Top Inside Linebackers In The 2019 Draft
1. LSU ILB Devin White – Junior – 6-0, 237 – 4.42
White is far and away the top inside linebacker in this year’s draft. In his sophomore year he stood out with a nation-leading 133 tackles while adding 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His junior year was no different, as he was named to the All-SEC team, was named a first-team All-American and was awarded the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. He finished his career with 286 total tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception. With 4.42 speed, a prototypical body and great talent, White is a sideline-to-sideline guy who’s projected to be the first inside linebacker off of the board and an immediate starter in the NFL. The Bucs love White’s culture-changing leadership ability and interviewed him at the NFL Scouting Combine and also had him in for a Top 30 visit. White has been a fixture in PewterReport.com’s Bucs Mock Drafts dating back to the first one in January.
Michigan ILB Devin Bush – Photo courtesy of Univ. of Michigan
2. Michigan ILB Devin Bush – Junior – 5-11, 234 – 4.43
Bush is widely considered the second-best inside linebacker coming out this year, according to analysts. When it comes to the position, he likely sits one degree below White and one degree above the rest of the class. In 2017, Bush was a finalist for the Butkis Award and finished his sophomore year with first-team All-Big 10 honors before being awarded the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and named a second-team All-American in 2018. He is a little small and has some issues when diagnosing plays on the fly, but he’s got great measurables, great production and has landed himself in position to also likely start immediately once in the NFL. Bush finished 2018 with 66 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception. Tampa Bay had him in for a pre-draft Top 30 visit.
3. Alabama OLB Mack Wilson – Junior – 6-1, 240 – 4.50
Wilson played in just five games in his first year with the Crimson Tide, but made an impact in his second and third years with the team, accumulating 105 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions and seven passes defended in his sophomore and junior years combined. He’s not the purest blitzer despite playing outside linebacker in college, as shown by his seven tackles for loss and lone sack at Alabama, but he’s shown flashes. Where Wilson truly shines, though, is in his coverage. He’s got great size and agility, good speed and can line up against running backs or tight ends with success. Expect Wilson to be selected as high as the second round come draft day, although there are some character concerns that will keep him out of the first round.
4. Florida ILB Vosean Joseph – Junior – 6-1, 230 – N/A
Joseph didn’t start immediately at Florida, but started 21 of 24 games over his sophomore and junior years. In 2018, Joseph had great production, totaling 93 tackles, nine tackles for loss and four sacks. He’s a bit small for the position and has some extreme inconsistencies, according to scouts, but plays with great speed and natural athleticism. His inconsistencies leave his draft projection a bit of a toss up, depending on where a team deems his positives are worth the risk of his negatives, but he’s likely a solid Day 2 selection.
5. Notre Dame ILB Te’Von Coney – Senior – 6-1, 234 – 4.72
Coney enters the draft on the heels of four years at Notre Dame where he accumulated 239 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his final two seasons as a full-time starter with the Fighting Irish. He’s a linebacker with average size and average athleticism, but put up great numbers in his time in college. Coney will have to fill out his body at the NFL level, and while he leaves some to be desired from an athletic and coverage standpoint, he’s an aggressive player with some explosiveness and a great ability to bring the ball carrier down when he gets firing in one direction.
6. Notre Dame ILB Drue Tranquill – Senior – 6-2, 234 – 4.57
Behind Coney is Notre Dame’s other senior ILB to enter the draft this year. Tranquill is another guy who doesn’t have the most athletic build, but wills his way to production through tough play and effort. As a former safety, his lack of size impacts his ability to clog run lanes and bring running backs down, but he has had his moments when rushing off of the edge and his past experience as a defensive back aids his ability to perform in coverage. He’s had two knee injuries, and with his limitations, he’s got an uphill battle to find himself starting anywhere in the NFL, but in the right spot he projects as a guy who could make a roster and live as a backup at the next level. Tranquill’s coverage ability improves his draft grade.
7. N.C. State ILB Germaine Pratt – Senior – 6-2, 240 – 4.57
Pratt played well at N.C. State, making an impact on the field all four years, but not starting until his senior year. In that lone year as a starter he was named first-team All-ACC with 104 tackles, 10 of them going for loss, and six sacks. As a safety-turned-linebacker he’s still in the process of adding necessary size and truly learning the nuances of the position. He’s stiff and underdeveloped when attacking gaps in the offensive line and lacks some awareness when trying to diagnose plays in the backfield, but Pratt plays with good mobility and athleticism that translates from his time at defensive back. With experience at both inside and outside linebacker, Pratt is a project that’s expected to be taken in the fourth round.
8. Auburn ILB Deshaun Davis – Senior – 5-11, 234 – N/A
At 5-foot-11, Davis is slightly undersized for his position, and while he’s got good functional strength and technique to finish tackles, he’s limited by his lack of speed and natural athleticism. When moving downhill and tasked with being a directional run-stuffer he’s sufficient in his game, but when the play opens up often he’s left at a disadvantage. His play IQ and awareness are top notch, but it’s hard to overlook his physical limitations. In the right position and scheme he could be used effectively, but it’s unlikely that he projects as an every down impact player at the next level.
9. BYU ILB Sione Takitaki – Senior – 6-1, 238 – 4.63
Takitaki progressed from being kicked off of the team for a short period in his first year to a team captain by his senior year. He’s got good short burst and tackling ability, but has a tendency to over-pursue and run himself out of potential plays. Plays aggressive when blitzing or rushing the passer but lacks technique that could bring his explosiveness to the next level in that category. Takitaki is a Day 3 pick who will likely fit best as a special teams guy.
10. Clemson ILB Kendall Joseph – Senior – 6-0, 233 – N/A
Joseph started for three years on a dominant front seven for Clemson. He’s a big, strong linebacker, but lacks a lot of the speed or sideline-to-sideline agility that will be necessary to stay on the field at the next level. He’s had success in coverage and shows flashes when attacking the line in pursuit of the ball carrier, but likely lacks crucial athleticism needed for the NFL. He’s another linebacker that finds himself in between what’s physically needed for being an inside or outside linebacker, while not being ideal for either. Joseph is, at best, projected for a late Day 3 selection.
Best of the Rest
11. Duke ILB Joe Giles-Haris – Junior – 6-2, 234 – 4.75
Big, strong linebacker that uses his strength, effort and physicality to make up for his natural limitations when it comes to speed, acceleration and lateral mobility. He’s a directional thumper that works best in the run game. He lacks the coverage abilities to be on the field for all three downs, but he could find his way on a roster as a rotational or backup linebacker.
Maryland LB Tre Watson – Photo by: Maryland
12. Maryland ILB Tre Watson – 6-2, 236 – 4.73
Watson will project best as a rotational inside linebacker at the next level. Like many linebackers at this point in the draft, his physical limitations are his biggest weakness. He’s best suited when playing in a base defense, committing to play reads, shooting his gaps and defending the run between the tackles. While he isn’t a natural cover linebacker, his awareness in shallow zones led him to five interceptions in 2018 for Maryland. In his lone year with the Terrapins he added 108 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. Watson, a Tampa product, was a local visitor to One Buc Place prior to the draft.
13. TCU ILB Ty Summers – Senior – 6-1, 241 – 4.51
Summers actually has a great frame with the right size for NFL play. He’s got great speed, good functional strength and keeps a solid base when defending the run with some experience rushing off of the edge. His lateral mobility and coverage skills are a hindrance that will leave Summers best suited as an early down defender, but he is projected as an early Day 3 pick who has a good chance of landing on a roster somewhere.
14. Wisconsin ILB T.J. Edwards – Senior – 6-0, 230 – 4.77
Edwards is slow, but he’s a solid, smart inside linebacker with a good base who’s best when playing in the box as a strong run stuffer. He’s got plenty of experience at the position over four years at Wisconsin and that experience shows with great football IQ and an ability to read and react when shooting gaps or dropping into shallow zone coverage. His limitations leave him behind if he makes the wrong read, but as an early day three pick he’s got good tools to produce if used correctly.
15. Washington ILB Ben Burr-Kirven – Senior – 6-0, 230 – 4.56
Burr-Kirven was a first-team All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in his final season at Washington as he led the nation in tackles with 176 while adding 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. He’s a fast, hard-nosed player that’s motor just runs and run. He never lets up and plays bigger than his size, but his biggest issue is that size. Burr-Kirven got phenomenal measurables, athleticism and traits but according to scouts he’s likely filled out his frame, which will hold him back at the NFL level. If a team can see past his less-than-ideal size and find a way to use him correctly, the projected day three pick could find himself making an impact on an NFL roster.
