NFL Draft Prospects | Top 5 ILB

Top 5 ILB Prospects

Much like the safety prospects this year, the inside linebacker class of this year lacks a true standout player. Many of the players in this year’s offering are OLB converts or only project well as a situational ILB in a 3-4 scheme. Be wary of this when planning your IDP dynasty draft. Expect some of the labeled ILBs to convert back to OLB and likewise, many of the bigger OLBs will likely move inside early in their career.

1) Dan Connor, Penn State

Connor’s roots are on the outside, spending all of his college career there save his senior year. He is a better blitzer than coverage LB but is still a sure tackle. His football instincts are paramount and is rarely caught out of position. His speed and size will allow him to adapt well to the NFL game. Expect the team that drafts Connor to keep him on the outside for a year or two.

2) Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma

Quickness is Lofton’s calling card in this draft. Beginning his career at strong-side linebacker, Lofton moved inside for the last four games of his junior year and finished off an excellent year amassing 157 tackles. I compare him to a more well-built version of D’Qwell Jackson, a short stocky type linebacker that relies on quickness and good tackling to be effective. Despite limited experience at the position, I believe Lofton is a better fit for the inside than outside. In fact, some sites do not even list Lofton as an inside linebacker. Similar to Connor, he is a tweener type that may live on the outside until he gets his shot.

3) Jerod Mayo, Tennessee

Mayo, like the previous two on the list, spent all of the college career on the outside before moving inside in his senior year. Mayo is an instinctive football player who can close on ball carriers, cover well and blitz effectively. A knock on him is that he is too light for his frame and many scouts have considered Mayo better suited to the weak side. Mayo scares me the most out of all of the prospects on this list to move back to the outside permanently. He is still a great prospect but this may not translate to fantasy success as an inside linebacker.

4) Johnathan Goff, Vanderbilt

A more natural inside linebacker, Goff has the intangibles you want in the leader of your defense as a two-time team captain for Vanderbilt. One of the best combine performers, don’t be surprised if Goff is taken higher than many expect. Although he would likely do fine in a traditional 4-3 set, I believe he would benefit from being inside in a Wade Phillips-type 3-4 set that does not require larger LBs. (No, I’m not saying the Cowboys will select him)

5) Phillip Wheeler, Georgia Tech

A high-school defensive end, sophomore weak side linebacker and junior/senior middle linebacker, Wheeler is the epitome of a physical upside player that has shown his ability to learn new positions and in turn, new schemes. Wheeler is a superb blitzer but has shown a tendency to bite on fakes. He is also a big presence for a linebacker as 245 lbs and rarely is taken off of his feet. Another linebacker who may not see the light of day from the inside, Wheeler needs to improve his awareness on playaction before teams will consider him a true Mike. His athleticism and penchant for getting to the QB will likely land him a gig on the outside early in his career.

Close to the cut:
Beau Bell, UNLV - Another OLB convert, injury history, character issues and weak coverage play knock him out of the top 5. Keep your eye on him however, as he projects better to the inside than many of his predecessors.
Erin Henderson, Maryland - Yes, Henderson is a true OLB but I believe he will become an excellent 3-4 ILB, watch for the team that drafts him.
Spencer Larsen, Arizona - Smaller body and weaker combine; Larsen produces but in outclassed but other prospects.

tag: NFL, Draft, Prospects, Phillip Wheeler, Johnathan Goff, Jerod Mayo, Curtis Lofton, dan connor, football, football jabber, sports, combine

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