The 2023 linebacker class may not be a vintage one, but there are a number of notable names who should still make an impact in the NFL for years to come. Here are my top ten linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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1. Jack Campbell, Iowa (6-5, 249, Senior)
Pros: Campbell possesses a great blend of size and movement skills. At 249 lbs he is built like an old school linebacker and has the kind of physicality you would expect. He is a smart and sound run defender who is comfortable stacking and shedding to get to the ball carrier. He is also one of the most reliable open field tacklers in the class, with just 29 misses on 322 career attempts. Campbell showcases the instincts and football intelligence that are vital at the position and has a great feel for coverage.
Cons: Campbell has good short area quickness but his range isn’t particularly impressive and can limit his ability to cover sideline-to-sideline. Whilst his pre-draft testing was spectacular, it didn’t always translate to the film in terms of coverage and he struggles when asked to play single coverage against more athletic tight ends. Campbell is very patient in reading plays and whilst this can work in his favour, there were a number of times where it came at the expense of much-needed urgency.
Projection: 1st round
2. Trenton Simpson, Clemson (6-2, 235, Junior)
Pros: Simpson possesses the all-around athletic profile that teams crave. He is a very fluid mover in space and looks like a natural in coverage. Clemson often employed him as their overhang defender and he showed he can handle the slot in single coverage. He even showed the ability to cover as a deep zone defender. Simpson pairs this with some impressive ability as a blitzer, racking up 12 sacks during his career. He is a reliable open field tackler too, with good approach angles and tackling form.
Cons: There will be some concern that Simpson has only one season playing a traditional linebacker role, with his first two years spent playing as the overhang defender in Brent Venables’ defense. He is also somewhat lacking when it comes to his play strength and will need to improve in this regard to be a three-down difference maker in the NFL. Despite his movement skills and feel for coverage, Simpson has no ball production to speak of, with just two pass breakups to his name in college.
Projection: 2nd round
3. Drew Sanders, Arkansas (6-4, 235, Junior)
Pros: Sanders is a very impressive athlete with the sideline-to-sideline speed that teams want at the position. He pairs this with some smooth movement skills in space that lend themselves very well to a coverage role. Sanders showcases impressive play strength too, with plenty of pop in his hands to knock back opponents on contact. His background as an edge rusher is apparent on tape and he offers the versatility to line up as a blitzer or be employed as a true edge rusher. Sanders produced to a high level in his one year as a starter, with 11 sacks in 2022.
Cons: Sanders only made the full-time transition to an off-ball linebacker role when he transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2022 season and that inexperience shows on tape. He is still getting a feel for coverage and route distribution. He also urgently needs to work on his tackling technique, missing 19.6% of his attempts in his final season. Sanders could also benefit from adding some more weight to fill out his frame in order to ease his transition to the NFL.
Projection: 2nd round
4. Dorian Williams, Tulane (6-1, 228, Senior)
Pros: Williams is well-rounded athlete with great speed and fluidity. He has consistently shown himself to be a natural in coverage, with multiple forced incompletions in each of the last three seasons. A big reason for this is his length, with Williams’ 33.75″ arms ranking in the 92nd percentile at the position. This also works to his advantage when shedding blocks as a run defender or making tackles in the open field. Williams showed some added versatility as a blitzer, with 44 pressures on 226 pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Williams’ biggest limitation is his physicality and lack of play strength. This showed up a number of times on tape against Group of Five competition, so it will be even more of a worry in the NFL. He will routinely get taken out of running plays by climbing linemen and lacks the lower half mass to hold his ground. He also had issues consistently clearing blocks and his tendency to stop his feet on contact resulted in a number of missed tackles.
Projection: 3rd round
5. Daiyan Henley, Washington State (6-0, 225, rs-Senior)
Pros: Henley actually began his college career as a wide receiver and that kind of athleticism shows on his tape. He displays impressive short area quickness and has the range required to play effectively in space. He also has the fluid hips to make quick transitions in coverage, with the ability to work well in both man and zone. Henley also flashed some nice potential as a downhill defender with some real pop on contact. He also produced well as a blitzer, with 35 pressures on 160 pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Henley is still fairly new to the linebacker position and it shows at times. His instincts just aren’t where you want them to be and there will be some concerns about how he handles the jump to the NFL. To make matters worse, Henley is already one of the older linebackers in the class, turning 24 years old during his rookie season. He is also a little lighter than you would want and this impacts his ability to stack and shed consistently.
Projection: 3rd round
6. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama (6-1, 227, Senior)
Pros: Intelligence is vital at the linebacker position and To’oTo’o ticks that box. He is a very savvy and cerebral player who reads the game well. His first step is rarely wrong and the trust he has in his own instincts allows him to trigger quickly. To’oTo’o also offers tonnes of experience, with four years as a starter at two different SEC schools, both of whom ran complex NFL concepts. He is a very reliable run defender too and plays with a red hot motor.
Cons: To’oTo’o is more of a linear athlete than a fluid one. He looked a little clunky when he was asked to flip his hips and run with opponents in coverage and won’t offer much as a man coverage defender. He is also still working on his feel for route distribution in coverage, as evidenced by just four pass breakups on 164 career targets. To’oTo’o is also a little undersized and he clearly lacks ideal play strength. His issues as a tackler are also a concern, with plenty of misses on tape and problems wrapping up in space.
Projection: 3rd round
7. DeMarvion Overshown, Texas (6-3, 229, rs-Senior)
Pros: Overshown began his collegiate career as a safety and you can see why. He is a very impressive and well-rounded athlete with the combination of explosiveness and long speed teams want at the linebacker position. He is adept at working sideline-to-sideline against the run and packs some serious punch when coming downhill. His safety background shows in coverage too, with ideal hip fluidity to mirror in space. Overshown also excelled as a blitzer, with 52 pressures and nine sacks on 201 pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Overshown is small for a linebacker and his slight build causes issues on the field. He ranks in just the 14th percentile for weight at the position and it shows up particularly in run defense, where he is routinely washed away by climbing linemen. Despite being a fifth-year senior he also has a way to go as a processor and is still a little too mistake prone. Whilst his issues with missed tackles improved in 2022, this is still a notable weakness to his game.
Projection: 3rd round
8. Noah Sewell, Oregon (6-2, 246, Junior)
Pros: Sewell is built like an old school linebacker and he plays like one too. He showcases tremendous burst for his size and is a force to be reckoned with when coming downhill. He ticks the box when it comes to his play strength too and should have no issue translating that part of his game to the NFL. Sewell is also a very competent blitzer and his ability to beat offensive linemen one-on-one suggests his best role might be as a full-time edge in the NFL.
Cons: Sewell’s game is built around his ability as a downhill enforcer, but he missed far too many tackles during his career at Oregon. His approach angles are inconsistent and his lack of fluidity and twitch means that he struggles to adjust in space. He also struggles to flip his hips in coverage and is not the kind of player you want in man coverage on a tight end or slot receiver. Whilst his best future might be as an edge rusher, this is not a position we have ever seen him play in college.
Projection: 4th round
9. Ivan Pace, Cincinnati (5-11, 231, Senior)
Pros: Pace is first and foremost an outstanding blitzer. He looks like a heat-seeking missile whenever he is asked to get after the quarterback and he led the country with a 36.4% pass rush win rate in 2022. He is a very good athlete too, possessing the short area quickness to translate well to the NFL. Whilst he isn’t the biggest player, Pace uses this to his advantage and is excellent at slipping blocks to get into the backfield. He also showcases great competitive toughness and will be a quality special teams contributor in the NFL.
Cons: There is no getting away from the fact that Pace is a historical outlier when it comes to his size. At 5’11” he ranks in the first percentile for height at the position. He also lacks ideal length, ranking in the third percentile. This prevents him from consistently stacking and shedding against the run and he struggles to disengage if climbing blockers can get their hands into his frame. His size also results in a naturally small tackle radius and limits his effectiveness in single coverage.
Projection: 4th round
10. Owen Pappoe, Auburn (6-0, 225, Senior)
Pros: Pappoe ticks all the boxes when it comes to his athletic traits – there is a reason why his nickname is “The Freak”! He showcases great long speed, running a 4.39 40-yard dash and ranking above the 90th percentile in his 10-yard split and broad jump. Pappoe flashed some nice ability in coverage during his time at Auburn, forcing four incompletions in 2022 alone. He also brings plenty of experience, with four years as a starter in the SEC under his belt.
Cons: Pappoe is noticeably undersized for an NFL linebacker and this does lead to some issues with his play strength. He really struggled to consistently stack and shed during his time in college. That is only going to get worse against bigger and more physical competition in the NFL. There are also some concerns when it comes to his processing speed, with Pappoe a little slow to read and react. He can also get himself out of position as a result of his eagerness to make plays.
Projection: 4th round
