Linebackers
Note: For more current rankings, go to the defensive rankings page.Dave-Te's look at the Middle Linebacker and Outside Linebacker Crop
= Player on the rise
= Player on the slide
1... Dan Morgan School: Miami
Will loosen your chin strap. All-time leader in tackles at Miami. Hits with power and aggression. Reminds many of Zach Thomas. Diagnoses very quickly and takes proper angles to the ball. His instincts are top notch. Knows how to time his blitz and stay clean in the process. Strong character with a throwback mentality. Eats, drinks, and sleeps football. Had a monster game verse a very talented Florida St. team. A warrior who is a true blue-collar thumper. Fairly good in coverage due to his intelligence and quick feet; needs more reps to hone his skills in this area. Alittle stiff in his redirection. Can be engulfed when taking on OLs because of his size. Needs to learn to use his hands better to keep the big uglies off of him. A sure tackler who leaves it all on the field. Turn him loose.2... Tommy Polley School: Florida St.
A bullet chaser. He is like a heat seaking missle when in space. Causes turnovers. Uncanny ability to slip through cracks when blitzing the quarterback. Likes to get in on the action behind the line of scrimmage. Great speed and agility. Tremendous range and textbook wrap up skills. Just too damn athletic to ignore. Looks thin. Has had injuries but always shakes them off and does not play tentively when dinged. Lack of bulk is a liability verse smash mouth attacks. Can be blown out of the hole. Needs to be free and attacking. Works very hard and takes good care of his body in the offseason. Stood out at the Senior Bowl.3... Torrance Marshall School: Oklahoma
Made huge strides this past year. Became a force and showed up huge in big games; ask Nebraska and Florida St. Has a nice combination of size and speed. Delivers a nice blow in the hole and usually brings down the ball carrier on first contact. Has great hands for the interception. Built solid. Guesses well when blitzing. Will over pursue. Needs to keep his pads lower to prevent the big bodies from pushing him aside. Not as natural in zone as he is in man coverage. Could use more strength. Came on strong this year and has the look of a team captain and inspirational leader. Might be better on the strong side than in the middle. Had an out-of-this-world workout recently that has some buzzing.4... Kendrell Bell School: Georgia
Nicknamed the "Terminator" by teammates. Probably the best LB at filling holes. Will win most battles with fullbacks and is not shy about standing in and slugging it out with lineman. Superior weight-room strength that is functional on the field. Has an explosive closing burst. Sheds blocks fairly well. Power tackler who shows leadership ability. Has a knack for blocking kicks on special teams. Gets out of position too much and is kind of raw in coverage. He is a freight train on a straight line but is alittle tight in the hips when asked to turn and run down field. Has made some bad decisions off the field. Inside banger who enjoys contact and seems to get better and better over time.5... Quinton Caver School: Arkansas
Muscular defender with above average athleticism. Can run like a deer. Uses his hands well to shed blocks and has long arms that allow him to disrupt passing lanes when blitzing. He uses good technique when wrapping up runners and can be a pain in the ass when coming off the edge. Lacks coverage instincts and has problems turning and running with backs on passes to the flat. Needs to study more and add bulk. Is not a big -time hitter. Looked alittle lost at the Senior Bowl. With time he should improve the recognition part of his game and then he can let his athleticism shine.6... Jamie Winborn School: Vanderbilt
Little train that could. Quick and determined. Refuses to acknowledge he has a size problem. A tackling machine; collected 377 over the last three years. Plays smart and displays passion. Instinctive with solid change of direction ability. Rarely has a bad game. When on the move he can get off trash and scrape to the ball. Does not get off blocks well when met in the hole. Needs work on his backpedal. Can play MLB, but not too many teams will have confidence that he can take the pounding required year in and year out. He plays well in space and should be a reliable tackler on the perimeter.7... Sedrick Hodge School: North Carolina
Rare size/speed package. Runs more like a safety than a LB. Explodes to the ball. Can punish runners and cover the TE with little difficulty. Will make plays all over the field. His great speed allows him to get back into plays that he mis-reads initially. Collected 7 sacks and numerous TFLs this past season. Great agility and well timed leaps make him tough to throw on. Blitzes well. Can play a rover position if need be. Has trouble getting off blocks and does need to study the game more to avoid wasted motion. Sort of like Dwayne Rudd but with even more speed and size. Teams are drooling over his potential and he could find himself picked higher than anyone thinks.8... Brandon Spoon School: North Carolina
Can be a force verse the run. Plays with emotional zeal and relishes contact. Has decent speed and can be an effective blitzer. Hustles. Good at run/pass recognition; plays smart and takes the proper angles to the ball. Plays alittle too upright and loses the leverage battle when he is not paying attention. Usually plays with the proper techniques and is a sure tackler. He is not great in space and won't be a stellar pass defender. Not a versatile type; he is a stay at home trench warfare plugger who uses his head to make the proper call. Will play hurt and be dedicated in the weightroom.9... Edgerton Hartwell Western Illinois Held his own verse big school talent in post-season all-star games. Shows the toughness, tenacity, and smarts needed to make it as a pro. Needs technique work; he seems to tackle high and not use his hands properly when trying to stave off blocks. Will hustle to the whistle. Was his team's captain. His motor and aggression stands out. 10.. Markus Steele USC A great cover linebacker. Can run with a back or tightend and move well laterally. Can fill from the outside like a shot. Can be very explosive and disruptive on occasion. Good space player. Strong hands allow him to get off blocks when outside the box. He won't hold up when trying to take on people in the hole. Has maddening stretches of mediocre play that makes you nervous. Will blow some tackles. His athleticism will catch your eye. 11.. Carlos Polk Old school mikeman. Can shut down the inside run with authority. Can crunch ball carriers and blow up fullbacks. Won't back down from the big uglies. Has size and speed along with good power. Very durable and dedicated. Will look alittle out of place when matched verse a spread offense because he is not good in space. Can move well in the box. 12.. Morlon Greenwood Great athlete. Has very good speed and closes fast to the sidelines and to the quarterback when sent loose. Covers well and has outstanding hands. A reliable tackler in the open field. Can be a force when protected, but struggles getting through blocks. Has been given the "finesse" tag by some, but he covers alot of ground and gets the man down on most occasions. 13.. Eric Westmoreland Has the speed teams crave. Although small, he has some pop in his tackles and he can be counted on to bring the runner down. He displays on the fly decision making skills that puts him in position to make plays. He does not have much wasted movement in his game. Has size limitations that have some questioning his durability. Sort of like Ed McDaniel, but with more speed. Can be very effective on passing downs. 14.. Zeke Moreno At times he will look like the total package. Shows instincts and works his tail off. Just seems to find the ball naturally. He is a good tackler who can deliver a mean blow. Can play all three positions but seems more suited to a SLB spot. Foot speed is better on the track than it is on the field. Finds a way to make plays verse the run and gets a good drop in zone coverage. 15.. Orlando Huff Has a good size/strength package and has a knack for finding his way through trash. Athletic and tough. Will be going for the throat all game long. Will have some games in which he looks like a budding star. Has only marginal speed and instincts and needs some classroom work to realize his potential. Shows noticeable improvement over time. 16.. Jason Glenn Very aggressive. Knows how to find the ball. Was on his way to a monster season before injuring his knee. Had 16 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 15 pass breakups before going down. Has good body lean and quickness that makes him effective on the blitz. Not very big and his injury is a concern, but he should be ready to go before camps open. Brother of the Jets' Aaron Glenn. May be a steal. 17.. Alex Lincoln Hard worker who hustles and plays tough and smart. Hits hard and can chase sideline to sideline. Gets a good drop when playing zone. Has the closing burst needed to fill holes to the outside. Takes good angles to the ball and has good field awareness. Not a man2man defender. Needs to improve his techniques so he spends less time glued to blocks. 18.. Brian Allen Fast and very strong(can bench 500LB). Forceful tackler who can blow people up. Can hold up the tightend or drop back effectively in the short zone. Cousin is Reinard Wilson of the Bengals. Very confident in his abilities. Needs to work on getting off blocks better and must cut down on the number of times he falls for play-action fakes. 19.. Matt Stewart Moves off the snap decisively. Reads plays like a vet. Can cover in the short area pretty well. Has gotten stronger and more fluid every year. Can be a solid deep-snapper. Stays on his feet and strings plays wide. Needs more power and is not great taking on big blockers. 20.. Ryan Goven Gives his heart and soul. Needs to be forced off the field. Never stops hustling. A leader. Knows how to shed blocks and is aggressive when engaged. Will be a force verse the run. Not great in the open field verse an elusive type. Does not have the speed you look for. Quarterbacks| Runningbacks& Fullbacks| WideReceivers & TightEnds| Offensive Line
Defensive Line| Linebackers| Secondary
