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Draft Dish: '08 class loaded at linebacker
Aug. 26, 2007 Print it
By Russ Lande
For Sporting News
The 2008 draft class looks as if it'll be chocked full of top-flight linebackers. There were some good linebackers in the '07 draft, but few elite ones. The '08 class has at least three first-round prospects and could have as many as six or seven after the juniors join in.
Here is a quick look at the top senior linebackers heading into the season:
1. Keith Rivers, Southern Cal, 6-3, 236. Rivers is an elite athlete who flies around the field making impact plays. He is a well built outside linebacker who finds the ball quickly, moves through traffic with ease and has the speed to chase down anyone from the backside. He can do it all -- is a productive as a blitzer, is adept at making tackles on runs at him and breaks up passes in man-to-man and zone coverage. Rivers, no doubt, has the tools to be a three-down linebacker in the NFL. He will be a high first-round pick in April.
2. Dan Connor, Penn State, 6-3, 225. Connor was an elite linebacker from Day 1 upon his arrival at Penn State and should cement his first-round stock with a solid senior season. He is tough and competitive with the athleticism and speed to make a lot of plays. He shows excellent instincts to read plays and react in a blink. He is a smooth and fluid athlete, enabling him to be a solid open-field tackler and get good depth in zone coverage. He maintains good balance and plays under control. Connor is the rare star high school player who met or exceeded expectations in college.
3. Vince Hall, Virginia Tech, 5-11 3/8, 237. Hall will become a good NFL linebacker but probably won't be drafted high unless his 40-yard dash times improve. He is lesser known than Tech teammate Xavier Adibi but clearly is more productive. Hall lacks ideal height but shows the strength to standup lead blockers, shed them and make the tackle. He shows great fundamentals and delivers violent hits. He is tough and aggressive. Adibi will overshadow Hall in pre-draft workouts, but Hall is sure to be the better NFL player.
4. Beau Bell, UNLV, 6-1 3/4, 251. Bell is the physical specimen every NFL team wants at inside linebacker. He is tough and competitive and delivers violent hits. He shows good instincts to sniff out plays and close quickly. He has the strength to take on blockers but must become more consistent at shedding blocks. He works well in zone coverage but struggles to flip hips to turn and run well with tight ends in man-to-man coverage. He tends to run upright and thus overrun some tackles.
5. Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech, 6-1 1/2, 218. Adibi is athletic with the speed and burst to reach and finish any play. Shows good instincts and is aggressive when filling holes to take on lead blockers. He must get bigger and stronger to hold up at the point of attack, though. He must learn to use hands better to take on and shed blocks and to protect his legs from cut blocks. Drops into zone coverage nicely, and can plant, drive and close quickly on passes. Adibi is a similar prospect to the Falcons' Demorrio Williams.
6. Tavares Gooden, Miami (Fla.), 6-2, 230. Gooden is the type of outside linebacker NFL scouts love or hate -- he is a great athlete but is inconsistent. He often is the last linebacker moving after the snap but shows the acceleration and speed to catch up and make the play. He shows good balance and technique to deliver hard, physical tackles. He is not smooth or fluid in coverage, and he loses a step when forced to turn and run with receivers in man-to-man coverage. He does not hesitate to take on blockers. He is a boom-or-bust prospect.
7. Ezra Butler, Nevada, 6-2 1/8, 246. Butler is a big, strong and athletic outside linebacker who has shown steady improvement in college. He has rare size and speed and shows good instincts to read plays quickly and react in a flash. He is at his best chasing plays. He takes on blockers and holds his ground well at the point of attack but must learn to better use his hands to shed blocks. He looks comfortable playing off the ball in coverage, and makes a lot of plays on the ball. Butler is not the most polished of linebackers but has the size and speed to move up draft boards with a good senior season.
8. Ali Highsmith, LSU, 6-0, 222. Highsmith is a frustrating prospect to grade. He is a good athlete with good speed but does not make as many plays as he should. He is as his best in man-to-man coverage, capable of running with any tight end. He drops quickly into zone coverage, reads the quarterback well and closes quickly to break up a lot of passes. He shows the acceleration and speed to chase down plays from the backside. He can be a good tackler but tends to get overaggressive and miss tackles. He struggles to take on and defeat blockers. Our biggest concern is that Highsmith often is fooled by play-action fakes and misdirection plays. He has the talent to be an NFL starter but must greatly improve his use of hands to take on blockers and improve his instincts.
9. Corey McKeon, Nebraska, 6-0 3/8, 235. McKeon is the type of inside linebacker who often gets overlooked because he lacks great size and is not an explosive player. The more you evaluate him the more, though, the more it becomes clear he has what it takes to be an NFL starter if he can add 10 pounds of bulk. McKeon plays with a smart, tough and instinctive style. He gets started to the ball in a flash, avoids blockers and makes more plays than you'd expect. He takes on blockers at the point of attack but lacks the bulk to hold his ground.
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Draft Dish: '08 class loaded at linebacker
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