Need an NFL Off-ball Linebacker? You Might Want to Check Out These College Programs
Despite adding inside linebacker Blake Martinez in free agency to an off-ball linebacker group that already includes Ryan Connelly, David Mayo, and Josiah Tauefa, it would not be surprising to see the Giants add another person to this group to provide depth.
The good news is that historically, the Giants have done well in free agency when it comes to off-ball linebackers. Their two most notable free-agent acquisitions have been Antonio Pierce, who helped the Giants win a Super Bowl in 2007, and Micheal Boley, who was on the 2011 Super Bowl team.
RELATED: Blake Martinez Anticipates Having a Different Kind of Role in the Giants' Defense
The bad news is the Giants haven't had as much luck in the draft thanks to fits and injuries. The most recent example of that was Ryan Connelly, the promising fifth-round draft pick who suffered a torn ACL three games into his rookie campaign.
Before that, the Giants had a middle linebacker by the name of Jonathan Goff, also a fifth-round pick but chosen in the 2008 draft, whom the team hoped would secure the position for years to come. Unfortunately, Goff suffered a knee injury and was never quite the same.
That brings us to this year's draft. The Giants might very well be set with just Martinez having been added to their off-ball linebacker group. But if they do decide to add to the depth, might they turn to a specific program?
That remains to be seen. But for those wondering if there is still a "Linebacker U" with a solid record of producing NFL off-ball linebackers, SI.com's Reid Foster (@The_Reid) did a study to identify which college program has been the most successful in producing NFL linebackers in the last several years.
Surprisingly, the off-ball linebacker factory is not Penn State, as Reid noted:
Penn State has long been known as Linebacker U., but Sean Lee, now a rotational player in Dallas, is the program’s last “great” linebacker still active in the NFL. In fact, aside from Lee and NaVorro Bowman, no Nittany Lions linebacker who entered the league since 2010 has been a starter for any NFL team for more than a season.
So which school is the new "factory" that produces capable NFL caliber off-ball linebackers?
The answer lies in the SEC, where two programs, Alabama and LSU, have each put a dozen linebackers into the NFL since 2010.
Check out more of Reid's study, which only covers stack or off-ball linebackers (edge rushers are included in a defensive line study), including the data used and how he arrived at his conclusion.
