2011 NFL Draft: Power Ranking the Top 15 Linebackers in the NFL Draft
The linebackers in this year's draft aren't the stars; once again, it's defensive tackles, secondary members, and the offensive stars.
But there are a lot of good linebackers in this draft, and at least one of them could go in the Top 10.
As good as a defensive line may be, if you don't have good linebackers, your defense isn't going to be of much use.
So here's a look at some of the best linebackers in this year's draft class.
15. Mark Herzlich, Boston College
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Mark Herzlich has all the skills and intangibles to be a first-round pick, but a diagnoses of Ewing's Sarcoma, a disease which results in tumors most often found in bone or soft tissue, knocks him out of the top few rounds.
Herzlich overcame the disease, but front offices will be wary about paying a first-round salary to someone with this kind of health history. It's not fair, but that's the way it is.
14. Alex Wujciak, Maryland
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Wujciak has great size and speed and has shown good skills and technique. However, he doesn't project well against the run, and that will hurt him on draft day.
That being said, he's an excellent tackler, and that will keep him from falling too far. He's a solid third-round pick.
13. Ross Homan, Ohio State
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Ross Homan projects well as an inside linebacker with good range and effective technique. He has durability issues, but how that affects his draft slot won't be known until draft day.
He has been healthy enough to make a good impression on scouts, and has shown he's a good tackler and good at locating the ball.
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12. Mason Foster, Washington
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Mason Foster is a great prospect at 6'1", 238 lbs. He is a tackling machine and can get you sacks.
His knock is he sometimes has trouble locating the ball, which is a skill that can be coached. Once he locates the ball, though, it's lights out.
11. Nate Irving, North Carolina State
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Nate Irving is another potential first-round prospect who has had to fight through injuries, not all of them from playing. Irving was seriously injured in a car accident a few years ago and has fought back to get to where he is today.
He shows great intelligence for the game, knowing where the ball is going and reading the quarterback.
Irving also is a lock for no later than the third round.
10. Greg Jones, Michigan State
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Greg Jones is looking to be a great pick that probably will go late second round. Jones reads the offense quickly, has great natural instincts, and is athletic enough to have the range a linebacker needs and the size to bring down the bigger running backs.
9. Kelvin Sheppard, LSU
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Sheppard has had plenty of opportunity to showcase his skills playing for LSU, and he has great speed, exactly what the NFL is looking for right now.
Scouts want him to add a little more bulk, but he has the frame to add bulk to, so that's something that can be accomplished through the right workout program.
Sheppard is a low-second-round/high-third-round pick.
8. Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
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Dont'a Hightower is being characterized as a disciplined, instinctive linebacker who studies hard and stops the run.
He has shown great tackling skills and versatility. Hightower suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2009, but has battled back to have a great 2010 season.
He should go toward the end of the second round.
7. Casey Matthews, Oregon
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Casey Matthews showed a lot of good skills in the BCS Championship Game, and if he's anything like his brother and father, he has a very long, great career ahead of him.
Matthews is rated a lot lower on draft boards than he should be because he hasn't shown the type of skills his brother showed until very recently.
Given the family bloodline, expect Casey to end up being a steal in the second or third round. He will develop and become a force in the NFL.
6. Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
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Jeremy Beal is a first-round talent with his physical skills and attention to detail.
Beal has great range, is a good tackler, and is seen as a great pass-rusher in 3rd-down situations.
Beal could go as high as the bottom of the first round, depending on how the picks work out.
5. Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina
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Quan Sturdivant is one of the better picks in the draft. He has great physical skills, good range and a great instinct for where the ball is going to be.
He is considered a very good athlete who can change directions quickly but sometimes is a little wild.
What remains to be determined is how serious front offices will take his charge for marijuana possession last summer. Ten years ago, it wouldn't have mattered, but with Roger Goodell's personal conduct policy, it's now as important as how well Sturdivant can tackle.
4. Justin Houston, Georgia
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Justin Houston is a monster at 6' 3", 254 lbs, and he can sack the quarterback.
Houston is a Butkus Award and Nagurski Award Finalist, and he was the team's third-leading tackler in 2010 with 67 tackles.
Houston also had ten sacks on the year, which is the number you really want to see in a linebacker prospect.
3. Bruce Carter, North Carolina
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Bruce Carter is a great athlete, and that is going to take him far.
He has great physical skills, is a great tackler, and has shown good pass-rushing technique.
His knock is in the mental part of the game, but talent usually wins out, and a lot of the mental stuff can be developed as long as the potential is there, which it is.
Carter goes no lower than the second round.
2. Akeem Ayers, UCLA
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Akeem Ayers is a lock for the first round.
According to the ESPN Draft Tracker, Ayers is "built like a strongside linebacker." He has great speed to go along with his size, and that is where his strength is.
Speed is everything in the modern NFL, and any perceived weakness he has in other areas will be trumped by the speed. That shouldn't be a concern, though, because Ayers has shown he has all the intangibles plus the skills to succeed in the NFL.
1. Von Miller, Texas A&M
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Von Miller is a Top 10 pick.
He has first-round pick size, strength and speed. He's a great tackler, works hard, and is durable.
Miller has shown elite pass-rushing skills, and has a good field-awareness. Of all the linebackers on this list, he does look the most NFL-ready, and that's why he'll be the first one off the board in April.
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