I analyzed the film of 15 of the top college linebackers coming into the 2019 NFL Draft. I want to preface this by saying everybody scouts differently and looks for different things in prospects. What I look for in a linebacker is someone that is disciplined and does their job every single play. I would take a player who is an average athlete and productive over an amazing athlete who is undisciplined and inconsistent. Here are my top linebackers in the 2019 NFL Draft.
1. Devin White – LSU
Devin is a freak athlete who is extremely productive on the field. He has elite speed and amazing lateral quickness. His running back background shows up on tape with his ability to chase down ball carriers. He does a good job of evading blockers and using his hands to swipe O-lineman away. He can be a very effective blitzer as well and he plays with a high motor. White needs to work on his ability to diagnose plays early. He tackles a little higher than one would like, which allows the ball carrier to get another yard or two. I think Devin can turn into an elite 4-3 Mike linebacker in the NFL.
2. Devin Bush – Michigan
Much like Devin White, Bush is an exceptional athlete with elite speed. He is a true sideline to sideline linebacker who can play man coverage. Some would say he is a bit undersized, but he sure doesn’t play like it. When he hits someone, they’ll know it. He does a good job of taking smart angles to hold outside runs to minimal yardage. He stays square to the line of scrimmage and rarely over-pursues ballcarriers. Bush’s main attack to shed blockers is to just meet them head on and hope to win the battle. He needs to learn to use his hands more and avoid some of those collisions. He flashes the ability to be a good blitzing linebacker. Devin Bush will be a solid 3-down linebacker wherever he goes.
3. TJ Edwards – Wisconsin
TJ is a smart instinctive linebacker who is disciplined and effective. He possesses solid size, speed and strength to be an every-down linebacker in the NFL. Edwards is extremely productive in pass coverage situations with 10 interceptions and 11 pass deflections over the past three seasons. He does a good job of dropping to his player in zone and not getting flushed out of the area. TJ is very stout in the run and is great in the box. He has heavy hands and does a good job of discarding oncoming blockers. Despite his big size, Edwards is great at utilizing finesse moves. He sometimes takes questionable angles to the ball carrier which he will need to improve at the next level, due to his lack of flashy speed. His biggest problem is in man coverage, but he makes up for that with his zone capabilities. I think TJ is a sleeper in this year’s draft, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes one of the more productive LB’s in the NFL.
4. Joe Giles-Harris – Duke
Giles-Harris is a good-sized interior linebacker. He does a good job of extending his arms on blockers and using his eyes to find the ball carrier. He is very patient in the run game and mirrors running backs in the hole. He doesn’t have flashy speed, but he’s been productive ever since he stepped onto Duke’s campus. He does a good job of taking away crossing routes and dropping to number two. He rarely gets taken down by cut blocks and utilizes his hands to smack blockers away. He uses the swim move in pass rush situations the most, and he will need to add more block-shedding moves to his arsenal to be an effective pass rusher in the NFL. Giles-Harris is one of the more polished linebackers in this draft class. Despite missing the last four games of the season due to an injury, the ACC coaches voted him first-team All-Conference. I think Giles-Harris will have a solid NFL career.
5. Te’von Coney – Notre Dame
When watching the Notre Dame film, number four is everywhere. He is a really good run stopper and does a good job of getting off of blocks. He’s an eyes up tackler and rarely whiffs on ball carriers. He plays downhill and makes a lot of tackles at or around the line of scrimmage. He was very productive at Notre Dame, and I think that will translate to the NFL. You don’t see much out of him in pass coverage in college, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the league. Coney is a guy I have very few concerns about, and I think he will be a great addition to any NFL team.
6. Germaine Pratt – NC State
Germaine Pratt is a former safety that converted to linebacker. He is a wrap and roll tackler; however, he comes in very high on tackles and bigger backs in the NFL will run through him. He has good size and a solid frame. He has very good speed and lateral quickness with the potential to be a three-down linebacker in the league. Pratt did a really good job in press man coverage against Wake Forest last year. He has experience playing inside and outside backer and has the size and athleticism to play both. Pratt does a good job of redirecting oncoming receivers when in zone coverage. With all that being said, he only has one year of experience as a starter. He can get pushed downfield easily by blockers. When he sees a pull by the guard, he flows too fast downhill and is oblivious to the oncoming down block. I think Pratt is a raw linebacker and if he gets the right coach he can be a stud in the NFL.
7. David Long Jr. – West Virginia
David is a very fast player who uses his strong athleticism to his advantage. He flies around the field and is always looking to make a big play. He can be reckless and misses a lot of tackles which really hurts him. He needs to be disciplined and do his job instead of always trying to make something happen which puts him out of position. Out of my whole list, I have the most questions and concerns about Long. He uses his shoulders too much to disengage blockers and needs to work on his hands. For a guy with speed, he lacks in zone coverage. Long is a gifted player and can be a good NFL linebacker if he becomes a true student of the game and develops his craft.
The honorable mentions are as follows: Ben Burr-Kirven – Washington, Mack Wilson – Alabama and Vosean Joseph – Florida.