LB class looks diverse
Some elite players could emerge from talented group
Miami Dolphins columnist Omar Kelly continues our 10-part series looking at the top prospects in the upcoming NFL draft (April 29-May 1) with the linebackers. This year’s class of linebackers is deeper than it has been the past few drafts because many of the prospects are game-ready talents. The group is scheme diverse, and a couple have a chance to be generational players if they find the right fit and stay healthy.
Tulsa ILB Zaven Collins: Collins had a phenomenal junior season, where he won the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards, which are annually given to the nation’s best defender. His combination of rare size (6-5, 260), athleticism (4.67 in the 40-yards dash, and 19 reps of 225 pounds) and instincts makes him scheme diverse, and the level of discipline and technique he showed at Tulsa indicates he’ll become an NFL standout quickly.
Penn State OLB Micah Parsons:
Parsons is a gifted athlete who played with good functional strength. But his instincts and play recognition need to catch up with his physical gifts in order for him to play more downhill and make more plays on the football. Most of the 6.5 sacks he produced the past two seasons were a byproduct of a free rush. But he has the explosiveness to be an effective blitzer.
Georgia OLB Azeez Ojulari: Ojulari, who produced 14 sacks in his two seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs, might be the best pure rusher in the draft. But his limited size (6-2, 240) has him pigeonholed as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL unless a 4-3 defensive team thinks it can get him to bulk up without losing some of his fluidity. Teams would run at him consistently in a 4-3 scheme, so the risk factor on this selection is high.
Notre Dame OLB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah: Owusu-Koramoah is the prototype of the style of linebacker the NFL needs more of. He’s a position-less, hybrid safety because of his fluidity, speed and tenacity. Owusu-Koramoah’s ability to work in space allows him to shadow scatbacks, and his respectable frame (6-2, 220) prevents him from getting abused by tight ends. The only wart to his game is his ability to stifle the run and set the edge.
Texas OLB Joseph Ossai: Ossai started his career as an inside linebacker, but moved to the edge to utilize his athleticism better in 2020, and his relentless effort helped him blossom. He’s far from polished as a pass rusher, but his motor and intelligence should make him thrive as a 3-4 outside linebacker in time. There is some concern about tightness in his hips that could make him easily blocked in the NFL.
Best of the Rest: A handful of linebackers taken on Day 2 and 3 have the chance to become immediate starters. Kentucky’s Jamin Davis, Washington’s Joe Tryon, Alabama’s Dylan Moses, Ohio State’s Baron Browning and Pete Werner, LSU’s Jabril Cox, North Carolina’s Chazz Surratt, UAB’s Jordan Smith, Duke’s Chris Rumph II, Missouri’s Nick Bolton and Miami’s Quincy Roche all have the talent to become immediate contributors who eventually could anchor a linebacking unit. And most are scheme diverse, fitting into a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.
Class Grade: A: There are a handful of potential studs in this class, but the team’s that miss out on them will likely find potential starters and solid backups if they select them before the fifth round. Teams with specific needs because of the hybrid scheme they run might have to select their targeted outside linebacker (the pass rushers of this group) a round earlier than they hoped because of the laws of supply and demand. That means if a player like Ojulari or Ossai have a second-round grade, don’t be surprised if they sneak into the bottom portion of the first round.
Teams in Need: The Giants, Washington, 49ers, Colts, Bengals and Bills could all use an outside linebacker to fit their hybrid schemes, and compensate for their losses during free agency. The Cardinals, Raiders, Texans, Jets and Dolphins would benefit from adding an inside linebacker. But many teams have potential to select a linebacker because that position is usually used to fill special teams roles.
Dolphins’ focus: Jerome Baker, who has led the Dolphins in tackles the past two seasons, is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which means Miami might have to find a replacement for him if a new contract can’t be agreed on before the end of the 2021 season. The best approach to take when potentially making a transition like this is to add a young player a year early.
Bernardrick McKinney, a 2018 Pro Bowl selection the Dolphins traded for this offseason, has averaged 88 tackles (6.6 a game) in his six seasons, where he started 77 games for the Texans.
He’ll likely be used in a rotation with Baker, Elandon Roberts, Andrew Van Ginkel and Vince Biegel as the four linebackers who fill various roles in Miami’s hybrid defense, which incorporated a ton of blitzing from the linebackers last season. Miami would benefit from adding one player with polished pass-rushing skills this offseason.