrendous 5.08 40, he scared off anyone who thought he could be put on
the outside. Even so, making 404 tackles in four years talks.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round
31. Gary Guyton, LB Georgia Tech
Versatile enough to play inside or out, the 6-1, 245-pounder ran
extremely well this off-season and showed that he could become a good
playmaker with more work. He needs to hit the weights after a lousy
performance at the Combine, but he showed off good athleticism and
showed great promise. He'll have to b e a special teamer early on, but
in time he might be a steady part of a rotation.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round
32.
Titus Brown, OLB/DE Mississippi State
Too small to be a
defensive end and too slow to be a linebacker, there's simply no place
for him at the pro level. He'll work hard and he'll try to do whatever
he can, but he'll have to find the absolute perfect fit to be
productive. He performed at the highest level in the SEC and he could
find a niche as a situational pass rusher. If he doesn't get into the
backfield early in camp, he'll have a hard time sticking.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round To Free Agent
33. Alvin Bowen, OLB Iowa State
"Ace" was a
tremendously productive all-around playmaker for the Cyclones for the
last two seasons making 254 stops, and while he has excellent
athleticism and is a great tackler, he times really, really slow. Like
4.89 slow. Considering he's 6-0 and 223 pounds, that's not good. He can
get pushed round too much and he needs to get a lot stronger to make a
team.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round To Free Agent
34. Curtis Johnson, OLB Clark Atlanta
Dominant at
the lower level, he was just good enough in off-season workouts and in
the all-star circuit to merit a shot to grow into a steady outside
linebacker. He didn't time that well, cranking out a 4.77 40, and he has
to overcome the stigma from the weak competition he faced and the
transition to a new position to make a team. A coaching staff will have
to be patient.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round To Sixth Round
ON
THE RADAR
35. Durrell Mapp, OLB North Carolina
36.
Joe Mays, LB North Dakota State
37. Steve Octavien, OLB Nebraska
38. Mike Humpal, OLB Iowa
39.
Darren Mustin, ILB Alabama
40. Lamar Myles, OLB Louisville
41. Larry Grant, OLB Ohio State
42. David Vobora, OLB Idaho
43. Danny Lansanah, ILB Connecticut
44. Matt Castelo, OLB San Jose State
45. Christian Taylor, ILB UCLA
46. Thomas Williams, OLB USC
47. Kroy Biermann, OLB Montana
48. Nick Watkins, OLB Clemson
49. Marcus Buggs, OLB Vanderbilt
50. Marcus Richardson, OLB Troy
