NFL Draft: What we learned from Devin Bush
With the NFL Combine in the books and pro days around the country in full swing, the NFL Draft's first-round picture is starting to take shape. Several players have seen their stock rise and fall since the season has ended, including some now projected to go in the first round that weren’t even in the conversation just a few months ago.
In a weeklong series at Rivals.com, we take a look at some of the unconventional prospects that are likely to go in the first round and what their rise has taught us about identifying similar prospects during the rankings process in the future. Today, we take a look at Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.
RELATED: What we learned from Kyler Murray | What we learned from D.K. Metcalf
Rankings history: Bush was a fixture in the Rivals250 and a regular on the offseason camp circuit, winning several honors in the process. His senior year started with a good showing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge and an excellent year on the field, then he followed it up with a good week at the Under Armour All-America Game. Bush finished ranked as the No. 182 player overall in the country and the No. 7 inside linebacker.
Linebackers ranked ahead of him: Ben Davis, Mique Juarez, Tre Lamar, Shaquille Quarterman, Dontavious Jackson, Jeffrey McCulloch
What we said then: “Bush lacks elite height but continues to show why that isn't much of a concern. Bush swarmed around the ball on Friday and Bush is sound fundamentally and plays with little regard for his own body. His closing speed is what makes him a high-level prospect, but he's not half bad in coverage, either.”
What we know now: Bush was one of the first major recruiting victories for Jim Harbaugh in the state of Florida as the Florida State legacy elected to head to Big Ten country over several Southeast options. During his time with the Wolverines, Bush was very productive on the field and was a key figure in his team’s defense in 2018. Bush then went to the NFL Combine and tested very well, running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at 234 pounds. Bush’s performance at the combine, plus his on-field production, has many projecting him as a first-round pick.
What Bush has taught us
“First Roquan Smith and now Devin Bush. I think we are learning that height and length aren’t as important as we think if the player is a great athlete and has rare instincts. Nakobe Dean is an undersized linebacker we had as a five-star, but dropped to a four-star because of his lack of size, but he could make us look wrong as well. We had Smith and Bush ranked highly – after all, they were four stars – but they played like five-stars in college and as first- rounders; Bush will be a first-rounder. They live up to all the qualifications of a rare five-star. Now, after seeing how well Bush played and tested, we have to give a longer look to linebackers that don’t fit into that size box everyone likes. Dean will tell us if we’ve learned a lesson or continue to make the same mistakes.” - Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director Rivals.com
