The NFL Scouting Combine is finished and it’s time again to look at each position for the upcoming NFL Draft. Today, we move to the linebackers with the top five and then two others to watch.
TOP FIVE
Recruiting: The five-star linebacker made an early commitment to Alabama only to decommit and pick Auburn. Foster then 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.
Stats: The former five-star led Alabama this season with 115 tackles (13 for loss) and he added five sacks.
Stock report: Steady
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 and his bizarre recruiting process. He waited his turn, however, and has panned out. 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. He’s easily the most talented inside linebacker in this class and remains No. 1 despite being sent home from the combine after an incident involving a hospital worker and some questions about his football IQ.
HAASAN REDDICK, TEMPLE
Recruiting: Reddick was a running back and safety in high school but only played four games in his senior season because of a fractured femur. He went to Temple as a walk-on in 2012.
Stats: Reddick finished second on the Owls with 65 tackles including 22.5 stops for loss and 10.5 sacks, both team highs. He also had three forced fumbles, had one fumble recovery and an interception.
Stock report: Up
Farrell’s take: Reddick didn’t even have a Rivals profile as a walk-on at Temple, and now he’s considered one of the top linebacker prospects in the NFL Draft. He was a safety and running back out of high school in New Jersey with zero offers, and as far as I can remember, never hit my radar. Now look at him.
Recruiting: Originally a Cal commit out of high school, McKinley did not quality and attended Contra Costa College for one season. After that campaign, the former Richmond (Calif.) John F. Kennedy recruit picked UCLA.
Stats: McKinley was fourth on the Bruins with 61 tackles including 18 for loss and 10 sacks, both team highs. He added three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. The former three-star played defensive end at UCLA.
Stock report: Steady
Farrell’s take: McKinley was a four-star out of JUCO in 2014 as a weakside end, but in the mind of college scouts he’s a hybrid, and a freaky one with great athleticism at that. He’s ahead of Reddick on some mocks as well, and his ability in pursuit in the run game coupled with his pass rushing ability is very intriguing. Academics made his recruitment interesting to say the least.
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: In nine games this season, Davis finished with 60 tackles including six for loss and two sacks. He also had five quarterback hurries. In the 2015 season, Davis had 94 tackles (11 for loss).
Stock report: Steady
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 (also a high draft pick at LB this year), Matt Rolin and Daniel McMillian, but he’s developed better than all of them. His ability to drop in coverage is off the charts, and he had another excellent season despite the injury. He’s a pure inside guy who can cover and has stayed in that late round one, early round two range.
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 finished with only 31 tackles, but he had 16 for loss and nine sacks this season. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one.
Stock report: Down
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, and Williams was thought to be one of the best among this group. He is so disruptive off the edge as a situational pass rusher, and his bend around the edge is unrivaled. Couple that with his pure speed and he’s unstoppable at times. However, some off field issues have hurt his stock, and he didn’t kill the combine so he’s sliding a bit as other pure linebackers move up.
TWO TO WATCH
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 Ohio State this season with 102 tackles this past season, including seven for loss and two sacks. He also forced two fumbles.
Stock report: Up
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. After a down season of sorts this past year at Ohio State, he tested very well at the combine and raised his stock with some surprising speed.
Recruiting: Cunningham chose Vanderbilt over Auburn, Colorado, Miami, Oregon, UCLA, Texas and Tennessee on National Signing Day.
Stats: Cunningham led the Commodores with 125 tackles including 16.5 for loss this season. He also added four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Stock report: Down
Farrell’s take: Cunningham was a tall, skinny linebacker who continued to rise in our rankings throughout his cycle. He started off as a three-star and ended up as a four-star outside of our Rivals250. He was a tackling machine during his high school career, especially as a senior when he nearly eclipsed 200 tackles. He was always in the backfield and made a living making tackles for a loss, but his thin frame was what kept him back from a higher ranking. He didn’t test that well and his 40 time left a lot to be desired, so he has fallen a bit on this list.
