Linebackers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are bruising thumpers, some specialize in rushing the passer, and others make their money by hounding pass catchers downfield. In the 2023 NFL Draft linebacker class, very few fit into the ‘prototypical’ mold. There is a handful of true, MIKE linebackers, but most of these prospects will need specific roles and a plan in place as rookies. Where does your favorite player rank on the list?
LB15: Yasir Abdullah (Louisville)
Yasir Abdullah is a tough projection because he gets caught with the ‘tweener’ label at linebacker. Abdullah is an elite pass rusher, but given his size, it will be difficult for teams to trust him full-time on the edge.
His testing at the NFL Combine gives reason to believe Abdullah could hold up in coverage in the league, but whoever drafts him needs a well-thought-out plan to maximize his potential. The former Cardinal is a day three grade.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
LB14: Aubrey Miller Jr. (Jackson State)
Aubrey Miller Jr. is a fun sleeper who plays 100 mph on every snap. He tries to make every tackle humanly possible and succeeds more times than not. The Jackson State star hopes to follow in the footsteps of last year’s sixth-round pick, James Houston. He is a day-three prospect I fully expect to outperform his draft status.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
LB13: Noah Sewell (Oregon)
Noah Sewell is a fringe first-rounder or a solid day-three option at linebacker, depending on who you ask — there is very little ‘in between’. For my money, I see the latter.
Sewell is too stiff for my liking and routinely misses tackles linebackers in the NFL simply cannot miss. His athleticism is good-not-great, and this negatively impacts him in coverage. He could carve out a starting role as a MIKE linebacker, but the upside is so limited I wouldn’t take the former Duck until day three.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
LB12: Ivan Pace Jr. (Cincinnati)
Ivan Pace Jr. is arguably the best blitzer in this group. He has an impressive first step that he uses to blow by linemen off the edge. Pace’s hard-hitting demeanor lends itself to some monster hits behind the line of scrimmage — and in running lanes — as he meets the ball carrier with a full head of steam.
As great as Pace is on the ball, he is a risky bet elsewhere. The Cincinnati Bearcat stands at 5-foot-10 1/2 and weighs 231 pounds with only 30-inch arms. Simply put, this ranks WELL below the threshold many NFL teams use when evaluating a prospect.
Pace displayed elite straight-line speed for his size, but his inability to consistently stop and change direction is something that stood out to me on tape. He bends the edge incredibly well and uses brute force to bullrush through an offensive lineman’s chest, but overall his agility and size leave too much to be desired.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
LB11: Henry To’oTo’o (Alabama)
Another highly-regarded linebacker prospect from a prestigious program — Alabama’s Henry To’oTo’o. Similar to Sewell from earlier, the Crimson Tide linebacker does most everything well but does not excel in any particular area.
He is very smart and brings tons of experience to the table. To’oTo’o’s ability to move sideline-to-sideline and to diagnose plays as they unfold is adequate enough to serve as a MIKE linebacker in the league.
My biggest concern with To’oTo’o is his snap-to-snap consistency, as he had too many instances on tape of “phoning it in”. That can’t fly for the quarterback of the defense. Still, the traits are that of a starting-caliber MIKE, something very few prospects in this class possess.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
LB10: Owen Pappoe (Auburn)
Owen Pappoe fits under the ‘tweener’ umbrella. The Auburn linebacker is a freaky athlete, as was showcased at the NFL Combine, but he is barely 6 feet tall and weighs a meager 225 pounds. The thing is, you would never know it on tape. Pappoe uses his mystifying 4.3 speed to close the distance between him and the ball carrier, regularly leading to tackles that seem physically impossible.
In coverage, Pappoe excelled in 2022, posting a career-high PFF grade of 77.2. On top of this, Pappoe also improved his tackling numbers substantially, cutting down his missed tackle rate by nearly 10 points from the previous season. So, why the fringe day two grade?
The aforementioned frame from earlier not only hampers Pappoe at times on the gridiron, but it is also the reason he is a major injury concern going forward. Pappoe missed most of the 2021 season but thankfully returned for a full final campaign this past season.
It takes some projecting with Pappoe to find an ideal fit at the next level. His range, aggressiveness, and overall mobility open the door to endless possibilities. I’d try to get some more weight on his frame and allow him to start at MIKE. If Pappoe can’t add more weight, his traits still align well as a WILL. There is legitimate superstar potential here.
NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 2
LB9: Mohamoud Diabate (Utah)
Mohamoud Diabate is another traitsy linebacker without a clear role at the next level. In his lone season with Utah, the all-around linebacker recorded seven sacks and accounted for 31 stops. These numbers highlight how special a pass rusher and run defender Diabate can be.
On the other hand, Diabate is a complete and utter mess in coverage on most snaps. He lacks the experience and instincts to read plays as they unfold, causing him to react late and get caught chasing his assignment from behind.
Thanks to elite recovery speed, Diabate did well tracking them down. However, the margin for error decreases immensely in the NFL. The Utah defender is undoubtedly a work in progress, but he could be a diamond with patience.
NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 2
LB8: Marte Mapu (Sacramento State)
Admittedly, I had never heard of Marte Mapu before his breakout appearance at the Senior Bowl. It is a task to track down Sacramento State tape, but thankfully I got my hands on some… and love what I found.
Mapu played pretty much every position you can think of in high school, and he boasts an incredible feel for the game because of it. He developed ridiculous range as a defensive back, learned what the field looks like from the offensive end, and even spent time as a quarterback, giving him a depth of on-field knowledge that few can match.
The jack-of-all-trades aspect makes Mapu intriguing, but it also leads to a couple of obvious concerns. As a sixth-year senior, Mapu is just now making a name for himself on the national scene. Limited exposure can be to blame, but it is fair to wonder if the stellar play in college was due to meager competition.
Mapu’s time at the Senior Bowl went a long way toward calming these fears. In Mobile, Mapu showcased his trademark range and versatility, regularly impacting plays in coverage and in run support. While he is smaller than a typical NFL linebacker, he fits the mold of a “modern” defender over the middle.
With his athletic features, Mapu could serve as a box safety in the right setting. The Draft Network compared Mapu to Jeremy Chinn, another oversized safety/undersized linebacker. If a team gets someone even remotely similar to Chinn, they will be stoked.
NFL Draft Grade: Late Day 2
LB7: Dorian Williams (Tulane)
Dorian Williams is an easy projection for a MIKE linebacker role in the NFL. His instincts are top-notch, and the style in which he plays is infectious to the whole defensive unit. Williams logged more than 2,000 snaps as the middleman for the Tulane defense, earning him invaluable experience in the process.
In a breakout 2022 season for Tulane, Williams served as the leader of the defense. He recorded 97 tackles, six sacks, three pass breakups, and two interceptions, giving him a sparkling PFF grade in coverage, as a pass rusher, and as a tackler. Offseason workouts only confirmed what I saw on tape — Dorian Williams is a DUDE.
Now, he is not perfect. Williams is undersized, no matter who you ask. He is 6-foot-1 and only weighed 228 pounds at the NFL Combine. Still, his testing numbers were elite, and the tape showed very few signs of Williams being too small. Will that change against NFL-level talent? Maybe. But I’ll take my chances on day two.
NFL Draft Grade: Late Day 2
LB6: Nick Herbig (Wisconsin)
Nick Herbig should really be considered an edge rusher heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, but a player of his size would never last as a full-time pass rusher. Instead, much like he did at Wisconsin, Herbig will be asked to expand his game and use other traits outside of his wide array of pass-rushing moves.
Herbig stands at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds. He could add another 10 pounds to the frame to help out against stronger blockers, but it would likely jeopardize his mobility. Herbig did not complete agility drills, but his tape shows a player capable of planting his feet and re-accelerating toward the ball, giving an idea of how he could impact plays as a linebacker.
In addition to his agility, Herbig also shows a lot of strength in his hands. He delivers big blows in run support, and as is apparent by his career-high coverage grade in 2022, Herbig is plenty versatile. But now to the best part of his game: pass rushing.
The reason Herbig holds such a high place on this list is that he is potentially the best pure pass rusher in the entire class. He has no shortage of tricks up his sleeve, winning with speed, converting speed-to-power, and exhibiting impeccable hand fighting when working toward the quarterback.
Herbig is undersized and may be viewed as a pass-rushing specialist at the moment, but he is much, much more than that. Take the chance on a guy as capable as Herbig as a pass rusher and do your best to round out the rest of his game. He can be a starting OLB in most 3-4 schemes.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-to-Late Day 2
LB5: DeMarvion Overshown (Texas)
DeMarvion Overshown is yet another versatile weapon in the linebacker group. He was once a highly-touted safety recruit, but upon arriving to Texas and itching for playing time, Overshown switched to linebacker and became a force for the Longhorn defense.
It wasn’t the smoothest transition initially, but Overshown found his calling in 2022. Logging more than 100 snaps on the defensive line and from the slot, plus 469 more in the box, the Texas superstar was all over the field.
He boasts elite athleticism and length, but his overall frame is not bulky, which can cause some issues as a run defender, especially when you factor in his less-than-ideal tackling form. Still, oftentimes Overshown hits a player so hard they crumble to the turf anyway.
With range from his safety days, Overshown oozes potential in coverage. His size allows him to stick with bigger bodies from the slot, while his flat-line speed and change of direction allow him to stay stride for stride with speedy receivers.
What Overshown is great at, you cannot teach. What he is lacking, you can absolutely teach. He is an easy day-two player on my board.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-to-Late Day 2
LB4: Daiyan Henley (Washington State)
Daiyan Henley, like others before him on this list, played several positions growing up. In high school, Henley was a superstar wide receiver who earned a scholarship to Nevada. With the Wolf Pack, Henley caught 17 passes in two seasons as a rotational pass catcher.
Wanting more playing time, Henley made the switch to defense in 2020 before immediately suffering a season-ending injury, causing a medical redshirt. He returned in 2021 looking like a brand new man. Henley used his receiver background to jump passing lanes and haul in four interceptions in this span.
Following the 2022 season, Henley transferred to Washington State and continued his emergence on the national scene. He posted the best year of his career as a tackler, earning a pristine 90.3 grade from PFF. Henley started rushing the quarterback on occasion too, tallying five sacks on the campaign.
Henley’s traits, size, and mental makeup will have him off the board on day two. In a draft class lacking true middle linebackers, Henley sits behind only the LB1 on this list in that regard. Expect the Wazzou star to be the next in a long line of offensive-players-turned-defensive-superstars.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-Day 2
LB3: Trenton Simpson (Clemson)
Now, you may be getting tired of hearing the word versatile in this article, but nobody embodies this more than Clemson’s Trenton Simpson. With the Tigers, Simpson aligned in several spots. He amassed 387 snaps on the defensive line, 381 in the slot, and 682 in the box, never earning worse than an average grade in any spot (via PFF).
The reason Simpson can succeed in each position is his otherworldly traits. Simpson is not just fast, he is lightning-quick and accelerates from 0-60 in the snap of a finger. This explosiveness allows the rangy defender to play passes downfield and recover if he ever loses a step. The closing speed Simpson brings is remarkable.
Furthermore, Simpson does well turning his burst into power. He must do a better job shedding blocks and leveraging himself, but I believe NFL coaching can do a lot for Simpson in this area. Also, Simpson flexed a couple of pass-rushing moves on tape, proving that his sack production wasn’t entirely due to scheme.
Simpson is a prospect that needs a plan to reach his full potential. He will be an above-average starter in a traditional linebacker role, but in the right setting, Simpson could blossom into a superstar on Sundays. All the pieces are there.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 2
LB2: Drew Sanders (Arkansas)
Drew Sanders is unlike any projection I’ve made in my short career as an NFL Draft analyst. He began at Alabama as a five-star pass rusher, but due to a combination of injuries and a lack of playing time, Sanders moved further west in the SEC and linked up with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
With Arkansas, Sanders took on an entirely different role. Rather than being a full-time rusher off the edge, the uber-talented defender became one of the best off-ball linebackers in the country. He still flexed his untapped potential as a pass rusher by bringing the quarterback down 11 times, including 25 hurries.
On top of being an effective rusher, Sanders showed the full capability of handling linebacker duties. He boasts ideal size and is a freaky athlete considering this. Sanders is as fluid of a mover as there is in the class, and he uses this trait to chase down ball carriers and hound pass catchers over the middle.
Now, some concerns must be addressed. First, Sanders only has one season of elite production. I trust the tape, but some teams shy away from grading a prospect high if a limited amount of tape is available. Additionally, Sanders, although strong, does not play as strong as he could. Too often, he gives up leverage when engaged and is taken out of the play completely.
He is another prospect that needs a plan early in his career. Sanders will develop into a top-tier linebacker in the NFL, but there just might be some growing pains in year one as he adapts to the speed of the game and his added responsibilities as a linebacker.
NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 1
LB1: Jack Campbell (Iowa)
The best linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft is also the most prototypical linebacker in the class. Jack Campbell is the definition of middle linebacker; when you look it up in a dictionary, it is just a picture of Campbell.
He is nearly 6-foot-5, weighs 249 pounds, and aced every explosion and agility drill. Want more? Campbell ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, too. Off the field, the Iowa veteran was poised and confident in interviews, while also remaining humble.
In 1,845 snaps since 2021, Campbell racked up 178 tackles, regularly popping up out of nowhere to make a stop. As I said in my scouting report on Campbell, I’ve never watched a player who is always in the right spot at the right time like he is.
These instincts allow Campbell to see plays unfold, and his deceptive agility gives him the range to knock passes down in coverage. Most reports I read state pass coverage as a weakness for Campbell, but it makes me wonder how someone could come to this conclusion given his testing numbers and 92.9 coverage grade in 2022 (the highest among all qualified linebackers).
Campbell is an above-average run stuffer, a borderline elite defender in coverage, and an underutilized pass rusher. His leadership ability is second-to-none, and he will be a force in the middle of the defense for the next 12-15 years. Campbell is an All-Pro MIKE. Stamp it.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-to-Late Day 1
NFL Draft Honorable Mentions:
Dee Winters (TCU)
SirVocea Dennis (Pittsburgh)
Bumper Pool (Arkansas)
Ventrell Miller (Florida)
Cam Jones (Indiana)
Jeremy Banks (Tennessee)
Anfernee Orji (Vanderbilt)
Charlie Thomas (Georgia Tech)
Carlton Martial (Troy)
Shaka Heyward (Duke)