Illinois LB Jake Hansen
If you’re looking for a do-everything linebacker in the 2020 NFL draft, Hansen is your guy. He can play the run, the pass and get after the quarterback. At 6-1 and 225 pounds, he won’t blow you away with measurables or athleticism, but he’s been raised to be a good football player. Hansen’s father, Shad, was a former star at the linebacker position at BYU in the early ’90s under LaVell Edwards.
Hansen is a captain for the Illini because of his on-field performance and leadership. He’s brought back Charles Tillman’s famous “Peanut Punch,” forcing fumbles at an astonishing rate. In 2019, Hansen leads the entire FBS with seven forced fumbles on the season. That’s two more than Ohio State’s dynamo pass-rusher Chase Young has in 2019. Hansen has also recovered three fumbles, showcasing great awareness for the football overall.
The Kansas City Chiefs should be looking for linebackers in the draft with Darron Lee and Reggie Ragland set to become free agents. Obviously, the BYU connection could come into play with head coach Andy Reid. I don’t expect Hansen to be a high draft choice come April, but he’s definitely worth a late-round selection.
WATCH: Illinois at Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT