2nd round: LB Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
While I wondered if Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen would drop into the second round, both have been expected to go in the first. Brooks, on the other hand, has been expected to be an early second-round pick, making him more of a sure thing here. But there isn’t that much of a drop off from Queen and Murray to Brooks, so he could be a steal in the second round.
Brooks is a super athletic linebacker that has a little bit of a beefier build than either Patrick Queen or Murray, which gives him a ton of upside. However, in spite of his athleticism, he’s unproven in coverage and has better used his speed as a blitzer. Brooks is a sideline-to-sideline tackler in run support and he does a good job quickly identifying plays and reacting to them. He’s far better in run support but he has all the physical traits necessary to be a plus in coverage as well, though that will take some time to develop in the NFL.
If the Ravens want Brooks, they’ll almost assuredly have to move up to go get him at the top of the second round.