Summer Scouting: Top 5 Linebackers

The college football season is just around the corner. With that in mind Rory Daniels’ brings you his top 5 draft eligible prospects at each position ahead of kickoff. We also include an FCS prospect to watch courtesy of resident small school expert Rebecca Rennie.

1. DeMarvion Overshown

The transformation of DeMarvion Overshown is nearly complete. If he can continue his upwards trajectory then you would be hard pushed to bet against him becoming a first round pick come next April. A four-star safety prospect when arriving in Austin, Overshown is now a physically gifted, chess-piece linebacker. In 2020, he recorded 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack and two fumbles. Not to mention his ability to drop in coverage. Two interceptions and seven pass breakups highlight his ‘swiss army knife’ credentials. Expect him to add to his highlight reel in his senior year.

Best Trait: Versatility

2. Christian Harris

It was a baptism of fire for Christian Harris in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide tends to have a raft of talent to call on but in 2019, Harris and fellow freshman Shane Lee had to take their lumps due to injuries and early departures for the NFL. While that has involved plenty of learning on the job, Harris’ athletic traits are clear to see. As comfortable at middle linebacker forcing stops with thumping tackles or moving sideline to sideline, Harris is the epitome of a modern-day linebacker. Sure to develop as the leader of Nick Saban’s defense, Harris’ decision making and savvy should catch up in 2020.

Best Trait: Athleticism

3. Nakobe Dean

At 6’0 and 225lbs it will always be an uphill battle to convince NFL scouts that you can hang as a linebacker at the next level. However, turn on Georgia’s tape and it is difficult not to fall in love with Nakobe Dean. As all good linebackers should, he appears to be a magnet for the ball, buzzing around and finding the action. That’s reflected in his pass rushing and run stopping PFF grades. At his size you would expect better than a coverage grade of 54.2, it will certainly be an area to work on for Dean.

Best Trait: Speed

4. Edefuan Ulofushio

The Washington Huskies’ are set to have a particularly strong defense in 2020. Who would have thought that it would have been a 2-star walk-on out of Bishop Gorman that would have been leading it. Ulofoshio is a physical backer who has excellent eyes to diagnose plays early and come downhill to stifle the running game. He can also drop in coverage and still excels in reading QBs and getting into passing lanes. He redshirted his first year and only saw limited action in a shortened season in 2020. A full slate of games should show his ability as a do-it-all ‘backer.

Best Trait: Vision

5. Devin Lloyd

Devin Lloyd has led the Utah Utes in tackles for the last two seasons. He logged an impressive 10 tackles for loss in only 5 starts last year. Add that to the 6.5 sacks he contributed as a sophomore and it’s clear to see that Lloyd excels at finding the ball carrier in the backfield. With good athleticism and speed to move around the defense, he needs to improve in coverage but he has the athletic profile to be able to do so.

Best Trait: Physicality

FCS Prospect to Watch: Tre Walker

Rebecca Rennie: A 1st team All-American in the Spring 2021 season, Walker is a bowling ball of energy between the tackles. After a massive 138 tackles as a sophomore, the Vandals linebacker followed that up with 54 in just four games this Spring. As the stats suggest, Walker is constantly around the football. The savvy eye discipline is complimented by working downhill effectively to be consistently active in the run game.

Comfortable in space and working laterally, Walker has a handful of coverage breakups. Already lacking length, whether he has the ideal burst and overall athleticism is important to establish. The Idaho senior is an efficient mover for the FCS level, but pre-draft testing could be key. His smart play, recognition and decision-making maximize his impact, however.

Best Trait: Quick processing versus the run.

formerly writing for the inside zone, rory will be breaking down college tape and keeping you up-to-date with all things CFB for the touchdown. an avid bengals fan, you can also find some of rory’s work at stripehype.com

 5/5

Summer Scouting: Top 5 Linebackers