Slimm's 2015 Outside Linebackers

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Seniors

1. Paul Dawson / TCU / 6'2", 230

2. Jake Ryan / Michigan / 6'3", 240

3. Chi Chi Ariguzo / Northwestern / 6'3", 235





4. Mark Nzeocha / Wyoming / 6'3", 240

5. Quayshawn Nealy / Georgia Tech / 6'1", 232

6. A.J. Johnson / Tennessee / 6'2", 243

7. Dyshawn Davis / Syracuse / 6'2", 220

8. Derek Akunne / North Texas / 6'0", 244

9. Lynden Trail / Norfolk St. / 6'6", 250 (Rush)
(4 Star recruit originally committed to Florida. Some folks close to the program thought he was going to be the next Jevon Kearse.)

10. Matt Robinson / Maryland / 6'3", 240

11. Qushaun Lee / Arkansas St. / 5'11", 225

12. James Vaughters / Stanford / 6'2", 254

13. Mike Hull / Penn St. / 6'0", 227

14. Tony Washington / Oregon / 6'3", 243 (Rush)

15. Maurice Falls / East Carolina / 6'2", 247

16. Xzavier Dickson / Alabama / 6'3", 265 (Rush)

17. Efrem Oliphant / Houston / 6'1", 230

18. Jordan Hicks / Texas / 6'2", 238

19. Reshard Cliett / USF / 6'2", 220

20. Serderius Bryant / Ole Miss / 5'9", 220

21. Nick Temple / Cincinnati / 5'10", 220

22. Junior Sylvestre / Toledo / 6'0", 220

23. Vince Buhagiar / San Jose St. / 6'3", 237

24. Kyle Woestmann / Vanderbilt / 6'3", 252 (Rush)

25. David Mayo / Texas St. / 6'2", 228

26. Josh Keyes / Boston College / 6'2", 225








Underclassman:

1. Leonard Floyd / Georgia / 6'4", 230 (Rush)

2. Shaq Thompson / Washington / 6'2", 225

3. Benardrick McKinney / Mississippi St. / 6'4", 250

4. Jordan Jenkins / Georgia / 6'3", 246 (Rush)

5. Nick Vigil / Utah St. / 6'2", 230
(Reminds me of a young Keith Brooking coming out of Georgia Tech)

6. Kyler Fackrell / Utah St. / 6'4", 245 (Rush)

7. Tyler Matakevich / Temple / 6'1", 235




8. Eric Striker / Oklahoma / 6'0", 225

9. Casanova McKinzy / Auburn / 6'2", 245

10. Steve Longa / Rutgers / 6'1", 225

11. Cory James / Colorado St. / 6'0", 240

12. Denzel Devall / Alabama / 6'2", 250 (Rush)

13. Dominique Tovell / ULL / 6'2", 248

14. T.T. Barber / MTSU / 6'1", 220

15. Ejiro Ederaine / Fresno St. / 6'2", 225

16. Steven Daniels / Boston College / 6'0", 257

17. Terrance Smith / Florida St. / 6'3", 220

18. Denzel Nkemdiche / Ole Miss / 5'11", 215

 

[finsfanjay13]

Looking at some of those names, I can't help but think of that damn Key & Peele sketch...

 

[ckparrothead]

Shaq Thompson is phenomonal. I'm surprised you don't have him higher among the underclassmen.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Shaq Thompson is phenomonal. I'm surprised you don't have him higher among the underclassmen.

I actually really like Thompson, reminds me a lot of Daryl Washington coming out of TCU. He actually has the athletic skills to play defensive back, which is exactly how he began his career. Excellent special teams player. Many of these collegiate offenses are going to start you out in your nickel package anyway, and it's becoming even more prevelant at the next level too. I think Thompson is the type of LB that I would covet as a true 3 down linebacker in the mold of an Arthur Brown, Daryl Washington, Lavonte David, Ryan Shazier.

I have Thompson graded as a 2nd rounder in the #45 overall range as we speak. He's a terrific player, as are some of these guys ahead of him. Although most of them are going to be outside, or weakside "rush" linebackers in defenses that prefer to utilize an odd front.

 

[ckparrothead]

I actually really like Thompson, reminds me a lot of Daryl Washington coming out of TCU. He actually has the athletic skills to play defensive back, which is exactly how he began his career. Excellent special teams player. Many of these collegiate offenses are going to start you out in your nickel package anyway, and it's becoming even more prevelant at the next level too. I think Thompson is the type of LB that I would covet as a true 3 down linebacker in the mold of an Arthur Brown, Daryl Washington, Lavonte David, Ryan Shazier.

I have Thompson graded as a 2nd rounder in the #45 overall range as we speak. He's a terrific player, as are some of these guys ahead of him. Although most of them are going to be outside, or weakside "rush" linebackers in defenses that prefer to utilize an odd front.

That sounds right.

It's tough to see linebacker as anything but a dying position in the NFL. Or at the very least a changing one. Offenses are spreading the field, putting defenses in nickel packages more than their base package, and going into hurry-up to interfere with a defense's substitutions.

The very first thing the NFL needs out of a top linebacker prospect is for that linebacker to be a good nickel coverage/blitzing linebacker with the kind of speed and agility you would expect from that kind of specialist, and from there they just build the guy into the base package.

Shaq Thompson is probably a poster child for that trend. As you say, the way he's used and the way he plays, he's practically another defensive back...a run-and-hit safety. That's why he excels in kick and punt coverage so much. Fearless. But he's also good in coverage, especially man. I like his overall viciousness, physicality, trigger. The physical change of direction, agility and acceleration skills are near to ideal too.

Seems like every draft you can almost count on one hand the number of linebacker prospects you find that you think could play 1000 snaps a season at the next level. And the number of those that could actually play WELL for 1000 snaps a season, even lower. That's what I mean by dying position. If Shaq Thompson comes to be seen as one of those guys I think he could go high like Mosley or Shazier.

 

[ckparrothead]

The guy I have some trouble with is Kyler Fackrell.

You have him as a rush linebacker and I think that's correct. But when evaluated as a pass rusher, are we really seeing a GREAT pass rusher? Because if we're not, then whatever multiple style team he goes to will keep trying to replace him with the newest line of Barkevious Mingo dolls to hit the market, or the team he's on will convert to a 4-3 and have no place for him because he's not a Von Miller and there's no use trying to build your defense around him as if he is a Von Miller.

Basically we might be looking at a guy like Jarret Johnson. You can win a lot of games with Jarret Johnson, but teams don't necessarily covet Jarret Johnson...and Jarret Johnson's fate is controlled by defensive coordinators who either build their schemes according to their rigid beliefs or according to needle-moving chess pieces on the defense, which aren't Jarret Johnson.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

There's very few great pass rushers in college football...especially when they're only sophomores. You only need one hand to count those. I wouldn't describe Fackrell as a great pass rusher. Big kid that's fast, athletic, tough, relentless, and durable. Probably an underrated prospect out there right now if I were to guess.

I think he's a tenacious pass rusher. He's equally adept at playing the run and rushing the passer. I see it on tape a lot where they're disinterested in the former and the defense suffers as a whole because of it.

Utah St. has only been good on defense for 2 years, largely due to Kyler Fackrell. Out of all the "abilities" that a player can have, to a coach the most important one is availability. Fackrell has proven extremely durable his first two years.

The kid never stays blocked. He understands leverage and how to disengage. Although he's not very experienced yet in coverage. Coach Wells likes to use him essentially as an overhanging or "force" defender at the line of scrimmage.

The interesting thing about Kyler Fackrell is that he's an offensive convert similar to Anthony Barr. Still has a lot of upside as a pass rusher. I know Tennessee better be ready for him week 1. Because they don't have Jawuan James there anymore and he's going to try to wreck 'em. I'll bet high that he makes 2 or 3 plays on defense that change the complexion of that football game.

I certainly agree with your point regarding the league and how they'll tend to covet athletes like Mingo...and for good reason. That's why I have Floyd as my top guy here. He's basically a carbon copy of Mingo.

 

[Tannenbombs]

Shaq Thompson is an ideal 4-3 Will. Not in the same league as David or Shazier in recent years, but will be a good-very good starter for a team for a while. Block shedding isn't an issue as a 4-3 WILL as you're already covered up, especially in an under front like Seattle's. I think ~ #45 range is right where he will/should be picked.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

Depending upon whether Miami would prefer Tripp to develop into a WLB or MLB, I can see Thompson being on their radar. He definitely fits the modern WLB prototype - over-sized NB, who can blitz and is comfortable around the LOS. I can also see Hickey seeing some L. David to his game.

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

Shaq Thompson had like a 50+ yard touchdown as the halfback today. Id say its pretty evident he's just an overall athletic freak…very good fit for our D

 

[ckparrothead]

Alani Fua really has had my attention. He stands out on film. Had a heck of a game against Texas.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

One of the most interesting trends in college football to me at the moment is that we're seeing these teams use extremely athletic linebackers to carry the football from the RB position.

In terms of recent history, Tennessee began this trend with A.J. Johnson during his freshman year when he was the trigger man in their Wildcat package. FSU moved Karlos Williams over from safety, who has the size of a linebacker. UCLA made Myles Jack a household name last year by letting him tote the rock. Washington has gotten in on the action with Shaq Thompson. Utah St. is now turning around and handing the football to Nick Vigil, who reminds me a young Keith Brooking at Georgia Tech.

To me it points directly to two things.... struggling to convert 1st downs on the ground due to poor offensive line play and/or lack of a RB who can break tackles and get the tough yards due to the infestation of the spread. Running backs aren't just devalued in the NFL, the devaluation of RB's began in college. That's why a RB never wins the Heisman anymore other than Mark Ingram. He won it because Alabama is one of the few programs that still put an emphasis on strong, tackle breaking RB's and running the football.

You can count these teams on one hand in the NFL, and both hands in college football. However, these teams are typically successful on both levels. It's difficult for many of these programs to be able to recruit the caliber of running back it takes to produce at a consistent level and break the tackles of defensive players that are bigger, stronger, and faster than they've ever been coming out of high school.

It's not the value of what a running back contributes that has fallen by the wayside, or that consistently good RB's are a dime a dozen. It's completely the opposite. It's the fact that consistently good RB's are hard to find in college to begin with, and this simply carries it's momentum on to the next level.

 

[ckparrothead]

Devon Johnson worth mentioning along those lines. He was a linebacker as a freshman in 2012, moved to tight end in 2013, now is a 150 yard per game tailback in 2014...at 6'1" & 245 lbs.

I think there are all kinds of things at work in this trend, which I've also been observing although I hadn't thought of A.J. Johnson's switch or Nick Vigil's.

To me, I'm looking at Devon Johnson's switch from LB to TE to RB, I'm looking at Shaq Thompson's switch from LB to RB, I'm looking at Karlos Williams' switch from oversized safety to RB, I'm looking at UCLA's moving Myles Jack between OLB and RB, and then I'm looking at James Conner's switch from DE to RB. That's the trend that I've had my eye on.

My conclusions are a little bit different. Proliferation of the spread is certainly a factor, but I think about what the proliferation of the spread has done to defenses. I think defensive players aren't necessarily bigger and faster than they used to be, really just faster and more explosive. A lot more penetrators on the defensive line, a lot more run-and-hit guys among the linebackers, and a lot more defensive backs on the field period.

The game is pretty cyclical so I think the natural response to this is to bring in some oversized explosive types at tailback and really challenge these lighter, faster defenses' ability to man up and tackle a guy.

I think Jim Harbaugh was part of the counter-wave against these defenses that had started to be built to stop the spread. Instead of wide offensive line splits like you saw with Mike Leach, he tightened the offensive line splits, and then they started to just bring more big bodied OLs onto the field as tight ends, started using tight ends like wide receivers, and used ogres like Toby Gerhart to run the football behind them. Try and stop that with your defense designed to handle the spread.

 

[ckparrothead]

One of the reasons I'm so enamoured with watching Marshall this year is they have a spread offense, yet they also have a monster at tailback that runs over the defenders coming onto the field to try and defend that spread. It's such a conundrum for defenses.

And there really are some offensive concepts that lay unused in that offense, that they could be using to better maximize Rakeem Cato's feet and mobility. Yet they're hanging 46 points a game on teams. It's fun to watch.

 

[Tannenbombs]

I actually really like Thompson, reminds me a lot of Daryl Washington coming out of TCU. He actually has the athletic skills to play defensive back, which is exactly how he began his career. Excellent special teams player. Many of these collegiate offenses are going to start you out in your nickel package anyway, and it's becoming even more prevelant at the next level too. I think Thompson is the type of LB that I would covet as a true 3 down linebacker in the mold of an Arthur Brown, Daryl Washington, Lavonte David, Ryan Shazier.

I have Thompson graded as a 2nd rounder in the #45 overall range as we speak. He's a terrific player, as are some of these guys ahead of him. Although most of them are going to be outside, or weakside "rush" linebackers in defenses that prefer to utilize an odd front.

I have him in the top 15. I see you've updated your ranking since this post in August though.

For anyone who hasn't bought stock in Shaq Thompson yet, now would be a good time.