Linebackers

Mychal Sisson, OLB, Colorado State- Sisson is only a Sophomore, so he has two years left before he’s eligible for the draft. He’s a big reason that this Rams defense is on the come and should be good this year and next. He needs to get bigger and stronger, but that’s easy enough since he will have the time to do so. He has good speed and instincts, and could develop into a very effective 3-4 style rush OLB.

Ricky Brewer, ILB, Colorado State- Brewer plays next to Sisson in the CSU 3-4 hybrid defense. Brewer is a year older and not quite as naturally athletic as Sisson but he has very good instincts. This is a position that is in vogue in the league right now, and a lot of the prominent guys in the league currently are getting up in age. If he can show improvement, his stock should go up considerably based on team needs.

Darryl Sharpton, MLB, Miami- Sharpton is one of my favorite returning LBs this year. Out of the LBs I watched last year, there were times where Sharpton really jumped out and he made you notice his skills. His only downfall is that he would disappear for as many plays as he stood out for. If he can become more consistent this year, he will move his stock up very high and I could see him pushing the late first or early second round range based on the closing speed, blitzing ability, and tackling skills he showed on film.

Sean Spencer, OLB, Miami- Spencer looked unreal last year as a true Freshman, and I expect big things from him in the next two years. If he can get bigger and stronger yet maintain his elite level speed he can be a sure fire first rounder. He’s very instinctive for such a young player as well and that is what impressed me the most. With Sharpton and Spencer, this Miami defense could be very good once again this year.

Sean Witherspoon, OLB, Missouri- Missouri lost a lot of talent in this past year’s draft, so Witherspoon is really going to have to step up as he will no doubt be seeing a good amount of game plans designed to take him out of the game. I’m not a huge fan of Witherspoon as his instincts are not where they should be for a player his age. Having said this, his athletic ability is top notch. He’s a perfect fit as a WLB in a Cover-2 style defense because he’s at his best when he’s allowed to run and flow freely to the ball. He’s not great in coverage, but it’s something he can show this year. If he can tighten these few things up, he has the athletic talent of a first rounder.

Mark Herzlich, OLB, Boston College- I’m adding Herzlich even though I know he will be out all season while battling a rare form of bone cancer. More than anything, I wish him the best of luck and hope he wins this battle so he can return to the field of play at some point. Looking at it from the business end of the draft, Herzlich will need to prove he can be a strong and healthy player when he returns next year. The only knock I had on him was that he struggled to shed blocks with his hands, but other than that he’s a complete OLB who can do everything well (rushes the passer well, is a very good coverage linebacker, and he shows great hustle).

Greg Jones, MLB, Michigan State- Jones is a pure 4-3 MLB and showed great instincts and athleticism last year. He needs to be a bit stouter at the point of attack as he is a bit undersized for the position, but if he can show the ability to take on blocks, shed them, and make tackles he should be considered a high round prospect (first to high third).

Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State- I was excited to see Lee improve last year, but he suffered a torn knee ligament in Spring and missed the season. He has played outside and inside and I think he is best fit inside. If he can show that the season off did not affect his speed or ability to change directions, he should be in good shape to push his stock further up into first day recognition. He has good instincts and should look even better now with a very good OLB next to him.

Navarro Bowman, OLB, Penn State- ‘Linebacker U’ should hold that tradition up for at least this year with both Lee and Bowman on the same defense When the season is over, Bowman may be the most highly regarded of the PSU LB prospects since LaVarr Arrington. Bowman is extremely fast, very powerful, and makes game changing plays. His instincts are a bit behind this part of his game, but he makes up for that by being able to get back into position to make plays using his athletic ability. He should have a big year now that Lee is back to help stop the run up the middle.

Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama- This will be McClain’s true Junior year and I fully expect him to declare for the draft. He’s started since day one of his Freshman year and he showed the potential to be a future first rounder even as early as that point. McClain is just a very good linebacker and is an ideal fit in the 3-4. He’s extremely instinctive and has such good field awareness that he seems to be a step ahead of everyone else on the field. It helps having a giant nose tackle in front of him keeping him clean, but his technique is very consistent in shedding blockers and making plays. This Bama defense is absolutely loaded with talent so McClain should shine this year. He’s a first rounder without a doubt in my opinion.

Stevenson Sylvester, OLB, Utah- Sylvester took over Utah’s bowl game last year and pretty much single handedly beat the Crimson Tide with several game changing plays. I’m very interested to see if this will carry over this season, especially since most offensive coordinators will have seen the same things I did and will game plan around his skills. If he can continue to stand out, he will be very highly regarded for his versatility and ability to rush the passer, tackle, and cover. I really like Sylvester and hope he has another solid year so more people will recognize his talent.

Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas- Kindle is a bit of a hybrid as he also played some down DE opposite last year’s first rounder Brian Orakpo. He will be a perfect fit as a rush OLB in a 3-4 as he has decent ability to drop into coverage and he can definitely bring heat in the pass rush. I’m most interested in seeing how he opens up his hips in coverage and if he can stay with RBs or TEs in man defense. I already know he can rush the passer very well.

Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina- I’m a bit surprised Norwood didn’t come out last year as he would have been a second or third round pick at worst. Norwood is a lot like Kindle in that he is excellent coming forward toward the ball and rushing the passer. He’s a big OLB with good speed and is probably versatile enough to play SLB in a 4-3 or OLB in a 3-4. he should have a very good year, even though he will not be surrounded by a lot of other talent to take double teams away. If he can still shine, his stock should move into the first round range.

Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida- I seemed to be the only person glad to see Spikes come back for his Senior year. A lot of other draft experts were much higher on him than I was, but I still think he has potential to be very good. His instincts were no where near his physical ability after watching him play the past two years, especially for someone who has been a starter as long as he has. If he can show a better awareness for tracking the play earlier, read his keys, and continue to use his physical skills, he could be unstoppable. If he can put it all together, he will more than likely be a top half of the first round type of player.