Top Linebackers in NFL Draft: Best of the Rest
The depth at linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft runs deep. Here’s the best of the rest at a position of need for the Green Bay Packers.
No. 8: Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech (6-1, 245; 4.54 40): Brooks earned several All-American honors and was a finalist for the Butkus Award following a senior season in which he led the team with 108 tackles, 20 tackles for losses and three sacks. Over the course of four seasons, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 32 tackles for losses, 360 total tackles and two forced fumbles. He paced the team in tackles three times. According to Sports Info Solutions, he missed 11 tackles for a missed-tackle rate of 9 percent, one of the best in the draft class.
He led the nation – not just the draft class – in ProFootballFocus.com’s run-stop percentage. He was mostly in attack mode in passing situations – he finished first among our top 25 inside linebacker prospects with 30 pressures, according to PFF – so he’s as green as grass as a cover guy. That stellar 40 time was no surprise. He can make plays from sideline to sideline. Twice, he’s had shoulder surgery – including after the 2019 season.
“I love playing right in the middle of the defense,” he told USA Today recently. “Linebacker is a position that allows leaders to excel. It’s a leadership role type of position and I love that. I enjoy being the leader of the defense. I get to take control. I feel like that’s what the position requires and that’s the role I thrive in. We’re a perfect match for each other.”
Brooks received only one in-state offer from a Power 5 school and wasn’t considered much of an NFL prospect entering his senior season. “He’s a guy we liked over the summer, but he’s risen on our board about as much as any player in the country,” said Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl and a longtime NFL scout. “I don’t know if anyone has made a bigger jump at linebacker this fall than Jordyn.”
No. 9: Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State (6-1 1/8, 243; 4.46 40): If anyone needed a big Scouting Combine, it was Gay. He was caught in an academic scandal as a junior, which limited him to 28 tackles in five games. Before the Music City Bowl to cap the season and his collegiate career, he got into a fight with the starting quarterback and inflicted a facial fracture. Plus, he was ejected from two games in his career. Well, Gay delivered that big Combine. Among the linebackers at the Combine, he ranked first in the broad jump, second in the 40 and vertical jump and fifth on the bench press. “I call him the ‘Eraser,’” MSU linebacker Erroll Thompson told CDispatch.com. “If someone isn't fitting right up front, he's so fast and so twitchy and just a freak of nature; he just erases the mistakes.”
Combined with what he’s done on the field, he’s practically an elite prospect. He’s fast and physical. In his abbreviated final season, he didn’t allow a catch and missed only two tackles (7 percent, according to Sports Info Solutions). He’s not related to the former NFL defensive back of the same name. “Coming up in high school, a lot of people would ask me, ‘Bro, you know there’s a William Gay that plays with the Steelers?’ ” Gay Jr. said at the Combine. “And I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I know, but I don’t know him. He’s not my cousin.’”
No. 10: Markus Bailey, Purdue (6-0 1/8, 235; DNP 40): Bailey, a four-year starter, missed most of his senior season with a torn ACL suffered at practice. He also missed most of his true-freshman season of 2015 with a torn ACL. In 40 career games, he recorded 324 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 28 tackles for losses and six interceptions. Four of those interceptions came as a redshirt freshman. As a junior, he had 5.5 sacks and nine tackles for losses among 115 tackles, had a missed-tackle rate of 9 percent and allowed a 65 percent catch rate. He’s got a nose for the ball, plays hard and has good-enough range.
“I can’t say for certain but, going into the season, I was looking to be a midround pick,” he said at the Combine. “It all just depends on what they think about the medical scans and what teams think about me from the interviews. I feel confident that I’ve done well so far.” He didn’t test at the Combine because of the injury. His instincts are better than his athleticism. “I would say I’m a very tough player, a very smart player, a high-effort guy. Besides that, I think what kind of sets me apart is I’m super versatile. Throughout my career at Purdue, I went through three defensive coordinators. I played in several linebacker positions in several schemes.”
No. 11: Davion Taylor, Colorado (6-0 1/2, 228; 4.49 40): Taylor tallied 69 tackles and seven passes defensed as a senior to earn second-team all-conference recognition. The junior-college transfer had 75 tackles, including 12 for losses, as a junior.
Taylor is the ultimate project – but one that could have an enormous payoff. That’s because Taylor didn’t play in high school. While Taylor was part of the team at South Pike High School in Magnolia, Miss., he did not play in the games due to religious beliefs. As a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Taylor observed the Sabbath from sundown on Fridays to sundown on Saturdays by resting and worshipping. “I prayed, ‘Lord, why did you give me boys who play football so good, and they can’t play? Why give me two athletes like this?’” his mom told NFL.com. “What hurt me at times was to see them go through this, and people just not wanting to respect it. That was hard for me. And they came to me and begged to play -- Momma, please! -- and I loved them so much. But I could not do it.” Taylor played JV football as a freshman and sophomore because those games were played on Thursdays. “As I was practicing, I just kept thinking, ‘This will just make my story even better,’” Taylor told The Associated Press. “I was like, ‘I’m going to try out somewhere.’” When he turned 18, his mom let him decide whether he wanted to observe the Sabbath. So, he walked on at Coahoma Community College to start an unlikely path to the draft. Taylor’s startling 40 time at the Combine was no surprise. He was all-Pac 12 in the 100 meters, and also ran the 200 and the 400-meter relay. In high school, he was state champion in the triple jump.
So far, the performance hasn’t met the potential. He allowed a 71 percent catch rate, missed 13 tackles (15 percent) and had the lowest run-stop percentage of our top-27 linebacker prospects. If the instincts ever catch up to his athleticism, he could be a star. A scout said he plays like a late-round pick but the measureables are so good that he’s expected to go in Day 2.
No. 12: Troy Dye, Oregon (6-3 1/4, 231): Dye led the Ducks in tackles all four seasons, finishing his career with 397 tackles, 15 sacks, 44 tackles for losses, five interceptions, 21 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. As a senior, he had a career-low 84 tackles but career highs of two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
He played most of the season with a broken thumb and then played through a knee injury that required surgery. “I love the game of football, so nothing is going to stop me,” he said at the Combine. “As long as I'm walking and breathing, I'm going to try to play every snap and do what I can do to help the team win.” He allowed a 65 percent completion rate and missed 13 tackles (14 percent). Dye has plenty of speed but gets routed by blockers. He’ll need to either get stronger or play behind a defensive line that can keep him clean. “I think playing in space, covering tight ends and running back,” he said of the strength of hi game. “I run sideline to sideline. Open-field tackling. Just out there having fun, being a modern-day linebacker.”
No. 13: Evan Weaver, Cal (6-2 1/8, 237; 4.76 40): As a senior, Weaver was an All-American, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lott Impact Trophy and Senior CLASS Award. Weaver set a school record with 182 tackles, the fifth-most in NCAA history, to run his career total to 412. Both career interceptions came as a junior and both career forced fumbles came as a senior. He allowed 73 percent completions and 5.3 yards per target, and missed 18 tackles (9 percent), according to Sports Info Solutions. However, he was second in PFF’s run-stop percentage.
“I feel like I’m one of the top linebackers here,” Weaver said at the Combine. “It’s not up to me at the end of the day we’ll see in about 10 years.” His goal was to show that, “I’m a hell of a lot faster than people think, be able to make top-five in agility, just do my thing. At the end of the day, the chips fall where the chips fall. I'm not the one who makes the decisions, so I’m just going to control what I can control.” From that perspective, his 40 was a failure but his 20-yard shuttle of 4.21 was solid. As an energetic kid, Weaver’s father had a fruitful way to get his son through car rides. He’d pull over for a road-side workout that included pushups and jumping jacks. Coach Justin Wilcox compared the trash-talking Weaver to an “old WWF villain.” It’s a role he embraced – and looks forward to continuing. “I think a lot of hitting people hard. That’s what I do and that’s what I love to do.”
No. 14: Tanner Muse, Clemson (6-2, 227; 4.41 40): Muse was a third-team All-American and team captain as a senior, when he recorded a career-high four interceptions along with 73 tackles, six tackles for losses and seven total passes defensed. He closed his career with seven picks and 237 tackles.
Playing safety, Muse allowed a 50 percent completion rate but too many big plays. He missed eight tackles (12 percent). With size and athleticism, he’s practically tailor-made for the dime linebacker roles that have been used with such frequency by teams like the Packers. Most teams, he said, see him as a linebacker. "I come in the box," he told the Aiken Standard recently. “Blitz, man-to-man, things like that. The NFL's a lot different than college ball, especially our defense. It's just schematically I'm doing the same thing just lining up in a different position.” Athletically, Muse is stupendous. Not only did he run an amazing 40 but his 20-yard shuttle time of 4.12 at Clemson’s pro day is almost 0.15 seconds faster than any other prospect with a verified time. His brother, Nick, is a tight end at rival South Carolina.
No. 15: Clay Johnston, Baylor (6-1, 227; DNP 40): Johnston was second-team all-Big 12 as a senior despite playing in only six games due to a torn ACL that kept him from testing at the Combine. He had 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for losses among his 58 stops. He was second-team all-conference as a junior, too, with 99 tackles. Against the run, he plays hard, flows fast and delivers a blow. That hair-on-fire style worked in the Big 12 but he might not be big enough and physical enough for the NFL. In coverage, he has the speed to cover tight ends. For his career, he allowed 6.0 yards per target, according to Sports Info Solutions. Of our top 27 linebackers, his 30 1/2-inch arms are the shortest.
Johnston’s father, Kent, spent 24 years as an NFL strength coach before joining the Baylor staff in 2018. Johnston was named Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1997 with the Packers. Clay Johnston was born in Wisconsin but doesn’t remember much about that time. Because of those ties, he’s got a famous mentor in Brett Favre. (CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEPARATE FEATURE ON JOHNSTON.)
Johnston’s been around the NFL throughout his life. That background has made him greater than the sum of his physical parts. “As cliché as it sounds, it really is an honor just being here. I’m extremely thankful. It’s crazy hearing so many encouraging things from scouts. It happened so fast.”
No. 16: Casey Toohill, Stanford (6-4 3/8, 250; 4.62 40): On the field, Toohill was second-team all-conference with career highs of eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for losses among his 60 tackles. Off the field, he was one of 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy – aka the Academic Heisman. Among his internships was one in the office of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
In the NFL, he could line up on or off the ball – or both. “First and foremost, I try to sell my versatility,” he said at the Combine. “At Stanford, I was asked to do a lot of things. Cover, rush the passer, be a physical run defender, and I think I did those things well. When I try to sell myself to an NFL, I try to emphasize those aspects that I played a lot in school.” His times were excellent, including a 4.21 in the shuttle. “I think there’s a perception that I’m just a typical Stanford linebacker. People think I’m not much of an athlete, but I’m smart and I try hard. I do think I work hard and have a good football IQ. But I think I can make all the plays.” He missed 10 tackles (14 percent), according to Sports Info Solutions.
No. 17: Khaleke Hudson, Michigan (5-11, 224; 4.56 40): Hudson was a three-year starter and three-time all-Big Ten selection. Playing the hybrid linebacker-safety Viper position, he led the team with 102 tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 for losses, as a senior. He missed 12 tackles (14 percent) but gave up a 77 percent completion rate. He was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. He had a monster 2017 with eight sacks, 18.5 TFLs and 11 passes defensed. Against Minnesota, he tied an NCAA single-game record with eight tackles for losses. He blocked five kicks in his career. “I’ll play anywhere in the box,” he said at the Combine. “If team wants me to play safety, I’ll go back there and do what I do. Teams have been talking to me about both positions and teams are trying to see where I fit at. Some teams see me as a linebacker. Some teams see me as a safety. I’m open to wherever. I just want to be on an organization and represent myself and my family the best I can.”
Hudson is fueled by his father. Carlos Hudson Sr. served several years in prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. About a year after his release, he was shot and killed. “I didn’t really think about getting answers or nothing like that,” Hudson told the Athletic. “I just wanted to make my dad proud by working at my craft, working in the classroom, being a good son for my mom and my dad.”
No. 18: Joe Bachie, Michigan State (6-1, 230; 4.67 40): Bachie was third-team all-Big Ten as a senior despite being declared ineligible for a performance-enhancing substance. In eight games, he had 71 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and 8.5 for losses, along with one interception and four pass breakups. He was a second-team midseason All-American. A two-year captain, his four-year totals were 285 tackles, 27.5 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles, eight sacks and five interceptions. His 40 time was surprisingly good because he won with instincts and toughness at Michigan State. He struggled in coverage.
“Just the whole drug-test situation, it was an over-the-counter pre-workout (supplement),” he said at the Combine. “I took it one time, six days before I was tested and that’s how it failed. Three weeks later, I got tested again when I found out I failed – perfectly clean. Really from that point, on I just turned into a coach with the team. I stayed and went to every meeting, every lift, every practice, all the home games.” He patterns his game after Luke Kuechly. He was just different, the way he prepared, the way he played game, the way he was respected. He did everything the right way, and that’s how I’ve always tried to emulate my game.”
No. 19: Mykal Walker, Fresno State (6-3, 230; 4.65 40): Walker earned all -Mountain West first-team honors as a junior and senior. During his final campaign, he was second on the team with 96 tackles and first with nine tackles for losses as a team captain. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Azusa Pacific and redshirted as a transfer in 2017.
His dad, Michael, played football at Fresno State as a defensive end where, he was a two-year letter winner in 1985 and 1986. “My dad was a real inspiration to me,” he told the school athletics site. “I lost him at a young age. He was a defensive end at Fresno State as well. It's really special to me that I am getting to play at the same school he played at and at the same position. He also played with (current defensive backs) assistant coach J.D. Williams in the NFL for a year, so that's another connection that we share.” His father died of cancer when Walker was in high school. “Just to know my dad is looking down on me. I know he’s smiling,” he told the Reporter. Walker was used more as a pass rusher – to so-so results – than a cover guy on third down. He plays hard and plays fast when his instincts lead him to the ball.
No. 20: Jacob Phillips, LSU (6-3, 229; 4.66 40): Phillips started as a sophomore and junior. After posting 87 tackles in 2018, he piled up 113 tackles in 2019. His three-year totals were 218 tackles, two sacks, 13.5 TFLs, one interception and one forced fumble. He missed the 2018 finale and the 2019 spring practices due to a torn labrum. He allowed only 4.8 yards per target in the passing game but broke up just one pass – tied for second-fewest in our top 27 linebackers – and generally was taken off the field in passing situations. He missed only seven tackles (6 percent).
Before starting at LSU, Phillips was one of the top recruits in the nation. He also was one of the younger leaders of the Young Gents of East Nashville, an organization that mentors youth in the community. He made an impact on one 12-year-old in particular. “The only person he would listen to was Jacob,” Ricky Cole told the Advocate. “He looked up to him. Well, the young kid turned out OK.”
No. 21: Shaun Bradley, Temple (6-0 5/8, 235; 4.51 40): Bradley cranked out seasons of 85 tackles (10 for losses) as a sophomore, 78 tackles (four for losses) as a junior and 86 tackles (eight for losses) as a senior. One of those tackles was a game-saving, goal-line tackle against Maryland. That gave him four-year totals of 257 tackles, 22 TFLs, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and eight passes defensed. Among our top 27 linebackers, Bradley was fourth in PFF’s run-stop percentage. He’s a better athlete than a football player. If he learns how to take on blocks, he’s got a chance.
He was awarded jersey No. 5 for his final two seasons. Only the toughest players at Temple get a single-digit number. His final game was the 50th of his career, including 38 starts. Coming out of high school, only two schools were interested He committed to Temple, only to learn the school had used his scholarship allotment. So, he took classes at Rowan College for a semester before going to Temple in spring 2016. “My dad used to tell me, ‘What if they forget and don’t have your scholarship anymore?’” Bradley told the Bucks County Courier Times.
No. 22: Kamal Martin, Minnesota (6-2 7/8, 240; DNP 40): In eight games, Martin tallied 66 tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and two interceptions to earn honorable-mention all-Big Ten. In four seasons, he recorded 177 tackles, four forced fumbles and four interceptions. He was a difference-maker when he played. His 34-inch arms are at least a couple inches longer than most of the other linebackers. He allowed a 57 percent completion rate and just 4.4 yards per target but missed 11 tackles (14 percent) and had the lowest TFL count among our top 27 linebackers. He missed four games in 2019 with foot and knee injuries, skipped the bowl game, then had what he called a minor knee surgery that prevented him from testing at the Combine. Along with injuries, he was suspended for the 2018 bowl game.
At Burnsville (Minn.) High School, Martin played quarterback and safety and was a finalist for Mr. Football Minnesota. “Growing up I was a huge Mike Vick fan as a quarterback. Huge Daunte Culpepper fan growing up and watching the Vikings. It’s surreal to be here and think about that. It’s pretty cool.”
No. 23: Francis Bernard, Utah (6-0 3/8, 234; 4.81 40): Bernard was first-team all-Pac-12 as a senior, when he moved into the starting lineup. He finished second on the team with 85 tackles, including 7.5 five for losses, and added two interceptions. He had a 58-yard pick-six against BYU – the school where he spent his first two years. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Cougars. In 2016, he had 80 tackles and three interceptions. Bernard ranked fifth in PFF’s run-stop percentage and allowed only a 47 percent completion rate, according to Sports Info Solutions.
“I’m telling them I’m the best linebacker in this draft class – probably the best defensive player in this draft class,” he said at the Combine. “There’s nobody in this draft class that prepares the way I do. There’s no one who’s coming into this league more prepared like I am from a professional level. My junior and senior years were pretty much professional years for me, and I treated it like I was already in the NFL until. I have the right maturity level and the preparation. And then like I said, I’m the complete package. Whether you want me to play in coverage, blitz or stuff the run, I’m able to do every single one of those things.”
Bernard became a father in October 2018. Little Lennox weighed just 2 pounds, 2 ounces. He arrived four weeks early after his mom, former BYU swimmer Alexis Johnson, collapsed due to high blood pressure caused by preeclampsia.
No. 24: Justin Strnad, Wake Forest (6-3 3/8, 238; 4.74 40): Strnad recorded 69 tackles in seven games as a senior, his season cut short with a torn bicep tendon. Strnad had a game-clinching interception against Utah State and its prized quarterback, Jordan Love. He had a career-high 105 tackles and 8.5 tackles for losses as a junior and 51 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for losses, three interceptions and two forced fumbles as a sophomore. His four-year total was 244 tackles, 22.5 TFLs, eight sacks, four interceptions, 10 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. In 2019, the former high school safety allowed a mere 2.9 yards per target in the passing game. His lack of speed and agility (4.49 in the 20-yard shuttle), however, could render that strong performance meaningless. He missed 11 tackles (14 percent).
“On the field, I didn't put up the numbers I'd wanted to, but that's not what I've been my whole life,” he said of his Combine experience. “I'm a student of the game and know what I'm doing on the field. I'm not some physical freak. I never have been nor ever will be.” At Wake, Strnad went from the 1,550th-ranked recruit in the nation to team captain. How did he go from a player who, apparently, wasn't very good to a starter? “That’s how it’s been since high school,” he said at the Combine. “I haven’t been the five-star, I haven’t been this top recruit, but I bit down on my mouthpiece and went to work. That’s how my father raised me, it’s how I’ve grown up.”
No. 25: Shaquille Quarterman, Miami (6-0 1/2, 234; 4.74 40): Quarterman not only was a four-year starter but he was a four-time all-conference selection, including first-team honors as a junior and senior. As a senior, he posted a team-high 107 tackles, which included 15.5 tackles for losses. Both figures were career highs. His four-year totals included 356 tackles, 13 sacks, 46.5 TFLs, 14 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He was seventh in PFF’s run-stop percentage. Despite the wealth of experience, he’s not smooth in coverage; according to PFF, he allowed six touchdowns vs. one interception in his career. The lack of speed is an issue.
He was the first true freshman to start at middle linebacker for Miami since Dan Morgan in 1998. A rock, he became the first Hurricane to ever start all 52 collegiate games. “To have any record at this school, you have to be doing something right,’’ Quarterman told the Miami Herald. “I don’t think many people are able to do that, so it’s definitely a blessing.” He played through a torn shoulder as a freshman. “I knew that I didn’t want to give my spot up no matter if I was injured. I think there’s a difference between bumps and bruises, and injuries. With that shoulder issue I had, it wasn’t like I couldn’t perform. I just had to put on a shoulder strap and go to the training room for countless hours a day, but it was worth it on Saturdays, being able to run out the smoke with my guys. It was a small price to pay.’’
No. 26: Cameron Brown, Penn State (6-5 1/4, 233; 4.72 40): Brown fell just short of 200 tackles in his career. He tallied 73 (with 6.5 for losses) with six passes defensed and three forced fumbles as a junior and 72 (with 5.5 for losses) and four passes defensed as a senior to give him a four-year total of 198 stops. He’s the tallest and longest (34-inch arms) linebacker in the draft. His instincts aren’t nearly as impressive.
“The guys will know that I always fought for them,” Brown said before the 51st and final game of his career. “I fought for the coaches in the locker room, I fought for the players with the coaches, and I feel like if that's what I can leave here with, I'm good.” Penn State is nicknamed Linebacker U. However, the school hasn’t had a linebacker drafted since 2013.
No. 27: Dante Olson, Montana (6-3, 240): Olson had a banner career with a school-record 397 tackles. As a senior, he was a first-team All-American and won the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in FCS. His 179 tackles were more than anyone in college football and set a Big Sky Conference record. It also broke the Montana record, which Olson had set in 2018 with an FCS-leading 151 tackles. In a game against Oregon in 2019, he had 14 tackles. His 4.88 at the Combine won him no favors.
Olson has a 3.91 GPA and was active in the community. In 2018, he was the GoGriz.com Person of the Year. Part of his work was in an anti-bullying campaign. As a kid, Olson was the one being bullied. “The instincts in me said, ‘Dante, you're going to have to learn how to deal with this. You've got to stand up to him,’” his father, Jeff, told the school athletics site. “But that isn't his nature. On the field, yes, he can be a violent dude. Away from the field, that’s not who he is. I saw him every day and he was crying and saying he was never going back to school. I didn’t appreciate the extent to which he was truly suffering until years later. Shame on me for not recognizing the signs. It breaks my heart to know he'd thought those thoughts.” Those thoughts included suicide.
Bill Huber’s Linebacker Profiles
No. 1: Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons
No. 2: Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray
No. 5: Ohio State’s Malik Harrison
