The 2016 NFL Draft is done and rookies are already making their impressions and signing contracts. But it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2017 NFL Draft. Here are the top five linebacker prospects as we enter the summer.
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Recruiting: The five-star and top-rated inside linebacker in the 2014 class picked Ohio State over Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia in December of his senior year. McMillan intrigued Crimson Tide fans by grabbing the Alabama hat quickly before putting on the Ohio State one.
Stats: McMillan led the Buckeyes with 119 tackles, five quarterback hurries, four pass deflections and he recovered a fumble.
Farrell’s take: McMillan is one of those rare prospects who started off as a five-star, lost that fifth star and then earned it back. He had added too much bad weight at one point, but re-dedicated himself to conditioning and became a monster out of high school who has been a star in college. He’s big, has great anticipation and instincts and he can move.
Recruiting: Alabama was Williams’ first offer and soon after his official visit to Tuscaloosa in January, the four-star prospect committed to the Crimson Tide. Miami was also a serious contender along with Florida State and LSU.
Stats: Williams only recorded 19 tackles all season but 12.5 were for loss and he was second on the Crimson Tide with 10.5 sacks.
Farrell’s take: Situational pass rushers are all the rage in the NFL Draft lately, or at least uber-talented ones like Aldon Smith, Dion Jordan, Vic Beasley and Leonard Floyd. Williams fits that role perfectly and is so disruptive off the edge that if he has another big season, he will surely be off the board high. We saw him as a hybrid guy who would eventually have his hand down permanently, but he can come off the edge in so many ways and isn’t shabby running down plays to the outside in the run game.
Recruiting: Davis, a former Auburn commitment, pledged to the Gators shortly after his official visit to Florida in mid-December. Tennessee and Duke were two other programs involved in the three-star’s recruitment.
Stats: Davis was second on the team in tackles behind only LB Antonio Morrison with 98 tackles (11 for loss) including 3.5 sacks. Davis also had seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Farrell’s take: Davis had good size and was a kid who covered a lot of ground and could tackle but needed work at the point of attack and shedding blocks. He was overlooked in the Florida linebacker class by bigger names like Alex Anzalone, Matt Rolin and Daniel McMillian, but he’s getting the last laugh. His ability to drop in coverage is off the charts.
Recruiting: In August before his senior season, Reeves-Maybin committed to Tennessee over Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and many others. Plenty of programs made serious runs at the four-star athlete, but Tennessee had too much going for it at the end.
Stats: Reeves-Maybin had 105 tackles last season, 35 more than anyone else on the Volunteers, and he also led the team with 14 stops for loss. He was second on the team with six sacks and he forced and recovered two fumbles.
Farrell’s take: Ranked as an athlete out of high school, Reeves-Maybin was a Rivals250 prospect. He was under 200 pounds with average length, but could do so many things that he made the move from three to four stars and kept pushing up the rankings. He was projected as a safety originally because of his size and ball skills, but he has grown into a linebacker with defensive back coverage skills. He covers a ton of ground and seems to have his best games against top competition, a good sign.
Recruiting: Foster had one of the most interesting recruitments in recent memory. The five-star linebacker made an early commitment to Alabama, only to de-commit and pick Auburn. He even got an Auburn tattoo on his forearm. But it didn’t end there. Foster took official visits to Washington and San Diego State weeks before Signing Day and then reportedly left his late Auburn official early to take a trip to Alabama one last time before decision day. He ended up signing with the Crimson Tide.
Stats: Foster was second on Alabama with 73 tackles, behind only second-round draft pick LB Reggie Ragland. He registered eight tackles for loss and two sacks along with nine pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: Foster was a huge linebacker with a ton of potential who could thump downhill but also move laterally. But he also had a major bust factor tag between a knee injury that limited him late in high school to his bizarre recruiting process. But so far, he has panned out and is expected to have a breakout season this year. Despite all the questions, we still had him as the No. 13 player in 2013 and No. 1 inside linebacker because he was so talented.
