Preston's 2011 NFL Draft Rankings: The Cerebral Linebackers

As I wrote this article, I found myself seeing more linebackers than ever that just made plays.

They don't have the greatest triangle numbers, but they were so important to their respective teams that they're hard to look over.

In these next 10 slides you'll see nine linebackers that mean so much to their teams; almost all of them are the emotional leaders of their respective defenses.

As well, all of them show the progression of football, where players must become smarter, as all have such a complete grasp on the game of football.

Chris Galippo, ILB, USC

After losing so many linebackers in the past two years (Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, Kaluka Maiava), it's ridiculous to think that the USC defense has yet one more top linebacker prospect.

His first season starting proved to be his breakout one, where he notched 67 tackles, a sack, and two interceptions.

The interceptions and speed are the most intriguing aspects of Galippo's game. He runs about a 4.6, and paired with three career interceptions, his pass defense will pique the interest of many teams.

If Galippo has yet another solid season this year, he could vault into the first round discussion.

Projected Round: Second or Third

Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State

Greg Jones is one of those Brian Urlacher or Ray Lewis types of linebackers; along with being a great player, he'll be the heart and soul of your defense.

As a prospect, though, he's a bit of a combination of those two. He's got nice speed and can make plays around the field, but at the same time he can analyze a play and deliver a big hit.

The biggest concern with Jones will be his size. At 6'1", 230 pounds, he'll want to add some bulk to play inside in the pros. He might have to switch over to the weak side in the NFL.

Projected Round: First, Top 25 Picks

Quan Sturdivant, ILB, North Carolina

On such a talented North Carolina defense, Quan Sturdivant is the leader in the middle.

Presuming he'll stay healthy for his senior season, Sturdivant will have started almost every game in his college career; he played in every game his freshman year but didn't start all of them.

Sturdivant's stout ability against the run is nice, but it's his versatility and playmaking ability that make him a special prospect. He's capable of playing any linebacker position well, with fantastic speed to let him fly around the field.

Projected Round: First, Top 25 Picks

Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina

Playing alongside the steady Quan Sturdivant, one would think Bruce Carter could just play decent football and let his teammate handle most of the linebacking work.

Not at all. Bruce Carter is a tenacious and fierce hitter with great speed.

Sturdivant is a bit more stout and stronger, but Carter makes the flashy plays. His sophomore season was a breakout for his pass-rushing skills, when he had five sacks. He's picked off two passes in his career and has taken both back for 40-plus-yard touchdowns.

Projected Round: First, Top 25 Picks

Mark Herzlich, OLB, Boston College

If you've read my previous articles, you know that I was a huge fan of Mark Herzlich. Read this from May 9, 2009:

"The versatile Boston College defender can play rush linebacker in a 3-4 or man the SAM or WILL linebacker positions in a 4-3.

"He's a high-character guy whose motor is ridiculous. He's racking up fantastic numbers: six interceptions (returning two for touchdowns), 110 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles."

Unfortunately, Herzlich came down with a case of Ewing's Sarcoma and had to sit out the 2009 season. I had an extremely high grade on Herzlich before the cancer, and that didn't change my opinion of him.

However, teams will give pause before drafting him because of the cancer (through no fault of his own, of course), and I'm tentatively placing a second-round grade on him before I see him return to the field.

Projected Round: Second

Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma

Al Davis, eat your heart out. The 6'2", 230-pounder runs a 4.5 40 and has ridiculous athleticism.

But moreover, Travis Lewis has been coached extraordinarily well. He does a lot of the little things right: He clears through traffic after reading the blocking, blitzes extremely well, and in general plays the position like a pro.

He's polished and can step in and have an impact, but he also has the ridiculous upside to be an absolute star. There's not much to dislike with Lewis, but teams would like to see him be a bit more physical and make his tackling a bit more fundamentally sound.

Projected Round: First, Top 15 picks.

Von Miller, DE/LB, Texas A&M

The most difficult aspect of scouting college players is often they play in different systems than they will in the NFL.

Whether it's a 3-4 rush 'backer playing as a 4-3 end, a Cover 2 corner playing man-to-man, or a quarterback playing in the spread, it makes the draft unpredictable as far as players panning out.

Don't worry about that with Von Miller. The tenacious pass rusher already plays in a 3-4 with the Aggies and is putting the stats together to back up his draft ranking.

If Miller gets double digit sacks this upcoming season, he may find himself in the late first-round discussion.

Projected Round: Second or Third

Ross Homan, OLB, Ohio State

The final member of that great Marcus Freeman-James Laurinaitis-Homan linebacking trio, Homan is probably in between both Freeman and Laurinaitis as a prospect.

Homan doesn't have great speed, he's not the strongest guy, and he's definitely not the biggest guy (he's only 6'0", 230 pounds), but you can't argue with his tape.

Homan has a nonstop motor and is always hustling, and without Laurinaitis and Freeman he found a way to step up his game, getting career highs in sacks (two), tackles (108!) and interceptions (five!!) in a season where the linebacking corps was extremely overlooked.

If Homan can put up some more gaudy stats, he should find himself a solid mid-round prospect.

Projected Round: Fourth or Fifth

Mike Mohamed, ILB, California

Mohamed is probably the definition of a smart player. I've seen so many plays on tape of this kid where he simply reads the quarterback's eyes and hustles to make a great interception. He's the kind of player where the more you watch him, the more you like him.

He's a likable player with decent triangle numbers (6'3", 240 pounds, 4.7 pounds) and the stats to back it up.

Mohamed will just need to answer some minor questions about his speed come the season, and as long as he stays healthy he should find himself selected on Day One or Two come April.

Projected Round: First or Second