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The Top Ten Linebackers in the 2011 NFL Draft

By Joe Goodberry

The 2011 linebacker class is very deep. You could see two players go in the top 10, and possibly 7 in the first round. With half of the NFL defenses playing a 3-4 defense,  linebacker has become a vital position in today's NFL. Not only are they considered the quarterbacks of the defense, today's linebackers are asked to play pass coverage, stop the run, while also having the ability to rush the passer. The best defenses in the league have some of the best LB corps. Look at Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Baltimore, Chicago, and the Jets. All have very good starting linebackers and depth to fill in. A good group of linebackers can help a defense become more versatile and more exotic with their coverages and blitzes. I have broken down the LB position into 4 groups to show the versatility of each player. You will see players listed multiple times, thatjust increases his value and likely makes him a target of more teams. This may be the most diverse and uniquely talented linebacker group of any draft since I've been following.

Top Ten 4-3 Outside Linebackers

1)      Von Miller – Texas A&M – 6’3” 236 lbs

2)      Akeem Ayers - UCLA – 6’4” 255 lbs

3)      Justin Houston – Georgia - 6’3” 258 lbs

4)      Martez Wilson – Illinois – 6’4” 250 lbs

5)      Mason Foster – Washington - 6’2” 242 lbs

6)      Bruce Carter – North Carolina – 6’3” 235 lbs

7)      Mark Herzlich – Boston College – 6’4” 238 lbs

8)      Dontay Moch – Nevada – 6’1” 250 lbs

9)      K.J. Wright – Miss St – 6’4” 250 lbs

10)  Doug Hogue – Syracuse – 6’2” 230 lbs

Von Miller headlines this years OLB class. Miller is one of the most explosive defensive players to enter the draft in years. He is versatile enough to play both defensive schemes. I think he’s better suited for strong outside in a 4-3 defense, but 3-4 teams will covet his top-notch pass rushing skills and will select him higher at that position. Either way, I think Miller will end up a top 10 pick come April.

One of my favorite prospects at any position is Washington’s Mason Foster. He has an excellent build for a day 1 starter. Foster plays with speed and great instincts. He’s a tackle machine with a presence about him that makes me want to play next to him. I think he can play OLB or ILB, while also eventually serving as one of your nickel linebackers. Foster could be a late 2^nd or 3^rd round steal.

Syracuse OLB Doug Hogue is a late round guy who I think has yet to even scratch the surface of his potential. Hogue played running back for Syracuse before converting to LB before the 2009 season. In his last 2 seasons at LB, Hogue has showed a niche for tackling the ball carrier behind the line (26 TFL in 2 seasons). He’s still raw and could add 10-15 lbs, but Hogue shows good speed, good hips in coverage, and surprisingly a natural feel for playing defense.

Top Ten 3-4 Outside Linebackers

1)      Von Miller - Texas A&M – 6’3” 236 lbs

2)      Robert Quinn – North Carolina - 6’5” 260 lbs

3)      Aldon Smith – Missouri – 6’5” 260 lbs

4)      Akeem Ayers - UCLA – 6’4” 255 lbs

5)      Justin Houston – Georgia - 6’3” 258 lbs

6)      Ryan Kerrigan – Perdue – 6’4” 255 lbs

7)      Martez Wilson – Illinois – 6’4” 250 lbs

8)      Brooks Reed – Arizona - 6’3” 263 lbs

9)      Mark Herzlich - Boston College – 6’4” 238 lbs

10)  Sam Acho – Texas – 6’3” 260 lbs

Akeem Ayers is one of the most interesting players in this draft. He’s big, fast, quick, strong, solid in coverage, can rush the passer, and can line up anywhere on 3^rddowns. At the same time, I want more from Ayers. I want him to use his speed every play. I think he could be stronger at the point of attack. I would like to see some better pass rush moves and eventually develop a counter move. Don’t get me wrong, I think Ayers is just a straight up playmaker that can line up anywhere for any defense. I’d like to see him as an OLB for whatever team drafts him. That’s where I think he will be the most productive in the NFL.

Ryan Kerrigan won’t have the measurables that Ayers has, but he more than makes up for it with his intangibles. Kerrigan has been dominating as a pass rusher at Perdue (32 sacks). He uses a good jump at the snap, great strength, and very good hands to attack the QB. When he does close in for the sack, it’s with a violent closing burst. Kerrigan looks to force a fumble every time he hits the QB. He has a tremendous motor and never gives up on a play. Kerrigan better show he has the lateral agility during LB drills at the combine. If he doesn’t look like he can play OLB, it could really hurt his stock. At only 255 lbs, teams may shy away from spending a high pick on him. Kerrigan reminds me of the Rams Chris Long, he just needs to add 15 lbs.

Top Ten 4-3 Inside Linebackers

1)      Kelvin Sheppard – LSU – 6’3” 240 lbs

2)      Martez Wilson – Illinois – 6’4” 250 lbs

3)      Quan Sturdivant – North Carolina – 6’2” 230 lbs

4)      Casey Mathews – Oregon – 6’2” 235 lbs

5)      Nate Irving – N.C. State - 6’1” 235 lbs

6)      Colin McCarthy – Miami – 6’2” 240 lbs

7)      Greg Jones - Michigan St – 6’0” 240 lbs

8)      Alex Wujciak – Maryland – 6’3” 245 lbs

9)      Mike Mohamed – California - 6’3” 245 lbs

10)  Josh Bynes – Auburn - 6’2” 235 lbs

Martez Wilson is the LB that a lot of people are starting to fall in love with. Much like Akeem Ayers, Wilson can play any LB position in either defensive scheme. He was highly recruited as a DE and can help as a pass rusher as well. He plays a little upright, and sometimes takes himself out of plays by missing tackles, but Wilson has good speed and can shed blocks while keeping his eyes on the ball carrier. I like him more at outside linebacker where he won’t have to diagnose plays as much as inside. If Wilson reaches his potential, I can see him as a Keith Bulluck type of player.

My guy is Kelvin Sheppard from LSU. Here is a guy that has elevated with each season at LSU. He’s a good leader that gets his teammates pumped up while also lining them up in the right spots pre-snap. Great instincts make up for average speed and strength. Sheppard does a great job of fighting through the traffic without taking too much time to disengage from blockers. He will make himself skinny and avoid that 2^nd level lineman and find the ball carrier. I would like to see him play with a lower pad level and fight off the cut blocks that seem to get to him. Besides that, I think he’s a good read and react LB that can do everything well and succeed at MLB in the NFL.

Top Ten 3-4 Inside Linebackers

1)      Akeem Ayers - UCLA – 6’4” 255 lbs

2)      Kelvin Sheppard – LSU – 6’3” 240 lbs

3)      Martez Wilson – Illinois – 6’4” 250 lbs

4)      Casey Matthews – Oregon – 6’2” 235 lbs

5)      Colin McCarthy – 6’2” 240 lbs

6)      Mike Mohamed - 6’3” 245 lbs

7)      Mason Foster – Washington - 6’2” 242 lbs

8)      Alex Wojciak – 6’3” 245 lbs

9)      Josh Bynes – Auburn - 6’2” 235 lbs

10)  Chris White – Miss St – 6’4” 245 lbs

The next Matthews LB enters the draft. Casey is no Clay Matthews, but he doesn’t have to be in order to be successful in the NFL. Like Clay, I’d like to see Casey add 15 lbs of muscle (mostly upper body) that will help him shed blocks. Casey is a cerebral player with a blend of natural instincts it takes to play MLB in the NFL. His great instincts help him make up for being an average athlete. Casey is a tremendous run stuffing LB and will only get better with NFL size and strength. He’s no slouch in pass coverage either. Casey is a good sideline-to-sideline player vs. the run or pass. He might last until the late 3^rd to early 5^th round, but he will reach his potential and be a starter for years to come.

Colin McCarthy played mostly OLB at Miami, but his average speed and poor agility might make him better suited for MLB. Not to say he can’t play outside, versatility is huge for draft prospects. McCarthy is a very hard worker and natural team leader. Good run defender and really hits hard when he gets a clean shot at the ball carrier. Without knowing the plays called, he seems like he’s in the right spot at the right time very often. I think he’s still learning the MLB position, so his best days could be ahead of him even though his frame is pretty much filled out. McCarthy could end up as a 5^th to 6^th round pick but end up with a Keith Brooking type of career.