This is the ninth in a series previewing each position in the April 29-May 1 NFL draft. Today’s installment looks at linebackers.
Penn State star Micah Parsons is the consensus top linebacker in the 2021 NFL draft, an every-down, fast and powerful tackler capable of fitting into any defensive scheme.
Bill Belichick must be licking his chops.
Parsons is among the players widely mocked to the New England Patriots with the 15th overall pick, and Belichick, a defensive wizard, could wind up with a player who’s being compared to a Hall of Famer.
“He reminds me a lot of Brian Urlacher just for his ability to run and cover,” former scout and draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said about Parsons on NFL Network. “It is rare to see linebackers at that size that can cover tight ends and backs so effortlessly and so easily.”
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ESPN’s Todd McShay called the 6-foot-3, 246-pound Parsons the “best defensive player in this year’s draft class.”
Pro Football Focus called Parsons the best linebacker prospect the analytics website has ever graded, with the only concern being his limited coverage responsibility in college, and hailed this year’s crop of linebackers as the best group in recent memory, citing its mix of top-end talent and depth.
Three other linebackers could be drafted in the first round, including Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Kentucky's Jamin Davis and Tulsa's Zaven Collins, according to various projections.
The Miami Dolphins have two first-round picks and could target a linebacker at No. 18.
But none are likely to be drafted by Buffalo at No. 30, should any be available.
The Bills often play nickel defense with two linebackers on the field, and their starters are in place.
Two-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, a 2018 first-round pick, is still on his rookie deal and weakside linebacker Matt Milano signed a four-year, $41.5 million contract in March.
Overall position ranking: 8 of 10.
Bills view: Edmunds remains a bargain, with a base salary of $2.2 million this season. The Bills have until May 3 to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option.
Milano’s new deal guaranteed $23.5 million at signing and made him one of the highest-paid players on the team, a testament to his impact on defense. But he’s missed 11 games with injuries in four seasons, which makes linebacker depth paramount.
The Bills also return A.J. Klein, who earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after a breakout performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12, special teams ace Tyler Matakevich, Tyrel Dodson and Andre Smith.
The Bills also signed Tyrell Adams and Marquel Lee. Adams primarily played specials teams before starting 12 games for the Texans last season, when he had 125 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. Lee missed last season with an ankle injury but started 10 games for the Raiders in 2018.
Bills need ranking: 2 of 10.
The best: Parsons is likely to be selected in the top half of the first round.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame. The consensus second-best linebacker in the class. NFL teams might evaluate the undersized prospect (6-1, 221 pounds) as a safety based on his build, excellent lateral quickness, coverage ability and his role in the Notre Dame defense, which was similar to a slot corner in the NFL.
Names to know: Zaven Collins, Tulsa. The relentless, giant 3-4 outside linebacker (6-4, 25) won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards as the nation’s best defensive player and has been compared to Donta Hightower.
Jamin Davis, Kentucky. He has good size (6-4, 234) and turned heads at his pro day, demonstrating an unofficial 4.37-second 40 time and explosive jumps. He’s been compared to 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard.
Nick Bolton, Missouri. Led the SEC in tackles in 2019 and finished seventh in 2020. PFF cites him as the second highest-graded linebacker after Parsons the last two seasons. His production and intangibles outweigh his measurables.
Former QB: North Carolina linebacker Chazz Surratt began his college career at quarterback. He redshirted during Mitchell Trubisky's final season and was UNC's leading passer in 2017, when he completed 107 of 183 pass attempts for 1,342 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games. He also ran for five scores. But he failed to earn the starting job in 2018 and reinvented his game, switching to defense and leading the Tar Heels in tackles each of the last two seasons.
Local ties: Malcolm Koonce (6-2, 249), Buffalo. The two-time All-MAC selection led the conference with nine sacks in 2019 and was named the Bahamas Bowl Defensive MVP. He led UB with five sacks and had 30 tackles in six starts last season. He’s projected as a 3-4 outside linebacker and a likely Day 3 selection.
Isaiah McDuffie (6-1, 227), Boston College. The weakside linebacker from Bennett High School was named New York State Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. He was second-team ACC in 2020 after racking up 107 tackles in 11 games, the fifth-most in the country. He’s a potential Day 3 pick who could contribute on special teams.
Top 10 Linebackers
Player School Ht. Wt.
1. Micah Parsons* Penn State 6-3 246
2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame 6-1 221
3. Zaven Collins* Tulsa 6-4 259
4. Jamin Davis* Kentucky 6-3 234
5. Nick Bolton* Missouri 5-11 237
6. Jabril Cox LSU 6-2 233
7. Monty Rice Georgia 6-0 238
8. Pete Werner Ohio State 6-2 238
9. Chazz Surratt North Carolina 6-2 229
10. Dylan Moses Alabama 6-1 235
*-Underclassman
