This 2020 NFL Draft class may lack a prototypical top prospect at linebacker, but there are still plenty of good players slated to be taken in the first three rounds. Athleticism is the selling point for many of these prospects, and there's no better place to show it off than at the NFL Combine.
Here are five linebackers to watch over the next couple of days.
5. Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
Davis-Gaither is undersized, but he was still extremely productive in college, racking up 197 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 15 passes defended over the past two seasons. He has good instincts and is a very slippery block-shedder, but at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, his smaller frame could limit his effectiveness int the pros. Davis-Gaither needs to prove he has the athleticism and speed to overcome his size limitations, because there is a real concern there.
The NFL has seen far too many undersized linebackers produce in college but fail to make an impact at the next level. If Davis-Gaither tests well, he'll likely be a third-round pick. If he doesn't, his stock could plummet all the way to the fifth or later.
4. Malik Harrison, Ohio State
Harrison measured in at a prototypical 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, which got his Combine off to a great start. He arrived in Columbus as a quarterback but switched to linebacker, starting one game over his first two seasons. He was quite productive in 2018, but took his game to another level as a senior, finishing with 75 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and an impressive 16.5 TFLs.
Harrison is an aggressive and physical player who constantly wins at the point of attack. But on tape, his athleticism appears to be average at best. If his Combine performance confirms this, he's still a good enough player to be a third or fourth-round pick. But if he tests better than expected, Harrison could end up as a second-rounder.
Teams will want him to develop better coverage skills, and the more athletic of a player is, the easier that becomes.
3. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Speaking of athletic, the players left on this list should all perform extremely well. Murray's production over the last two years is astounding; 257 tackles, 29.5 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks. He is big enough at 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, and has true sideline-to-sideline range. He does tend to over-pursue and his instincts aren't the best, but Murray was able to overcome those issues in college by just being flat-out faster than everyone else.
He won't be able to do that in the NFL, but a great Combine performance wouldn't hurt. He's a perfect fit as a weak-side LB in a 4-3 and has Pro Bowl potential. He's a likely first-rounder, the question is whether or not he'll be the second linebacker selected.
2. Patrick Queen, LSU
Murray's competition for that label is LSU's Patrick Queen. Queen doesn't have the production of the others on this list, but he also started for only one season. The former running back is the next in a long line of Tiger linebackers making the jump to the NFL, and should follow in the footsteps of Devin White, Deion Jones, and others.
Given his relative inexperience at the position, Queen's ability to diagnose plays is impressive. He is a heat-seeking missile and a strong tackler. He needs to be better about engaging blocks first, rather than waiting for the offensive lineman to come to him, and his coverage ability needs work, but Queen has all the makings of a high-level starter.
His 6-foot-0, 229-pound frame isn't ideal, but his elite athleticism makes up for it, and he should test very well on Saturday.
1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Unicorn is the only way to describe Simmons as a player. He has elite linebacker size at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, but possesses the athletic ability of a safety. At Clemson, he played every defensive position aside from defensive tackle, and excelled wherever he was placed.
In 2019 he made 104 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, eight sacks, and three interceptions, one of which came in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State, a play that showed off his incredible range.
Reminder: Isaiah Simmons is a linebacker who moves like a free safetypic.twitter.com/iTnr3uIwAm
— PFF (@PFF) February 28, 2020
The Los Angeles Chargers' Derwin James is the closest comparison to Simmons, and even that is a stretch. Simmons played well at safety, slot cornerback, and linebacker, and limiting him to any one position is underselling his talent. He's not perfect, as faster receivers can separate from him, and his instincts and fine technique at any one position is slightly underdeveloped because he's played everywhere, but Simmons is a legitimate top-five player in this class and should find NFL success early on, no matter what his primary position is.
He should easily out-perform most other linebackers and even some safeties, despite having a significant size advantage over them. Simmons' ceiling is third overall to the New York Giants, and will almost certainly be the second defensive player selected, after only Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young. Simmons was made to destroy Combine drills, and that's exactly what he'll do.
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