Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard accepts Senior Bowl invite

Ohio State football linebacker Justin Hilliard accepts Reese’s Senior Bowl invite for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard has accepted an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl to help improve his draft ranking. Hilliard had a long road to get to this point with two early upper-body injuries followed by an Achilles tear. A five-star recruit, Hilliard’s college career has not gone according to plan.

For the 2020 season, Hilliard spent much of the time as a backup linebacker but started to get more and more playing time as he made a significant impact. He made some extremely important plays through the end of the year, none bigger than the third offensive series by Clemson in the Sugar Bowl where Hilliard stopped Amari Rodgers to force a punt. He then followed that play up with a fumble recovery and a stop of Travis Etienne.

Hilliard has a high upside being such a high recruit and having spent some extra time at Ohio State learning the position. However, the tag of being injury prone is now attached to him heading into the NFL draft. To help his draft status, which is currently between a sixth-round pick to an undrafted free agent, Hilliard will head to Mobile, Alabama to impress scouts.

In his six games this season, Hilliard had 33 tackles, five for a loss, an interception, and three fumble recoveries. Hilliard is a savvy and smart linebacker who recognizes plays quickly and is always around the ball. He is a solid tackler who can shed blocks and line up the ball carrier well. He excels in dropping into zone coverage but does not have the speed to cover quicker players man-to-man.

Where Hilliard will need some work is sometimes he will take an extra step to plant and go. His ability to change after recognizing the play helps overcome some of this. The biggest issue is the injury issues and lack of game tape for more than a handful of plays at a time.

I think Hilliard can improve his stock a round or two should he clear medical issues and show off his high football IQ. Hilliard won’t wow anyone with his speed, is not the hardest hitter, and not the biggest guy, but he is steady and smart enough to understand what he is seeing and adjust to it. He can make some splash plays and find himself moving up draft boards with his do-it-all play.