Linebackers
There were eleven ILBs taken in the 2020 draft, four of which were selected within the top 100 selections. There was a strong drop-off thereafter, as another six were selected in rounds 6 through 7. This year's draft class could be stronger by comparison.
There were eighteen OLBs taken in the 2020 draft. There was a very even spread of selections round by round throughout the draft. As of right now, it appears that the 2020 class will end up being more balanced with more depth.
1) Micah Parsons | 6'3 | 245 | OLB | Penn State -
Parsons offers up excellent size and speed to match. Pound for pound, he's one of the best athletes in the country. He plays with outstanding range, truly able to track the ball and make plays on it form sideline to sideline. He's a very gifted blitzer, does an excellent job of knifing through lanes to get into the backfield. Against the run, he reads keys, rarely takes false steps and wastes no time getting to the ball carrier.
2) Dylan Moses | 6'2 | 235 | ILB | Alabama -
The sole knock on Moses is his medical. When healthy, you see an instinctive kid who can really move. While not a huge bruiser, he can lay a lick and is a sound tackler overall. He diagnoses plays well and can move, covering a lot of ground. He's adept at dropping into space vs. the pass as well.
3) Nick Bolton | 6'0 | 235 | OLB/ILB | Missouri -
Bolton isn't real big, but he hits like a Mack truck. He's adept at playing in both 2 and 3 LB looks, capable of manning an inside or outside position. He plays with very good instincts, flashing read and react ability. He has plus range, does an excellent job off closing in on the ball and making a ton of stops. He's very good dropping into space and covering the pass. He has the speed to hang with receivers and reads QBs well.
4) Chazz Surratt | 6'2 | 230 | OLB | North Carolina -
Surratt is an all-around LB, play maker. While he converted from QB to LB just prior to the 2019 season, he took to the position extraordinarily well, posting 115 stops. As if that wasn't enough, he chipped in with 6.5 sacks as well. Whether he's defending the pass or run, he plays with a QB mindset. He's very good at reading plays, sniffing out where the ball is going. Against the pass, he displays the requisite speed and quickness to cover receivers. He looks the part when blitzing, whether it be up the middle or off the edge when lined up at the LOS. Against the run, he plays with range, takes proper angles and is a sure tackler.
5) Cameron McGrone | 6'1 | 232 | ILB/OLB | Michigan -
McGrone isn't real big, but man this kid can fly. He does an excellent job of seeing the ball and attacking, wasting no time in doing so. He plays with plus range, does well scraping across the LOS and taking a clean angle toward the ball carrier. In pass coverage, he's quick to pick up his assignment and stick with him. He's an excellent blitzer who times his pursuit well and uses his speed to get into the backfield in a hurry.
6) Tuf Borland | 6'1 | 232 | ILB | Ohio State -
Borland has adequate size, strength and speed for the position. He's a heady LB who displays good instincts and reads plays well. While he doesn't have elite speed, it's certainly good enough for him to track the ball and close things down. He's an all-around player who looks good vs. the run and pass, rarely a liability in either.
7) Nate Landman | 6'2 | 230 | ILB | Colorado -
Landman is one of the best pure LBs in the nation. He's a fierce striker who really drops the hammer in the tackling department. He has a nose for the football, is often in the right place at the right time. My one reservation about Landman is his speed. While there are games where he shows enough of it, a lot of his work is done within the tackle box. He may be just a 2-down LB in the eyes of some, not able to fit every scheme out there.
8) Monty Rice | 6'2 | 235 | OLB/ILB | Georgia -
Rice is an ultra-productive LB who excels against the run. While he's a good athlete who can run well, a knock on him is that he's a bit one-dimensional at this point. Across his first three years, he's logged 0 INTs and just 1 sack. While how he's used and what he's assigned to do isn't on him, you'd like to see more versatility in his game.
9) Palaie Gaoteote | 6'2 | 250 | ILB | USC -
Gaoteote has been serviceable to adequate thus far, but hasn't lived up to his advanced billing just yet. He's looked good and sound within the tackle box as a run defender, but hasn't shown a whole lot in coverage or as a blitzer.
10) Anthony Hines III | 6'2 | 226 | OLB/ILB | Texas A&M -
Hines is undersized and doesn't carry much meat on his frame relative to other LBs, but he plays very fast, flashes excellent range. His read and react skills are very good, as he sniffs out the ball well and wastes little time in pursuit. He's shown good versatility, a LB who shouldn't leave the field. He's good in space as a coverage man, can also blitz.
11) DaShaun White | 6'0 | 228 | OLB | Oklahoma
12) Quay Walker | 6'4 | 240 | ILB | Georgia
13) Dimitri Moore | 6'3 | 225 | ILB | Vanderbilt
14) Pete Werner | 6'2 | 240 | OLB | Ohio State -
It's easy for Werner to get lost in the shuffle due to all the talent the Buckeyes have. That said, he's a very solid prospect in his own right. He's a good athlete who has the size to take on blocks, coupled with the range to make plays in space. Whether he's defending the run or pass, you'll rarely see him miss an assignment or be out of position. He's a reliable tackler and a good filed leader.
15) Chris Rumph | 6'3 | 225 | OLB | Duke
16) K.J. Britt | 6'0 | 236 | ILB | Auburn
17) Damone Clark | 6'3 | 240 | ILB | LSU
18) Jabril Cox | 6'2 | 233 | OLB | LSU -
Cox was a key transfer acquisition, as he was often the heartbeat of the North Dakota State Bison defense over the past few seasons. He's a fluid player who does a really good job tracking the ball in space. He plays with very good functional speed, really stands out in pass coverage. He isn't a big striker, but he's a sound tackler who does well bringing his man down.
19) Garret Wallow | 6'1 | 225 | OLB | TCU -
Wallow is undersized, and because of as much he won't fit into every scheme. That said, his size belies what he's able to do out there. After posting 74 tackles in 2018, he stepped his game up in 2019 and brought that count up to 125. He's a rangy player who's challenging to get outside of on perimeter runs. He can blitz, does a good job reading the blocker adjustment to the stunt and times his attack soundly. He's adequate in coverage, typically does a good job of picking up the TE or his assigned man as appropriate.
20) Baron Browning | 6'2 | 238 | ILB | Ohio State
21) Paddy Fisher | 6'3 | 241 | ILB | Northwestern
22) Jack Sanborn | 6'1 | 232 | ILB | Wisconsin
23) Zane Zandier | 6'2 | 230 | ILB | Virginia
24) James Skalski | 6'0 | 245 | ILB | Clemson
25) Blake Gallagher | 6'0 | 221 | ILB/OLB | Northwestern
26) Rayshard Ashby | 5'10 | 237 | ILB | Virginia Tech
27) Charles Snowden | 6'6 | 225 | OLB/EDGE | Virginia
28) Erroll Thompson | 6'1 | 250 | ILB | Miss. State
29) Jamar Watson | 6'2 | 242 | OLB | Kentucky
30) Caleb Kelly | 6'2 | 225 | ILB | Oklahoma
31) Merlin Robertson | 6'2 | 235 | ILB | Arizona State
32) Amari Burney | 6'2 | 224 | ILB | Florida