Linebackers are known as the quarterbacks of the defense, and for good reason. There is a tonne that goes into playing the position and an awful lot will be asked of you once you reach the pros. This is a strong linebacker group, particularly at the top, where there are several names in first round contention. Here are my top 10 linebacker prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
1. Nakobe Dean – Georgia (5-11, 229, Junior)
Pros: Outstanding processing ability. Reads the game so well and his first step is consistently excellent. Good athlete in short areas with some nice explosiveness to get downhill in a hurry. Plays like a heat-seeking missile when hunting down the ball carrier in space. Reliable tackler in the open field, with just 17 missed on 156 attempts over the last two seasons. Excellent blitzer, with 31 pressures, including six sacks, on just 142 career pass rushing snaps. Plays with a really high motor and gives 110% on every play.
Cons: Size is an obvious concern. At 5’11” and 229 lbs he lacks ideal NFL size and his limited length will result in him getting stuck on blocks. This will also lead to concerns about how well he can match tight ends and bigger bodied receivers in coverage. His athleticism is good but it doesn’t compare to some of the other linebackers in the class. Speed is good enough to cover sideline to sideline but he may have issues matching up against quicker and shiftier opponents in coverage.
Projection: 1st round
2. Leo Chenal – Wisconsin (6-3, 250, Senior)
Pros: Has the build and strength of an old school linebacker. Excels at getting downhill and taking on blockers, with the power at the point of attack to create movement and make his way into the backfield. Despite his size he moves incredibly well, with outstanding short area quickness and the movement skills you’d expect from a much smaller player. Brilliant at reading the run and making plays, with his 43 run stops ranking third amongst draft-eligible linebackers. Confident and reliable tackler in space who packs a punch on contact. Missed just 12 tackles on 111 attempts in 2021.
Cons: Has all of the traits but isn’t particularly impressive in coverage. Wisconsin’s defense didn’t ask much of him in that department and he played a spot drop-heavy role that won’t easily translate to the NFL. Ball production is modest, with just two career forced incompletions. Needs to get better at reading route distribution and understanding space in coverage. Can still improve more generally as a processor and has a tendency to be overeager to make plays, leaving him vulnerable to misdirection.
Projection: 1st round
3. Devin Lloyd – Utah (6-3, 237, rs-Senior)
Pros: Has good size and ideal length for a linebacker. Knows how to use this to his advantage too and is outstanding at keeping his chest clean when engaged. Super smart processor who reads the game like an NFL veteran. This allows him to play far faster than his athletic traits alone would suggest. Great feel for coverage and understands route distributions. Anticipation is excellent and allows him to make plenty of plays on the ball, with seven forced incompletions on just 44 targets in 2021. Allowed a passer rating of just 78.7 throughout his career.
Cons: Does come with some limitations from an athletic standpoint, which will present problems when asked to mirror running backs in space. Still looks a little lean and might benefit from adding further weight to his frame. Showed up as an issue when engaged with the ball carrier, struggling to consistently wrap up in space. Logged a 12.5% missed tackle rate during his college career. One of the older linebacker prospects in the class too, turning 24 as a rookie.
Projection: 1st round
4. Quay Walker – Georgia (6-4, 241, Senior)
Pros: Smart player who processes the game very quickly. All the more impressive considering he has just one season of starting experience under his belt. Excellent run defender, with the ability to quickly decipher certain concepts and locate the ball carrier through traffic. Quick feet to mirror effectively and is adept at slipping off blocks to get into the backfield. Arguably the best tackler in the entire class, with excellent pursuit angles and technique. Logged just seven missed tackles on 138 career attempts.
Cons: Still needs to improve his ability in coverage. Looks solid when asked to play zone, but has some issues mirroring in man due to a tendency to get flat footed at the top of routes, giving up easy separation. Good all around athlete, but doesn’t have top end speed or short area explosiveness. Didn’t show much as a blitzer.
Projection: 2nd round
5. Troy Andersen – Montana State (6-3, 243, Senior)
Pros: Plenty of tools to work with. Has ideal size and play strength to translate to the NFL level. Great at getting downhill, with the physicality to overwhelm blockers on contact. Pairs this with seriously impressive athletic traits. Showcases great explosiveness and pursuit speed that allow him to work the entire field. Good form as a tackler and does a great job of minimising extra yardage after contact. His 67 defensive stops ranked third amongst linebackers in 2021 and he has missed just 17 tackles on 162 career attempts.
Cons: Still very new to the position, only transitioning to linebacker full-time in 2021. Prior to that he also played quarterback and running back. His lack of experience shows in his processing speed and he is still more of a see and chase player than one who anticipates. His pursuit angles are also overaggressive and take him out of plays. Still getting a feel for coverage. Level of competition is an obvious concern too. Whilst he looked good at the Senior Bowl, he has just two games at linebacker against FBS opponents.
Projection: 2nd round
6. Channing Tindall – Georgia (6-2, 230, Senior)
Pros: Uber-athlete with all the traits you could want. Ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and logged a 42″ vertical and a 10’9″ broad jump, all of which rank in the 98th percentile or above. This, along with his great pursuit angles, help to makes him a very good run defender. Good play strength for his size and showed the ability to deconstruct blocks. His athleticism makes him a real asset as a blitzer, with 36 pressures on just 131 career pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Processing speed is not as quick as you would like and it could take him some time to properly transition to the speed of the NFL game. Not much in the way of instincts on tape and typically needs to see the play develop before reacting. Vision on inside runs is inconsistent and he loses track of the ball carrier. Nothing special in coverage and doesn’t have a single forced incompletion in his career. Lacks ideal experience and took a long time to see the field, with just 212 snaps in his first three seasons.
Projection: 3rd round
7. Chad Muma – Wyoming (6-3, 239, Senior)
Pros: Converted safety with the movement skills you would expect. Really good short area quickness and capable of covering plenty of ground in a hurry. Good processor too, with the patience and smarts to keep his cool when faced with misdirection. Has a nose for the football, with an incredible 148 tackles in 2021 alone. Rarely whiffed despite the sample size, logging an 8% missed tackle rate throughout his career. Shows some nice instincts in coverage and had three interceptions in 2021.
Cons: Doesn’t play as big as his size would suggest. Lacks ideal power at the point of attack, which limits his effectiveness when working downhill and engaging with lead blockers. Also inhibits his stopping power on contact, which isn’t helped by his upright tackling style. Needs some work to be effective in man coverage. Plays high-hipped, causing him to be a little clunky in and out of his transitions and allowing shiftier receivers to separate at the top of the route.
Projection: 3rd round
8. Brian Asamoah – Oklahoma (6-0, 226, rs-Junior)
Pros: Outstanding range, with the athleticism to translate effectively to the NFL game. Really good lateral quickness to mirror running backs on wide zone runs. Smooth hips for a linebacker and is comfortable playing out in space. Has a big tackle radius for his height and showcases great pop on contact, with the toughness to deliver big hits. Showed real improvements as a tackler in 2021, with just seven misses on 84 attempts. Good coverage ability and natural feel for zone coverage. Plays with a high motor.
Cons: Not great from a size standpoint. Lacks ideal height and weight to be an NFL linebacker and will need to add some more mass to translate effectively. Play strength isn’t great either and he struggles to disengage if blockers get their hands inside his frame. Will only be more pronounced in the NFL. Needs to show more discipline as a processor when faced with misdirection and could take better pursuit angles.
Projection: 3rd round
9. Christian Harris – Alabama (6-0, 226, Junior)
Pros: Very impressive athletic profile. Great explosiveness when working downhill and possesses all of the speed you could want to patrol sideline-to-sideline. Has the traits to comfortably match up against running backs and tight ends in single coverage. Relishes contact and loves to lay big hits on ball carriers. Packs a real punch to his hits. Has a large tackle radius and is reliable in the open field. Provides versatility as a blitzer, with 56 pressures on 272 pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Processing skills and vision are way below what he needs to be an effective starter in the NFL. Despite three years of starting experience in Alabama’s defense he hasn’t shown any real signs of developing his reading of the game. Gets caught with his eyes in the backfield too often and this saw him give up big plays in coverage. He actually allowed a passer rating of 120.7 in his career. Effort was noticeably inconsistent against the run and as a pursuit defender.
Projection: 4th round
10. Brandon Smith – Penn State (6-3, 250, Junior)
Pros: Plenty to work with from a measurables standpoint. Great size for the position but carries it incredibly well. Seriously explosive and capable of covering plenty of ground in a hurry. Smooth and fluid mover in space which give him a high ceiling from a coverage perspective. Has good length that allows him to control blocks and disengage in run defense. His combination of size and quickness also makes him effective as a blitzer, with 26 pressures, including four sacks, on just 128 career pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Very much a project and will need some time before he is ready to see the NFL field. Needs work as a processor, with no real examples of instincts on tape. Play recognition speed is way below what you would like in a linebacker. He has the traits to be a great run defender but is inconsistent when engaging with blockers and doesn’t always play up to his size. Lacks ideal technique as a tackler and this led him to miss a worrying 14.8% of his career attempts.
Projection: 4th round
