Miami Dolphins Linebackers Set for NFL's Most Intriguing Undrafted Rookie Battle

Few undrafted rookies competing for NFL roster spots this summer have the realistic opportunity to play immediately that the four linebackers who signed with the Miami Dolphins do. The battle to earn that opportunity, however, could be ferocious.

Those four linebackers—Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc, Utah State’s Zach Vigil, Penn State’s Mike Hull and Marshall’s Neville Hewitt—were all considered to be potential Day 3 picks in the 2015 NFL draft.

After going undrafted, signing with Miami was a logical move for each of them. While the Dolphins made seven selections in the first five rounds of the draft, they did not use a single pick on the linebacker position, which was regarded as one of their biggest needs coming out of free agency.

The Dolphins have two adequate starting linebackers. Jelani Jenkins led the team with 110 tackles in 2014, his first season starting at weak-side linebacker. Koa Misi has started more than half the team’s games in each of his five NFL seasons and is a decent all-around player who can line up at both middle linebacker and strong-side linebacker in the team’s 4-3 defense.

Beyond Jenkins and Misi, however, the Dolphins’ linebacker depth chart is a huge question mark.

The Dolphins moved on from three veteran linebackers of significance this offseason as they released Philip Wheeler, traded Dannell Ellerbe and let Jason Trusnik walk in free agency. Their only veteran addition at the position was Spencer Paysinger, who signed a one-year contract worth $745,000 after being removed from the New York Giants’ starting lineup last season.

That leaves the Dolphins with a wide-open competition for playing time and roster spots at the linebacker position. There are four other veterans—fifth-year linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and second-year linebackers Chris McCain, Jordan Tripp and Jake Knott—on the roster. None of those players, however, have proven themselves worthy of being NFL starters, and all of them should have to compete to keep their jobs in training camp and the preseason.

Typically, undrafted free agents are long shots to beat out returning veterans, but in this case, they might not be and should not be.

There should be at least one roster spot—and potentially an immediate role in the Dolphins' defensive rotation—available for whoever emerges as the best performer(s) among Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt.

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The Job on the Line

Considering that Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt were four of the best linebacker prospects to go unselected among the draft’s 256 picks, they would not have all chosen to sign with Miami if they (and their agents) did not sense that the Dolphins would give them a legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster and have a successful career.

Likewise, the Dolphins would not have signed four linebackers—among 15 total undrafted free-agent signings—if they did not feel as though they had a need for competition at the position.

Truly, the Dolphins could have a nine-man linebacker competition for what will likely be four or five roster spots, with Jenkins and Misi being the only locks to make the team at the position.

The most likely candidates to be Miami’s third starting linebacker are Sheppard and McCain. Sheppard, who started one game at middle linebacker last season, would project to playing that position, with Misi moving back to his old position of strong-side linebacker. McCain, who appeared in 10 games as an undrafted rookie in 2014, would line up at strong-side linebacker, with Misi staying in the middle.

Each of those players, however, will have to prove they deserve significant playing time in 2015. And until one of them or any other linebacker on the Dolphins roster does so, the door will be open for the rookies—even though they were undrafted—to climb the depth chart and make a push to get on the field.

It would be a surprise if any of the undrafted rookies are in the starting lineup come Week 1 of the regular season, but the Dolphins should not be looking for immediate gratification with any of them.

Instead, Miami should evaluate each of its four new linebackers closely to determine the rookies’ long-term starting potential, as well as their positional versatility and ability to contribute on special teams.

Ultimately, it would be ideal if the Dolphins can cultivate their middle linebacker of the future from their quartet of undrafted newcomers. Truly, Misi is more well-suited to play as a “Sam” than a “Mike” in a 4-3 defense; according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, there has been “a spirited debate within the organization” as to which position Misi should play going forward.

At this point, however, position specifics should be less important for the Dolphins than simply finding linebackers who can provide consistent quality play on the field. Making the case that they can do that will be the key for each undrafted rookie trying to beat the odds and remain employed by the Dolphins this fall.

The Competitors

Which one of these linebackers could unseat veterans for a roster spot?

Despite opting not to use a draft pick on the position, it’s clear the Dolphins did their predraft homework in identifying players who could potentially be had on the UDFA market with the skills to come in and be legitimate competitors.

While each of the four linebackers have their own strengths and weaknesses that could help or hurt their chances of making the team, one commonality between the signings is that all four were highly productive in their senior seasons of college football.

As the following table shows, each of the four undrafted rookie linebackers were among the Football Bowl Subdivision’s top 25 in total tackles this past season:

Name	School	Total Tackles in 2014	FBS Rank
Zach Vigil	Utah State	154	T-2nd
Mike Hull	Penn State	140	T-6th
Jeff Luc	Cincinnati	133	T-12th
Neville Hewitt	Marshall	123	T-21st

It remains uncertain whether any of their collegiate production will translate to the NFL. What it does show, however, is that the Dolphins targeted linebackers who have already shown tangible skills on the field, rather than simply signing projects for their size and athleticism.

"I like the group that we brought in," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin told Nate Taylor of the Sun Sentinel last week. "They seemed to be guys that are real serious. They've been productive players in college, and that's the one thing. They made tackles."

Jeff Luc

A 6’0”, 251-pound linebacker who ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, according to NFLDraftScout.com, Luc has the best size/speed combination of the four undrafted rookies in this competition.

That combination made Luc, who started his college career at Florida State, a 5-star recruit out of high school, according to Scout.com. His ability never really showed up at the collegiate level, however, until the 2014 season at Cincinnati, when he not only emerged as the team’s starting middle linebacker, but as the star of its defense.

Luc is at his best when he is in attack mode. When Luc plays downhill and comes toward the backfield, he is able to take advantage of his size and ability to generate speed in a straight line.

Largely thanks to his ability to hit with momentum, Luc was able to force five fumbles in the 2014 season, including the one below from Cincinnati’s November game against Temple:

Luc’s biggest problem, as it pertains to his all-around game, is that he lacks the lateral agility to play up to his speed in space. Unless he can improve in that area, he will struggle to make plays outside the hashes in the NFL.

Of the four rookie linebackers signed by the Dolphins, Luc is the one who best fits the mold for the middle linebacker position. He has the qualities to be an impactful downhill thumper. Whether he can be a three-down player at the position, however, is very uncertain.

Zach Vigil

There is nothing physically spectacular about Vigil, a 6’2”, 236-pound linebacker who ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, according to NFLDraftScout.com. He is not an explosive player in any way and lacks the all-around athleticism to be a sideline-to-sideline player in the NFL.

What really stands out about Vigil, who recorded 388 total tackles in his career at Utah State, is the effort he gives on each and every play. While his motor has limited horsepower, his pedal is always to the metal.

Vigil is not the most naturally gifted player—even in terms of instincts—but he changes directions effectively and works hard to get himself back into plays. He is a consistently sound tackler who uses proper form and rarely whiffs.

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Attempting to overcome expectations and make a name for himself is nothing new for Vigil. He began his time at Utah State as a walk-on, yet improved so much over the course of his collegiate career that he ended up winning the Mountain West Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior.

Having played both inside and outside at Utah State, Vigil could potentially play multiple positions on the Dolphins defense. His physical upside is limited, but he does the little things well, and that should give him a good shot to at least make it in the NFL as a special teamer.

Mike Hull

Like Vigil, Hull is a high-motor linebacker whose collegiate production stood out far more than his size and speed do.

At this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Hull ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash while weighing in at 6’0” and 237 pounds. He is coming off an excellent college football career, however, in which he accumulated 294 total tackles.

Hull does move very well laterally—his times in the three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle at the combine each ranked him no worse than a tie for fifth place among defensive front seven players—and has quick feet. He is not an explosive player and could struggle in pursuit against faster NFL skill-position players, but he consistently takes good angles to the ball and is a technically sound tackler.

Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The son of former NFL linebacker Tom Hull, Mike Hull shows good football intelligence on the field. His lack of height and short arms could be a problem when it comes to taking on blocks, but he is good at consistently getting himself in the right positions, regardless of whether he is playing the run or dropping back into coverage.

Because their upsides are lower than Luc’s, Hull and Vigil will both have to prove their readiness to play on both defense and special teams to make the Dolphins’ cut. Coming from a Big Ten school known for its history of producing NFL-caliber linebackers could give Hull a leg up in that regard.

For what it’s worth, Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller gave Hull the highest grade among the four Dolphins signings in his predraft linebacker rankings. He ranked Hull as the draft’s 14th-best linebacker, grading him as a quality backup and describing him as “a good, not great linebacker who's the kind of productive player you can't forget about.”

Neville Hewitt

Hewitt, a small linebacker who did not generate the same accolades or name recognition in his collegiate career as Luc, Vigil and Hull, projects to be the underdog in the competition to make the Dolphins roster. With that being said, there are some encouraging aspects of his game that give him promise.

Unlike the other three linebackers, who spent the vast majority of their collegiate careers playing in between the tackles, Hewitt played a more varied role between his time at Georgia Military College and Marshall. While he was a highly active tackler for the Thundering Herd, recording 208 tackles in just two seasons, Hewitt also showed the ability to move all over the field and take on diverse coverage assignments.

The question with Hewitt is whether he is truly fit to be anything more than a special teams player at the next level.

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

At 6’1” and 231 pounds, he is undersized for the linebacker position and probably only fits at the weak-side spot, where the Dolphins already have their most solid starter. And although he showed impressive range on his game film, it didn’t necessarily show up at his pro day, where he ran disappointing times in the 40-yard dash (4.69 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.65 seconds), according to NFLDraftScout.com.

Hewitt, like every other linebacker on the roster, will have a chance to move up the depth chart if he can stand out in the months leading up to the season. More than anyone else, however, he will probably need to make his mark on special teams to survive the cutdown to 53.

How Will It Play Out?

With four months still to go until the Dolphins’ first regular-season game, it remains much too early to know the answer to that question. So far, however, all indications are that each of the four undrafted rookie linebackers will be given an equal opportunity to make the roster.

According to Greg Likens of The Finsiders, each of the four linebackers “stood out at various points” during the Dolphins’ two-day rookie minicamp on Friday and Saturday “as they were rotated throughout the different linebacker spots in the base defense during drills.”

“This is a battle worth monitoring that will continue into offseason workouts and training camp,” Likens added.

Even as the schedule progresses toward full-team offseason workouts, which will begin for the Dolphins on May 26, it’s too early to read into the specific positions each linebacker plays on any given day. Presumably, the Dolphins will continue to give Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt reps at all three spots.

Even though Luc projects as a better fit in the middle or on the strong side, while the smaller linebackers might be best suited to play the weak side, the Dolphins will be most inclined to keep the players who prove they are capable of stepping in at any of the team’s three linebacker spots.

Ultimately, Luc is the favorite to earn a roster spot because of his upside. His size and speed make him the most likely to continue to develop from his productive senior season in college, and he also has the most potential to be the Dolphins’ middle linebacker of the future.

With that being said, Hull and Vigil are both better tacklers than Luc, and they also show more football intelligence while changing directions more effectively. That makes them more likely to be able to contribute right away—especially on special teams—and puts the pressure on Luc to continue building upon the improvements he made in 2014.

Hewitt’s lack of size could hurt him in comparison to his competition, but his ability to play in coverage and experience on special teams make him intriguing. If he can prove this summer that those skills will translate to the next level, it’s possible he could pull off an upset and end up winning this battle.

Regardless of how it might ultimately play out, this is a competition that is worth keeping an eye on not only for Dolphins fans, but fans throughout the NFL. Given the team’s lack of proven talent and depth at the position, this undrafted rookie battle really could have a big impact on the Miami defense in 2015 and beyond.

GIFs were made at Gfycat using videos from Draft Breakdown. NFL Scouting Combine results courtesy of NFL.com. Pro day 40-yard dash times are unofficial. 

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope