ProFootballFocus tweeted the top five linebacker prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft and Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn was No. 5 on their list.
Top LBs in the 2021 NFL Draft
1. Micah Parsons, Penn State
2. Nick Bolton, Missouri
3. Dylan Moses, Alabama
4. Chazz Surratt, UNC
5. Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/sc2xmiGiDK— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 15, 2020
PFF hasn’t been the only outlet showing love to the Illinois native as TheDraftNetwork.com has him as the No. 68 overall prospect for the upcoming draft and No. 6 at his position.
Sanborn is only a junior, though, so hearing his name called early next April is not a forgone conclusion.
After seeing a massive freshman-sophomore year jump in production after winning a starting job last season, Sanborn is in for a monster year in Jim Leonhard’s defense after Chris Orr and Zack Baun–two linebackers and leaders of the unit–graduated and entered the NFL.
Specifically, Sanborn played sparingly as a freshman and finished the year with four games played, seven tackles and one forced fumble.
Last season, then, he started alongside Orr at middle linebacker where he played in 14 games and recorded 80 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and one forced fumble.
If PFF and TheDraftNetwork’s way-too-early NFL Draft analysis are any indication, those numbers could be still on the rise as Sanborn steps into the role as the leader and “quarterback” of the defense this season.