2021 NFL Draft Linebacker Rankings Top Ten
10. Amen Ogbongbemiga, Oklahoma State
Size: 6-1, 230
The Good: Ultra-productive over the last two seasons with 180 tackles, he’s versatile enough to play inside or out, he produces wherever he is, and he’s got the ability to work as a pass rusher if needed. He’s a hybrid of talents, but more than anything else, he’s a veteran producer who knows the game. However …
The Not-So-Good: He doesn’t really have a fit. He’s at his best when he’s creative and just goes and makes something happen, but he doesn’t have the raw wheels. He’s not going to be an NFL pass rusher, but he’s not quite the inside linebacker you might like. Don’t expect a ton in pass coverage.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Don’t overthink him or mess around with what he’s not. He’s a great value get outside of the top 100 who’ll find a way to make plays for a linebacking corps no matter where he lines up. He’ll turn himself into a pro.
Projected Round: Fourth
9. Jabril Cox, LSU
Size: 6-3, 232
The Good: He started his career at North Dakota State where he was a dominant force at a national title level, and last year he took over a spot in the LSU rebuild and made 58 tackles with three picks and 6.5 tackles for loss. For his size he’s great in pass coverage, has a great nose for the ball, and he’s a solid one-on-one tackler.
The Not-So-Good: He’s an interesting blend of skills that might not quite match up to what most NFL teams are going to want. He’s probably an inside linebacker who isn’t a big thumper, but he’s built like an outside defender who can rise up in pass coverage. He’s not enough of a pass rusher to send him behind the line.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There’s too much there not to work with. He was massive for North Dakota State, was great for LSU, and with his size, range, skills and speed, he’ll be a solid starter who’ll fit against the better passing teams.
Projected Round: Third
8. Monty Rice, Georgia
Size: 6-0, 233
The Good: There aren’t a ton of inside linebackers in this draft who’ll do much at the next level. Rice is a pure tackler in the interior who’ll do all of the dirty work and let everyone else have the glory. There might not be anything splashy about his game – he can move, though – but he’s a big tackler making 219 stops in his four years as a steady producer.
The Not-So-Good: Don’t expect splash. He’s not going to get behind the line at the next level, and he’s not going to do a whole ton in pass coverage. He’s an inside linebacker, but you’d like to have him at around 240+ or so to add a little more mass to the position.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’ll start for you, you won’t really notice him all that much, and then you’ll look at the stats and he’ll have 9.5 tackles and at least one key third down stop. Steady is fine over occasionally spectacular here.
Projected Round: Third
7. Dylan Moses, Alabama
Size: 6-2, 225
The Good: When he’s healthy, he’s a guided missile of a linebacker who can go sideline-to-sideline and get in on everything. He doesn’t miss stops, he’s a veteran who knows what he’s doing, and he produced as a leader of the highest team at the highest of levels.
The Not-So-Good: Just how big is he? Alabama lists him at 6-3 and 240, but the NFL got him at around 6-1ish and 225. He brings excellent wheels and can pop, but he’s not exactly the run stuffer you might like depending on where he measures up in a pro camp.
And then there are the medical concerns. He missed all of 2019 with a knee injury, and he’s had a few other hard-luck issues. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: If you can lock in that he’ll be relatively healthy for the next five years, he’s got the ability to be among the three best linebackers in the draft. Blow off what you don’t like – he made 162 tackles and 16 tackles for loss over his last two seasons on the field for Bama. He can play.
Projected Round: Third
6. Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
Size: 6-2, 229
The Good: The former star quarterback recruit adjusted on the fly and became one of the nation’s best linebackers. The guy didn’t really know what he was doing, and he still came up with a 206 tackles with 12.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. The best part is that he’s just getting started. He makes a whole lot to mistakes, but he’s a former quarterback – he knows how to read things.
The Not-So-Good: He’s a bit too small. He looks like a former big quarterback playing linebacker, he’s not a huge popper, and he’s not all that fast for an elite defender. He doesn’t have any one NFL trait that stands out tools-wise, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: All he does is make plays. It might not always be to form, and there are a whole lot of things to knock about his look and his style and his game, but find a better stat sheet filler over the last two seasons. Sometimes, you just are what your numbers say you are.
Projected Round: Third