NFP Senior Middle Linebacker Breakdown

FROM WES BUNTING:

As we continue our senior position breakdowns, we turn to the middle linebacker spot. No position in the NFL has seen more overachievers make it than middle linebacker, where instincts, motor and toughness consistently rule over pure athletic ability. Here’s our first look at the 2010 senior MLB class.

Click HERE to check out the rest of the NFP’s Senior rankings.

The Top Three

Brandon Spikes, Florida (6-3, 256)

Spikes not only turned down a chance to be a first-round pick in 2009 by electing to stay for his senior season, he also likely missed a chance to be a top-20 selection. However, Spikes now has a chance to further increase his draft stock with another dominating year in the SEC and stake his claim as a possible top-10 selection in 2010. He’s a big, well-built physical specimen with good overall strength for the position. He’s a gifted athlete, but if he needs to, he knows how to stack and shed in the hole. He’s also a sideline-to-sideline backer who is very comfortable in space and does a nice job flipping his hips when asked to turn and run down the field. All the physical and athletic tools are there, but it’s Spikes’ instincts and playmaking ability that really set him apart. He has a knack for the big play and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He finished last season with four interceptions and two touchdowns and is the guy the entire Florida defense really seems to rally around. He leads by example and is the type of three-down linebacker NFL teams love.

Sean Lee, Penn State (6-2, 236)

Lee entered the 2008 season looking like the next legitimate linebacker prospect to come out of Penn State. He was suppose to follow in the footsteps of former MLBs Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, but an ACL injury he sustained last spring forced him to miss the entire season. Now 12 months removed from the injury, Lee is said to be moving well as he prepares for the 2009 season. Like most PSU linebackers, he’s a tough, instinctive kid who reads and reacts quickly and has a nose for the ball. He’s also a sure tackler who has been very productive during his time at Penn State. But what sets him apart from both Posluszny and Connor is his overall athletic ability and coordination in space. Lee is a fluid athlete who knows how to play the pass and can turn and run with the best tight ends in the Big-10. It remains to be seen if he will still showcase the same type of athleticism following his knee injury, but the former outside linebacker should make a seamless transition to the inside linebacker spot this fall.

Joe Pawelek, Baylor (6-2, 240)

Pawelek was a guy who immediately flashed on tape for me last season when I studied the Texas-Baylor tape. Even though Baylor was outmatched on defense, Pawelek consistently sniffed out plays at the line of scrimmage and looked comfortable vs. the pass. He finished the Texas game with nine tackles, a half tackle for loss, one interception and two passes defended. Pawelek is a good athlete who possesses the footwork and balance to cleanly get out of his breaks and close on the ball. He looks very natural dropping into zone coverage down the middle half of the field, reading the quarterbacks eyes and jumping routes. He finished the 2008 season with six interceptions and has consistently showcased an ability to make plays vs. the pass. He isn’t the most explosive athlete and isn’t nearly as gifted in man coverage, but he’s consistently made plays in the pass-happy Big 12, a trait that should enhance his value as a middle linebacker prospect.

The Next Two

Micah Johnson, Kentucky (6-2, 256)

Johnson is a thick, sturdy middle linebacker prospect who has the frame to consistently take on blockers in the hole and win at the point of attack. At only 6-2, he understands how to win with natural leverage and has the base strength to cleanly stack oncoming blockers. He’s at his best attacking downhill at the line of scrimmage and using his combination of burst, power and quickness to consistently close on the ball. He was third in the SEC last year with 8½ tackles per game and also doubles as an instinctive pass rusher who knows how to sniff out rush lanes inside and find the QB. He finished 2008 with only 2½ sacks, but displayed a real knack for creating pressure inside. Johnson is a bit stiff in coverage and may be somewhat limited as a pass defender at the next level. But he possesses the kind of physical skill set you love to see from the MLB spot and looks like an ideal fit for either a 3-4 of 4-3 scheme.

Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State (6-1, 245)

Chaney was considered one of the better middle linebacker prospects in the nation entering the 2008 season and was expected to be in the mix as a first-day pick last month. But a season-ending leg injury he suffered in the first game of the year derailed those plans. However, Chaney was granted a medical redshirt and is looking to rebound in 2009. A physical, downhill backer who is very aggressive vs. the run game and isn’t afraid to bring the wood on all levels of the field. He’s a sound wrap-up tackler who closes quickly on the ball and knows how to make plays inside the box. He’s also a solid athlete who can run sideline to sideline and breaks down well in space. He does have some rough edges to his game and lacks great read-and-react ability. But if he can recover from the injury and improve on his 2007 form, Chaney could move up draft boards this year.

The Rest

Reggie Carter, UCLA (6-1, 226)

An undersized middle linebacker who lacks ideal girth and height for the position but plays with natural leverage and can run sideline to sideline.

Darryl Sharpton, Miami (5-11, 235)

An explosive fireplug inside who plays a lot bigger than his frame would indicate and consistently makes plays in pursuit.

Pat Angerer, Iowa (6-1, 235)

He lacks ideal size, but is very instinctive and does a great job finding the football and making plays inside. A classic overachiever.

Daryl Washington, TCU (6-3, 228)

A gifted athlete who has all the tools to quickly rise up draft boards with a strong 2009 campaign.

Patrick Benoist, Vanderbilt (6-0, 224)

He’s undersized but plays with a motor that runs non-stop and knows how to fill up a stat sheet.  

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