2018 NFL Draft Pre-Combine Rankings: Defensive Lineman & Linebackers

The 2018 NFL Draft is less than 2 months away and this year's class is filled with top-level talent. There is not a consensus #1 player yet, but that does not mean this is a weak draft. RPO's very own, Matt Nicrone, has put together his pre-combine rankings for each position. Check out the first 4 parts:

Quarterbacks & Running Backs Wide Receivers & Tight Ends. Offensive LineCornerbacks & Safeties

Now let's take a look at the Defensive Lineman and Linebackers of this year's class!

Defensive End1 - Bradley ChubbCollege: NC StateSize: 6’4” 275 lbs. 

Good combination of size and athleticism. Sets and holds the edge with wide base. His motor and athletic ability cause him to jump off the tape snap after snap and his play attributes and production should translate quickly as a pro.

2 - Rasheem GreenCollege: USCSize: 6’5” 280 lbs.

Green is tall with long limbs, needs to add some
muscle mass to his frame. Movements are fluid and athletic. Creates explosive bursts of power at the point of attack when pad level is good. Looks to knock passes down when the rush stalls.

3 - Marcus DavenportCollege: UTSASize: 6’6” 255 lbs.

Davenport has good quickness in lateral slides down the line of scrimmage to close out running lanes. Aggressive demeanor as a hitter.Davenport put on 30 pounds from his sophomore to senior season and has the frame to continue getting bigger and stronger. He’s been used to being a stand-up rusher at UTSA, teams may see him as a 4-3 defensive end.

4 - Sam HubbardCollege: Ohio StateSize: 6’5” 265 lbs.

Hubbard has a strong intelligence and is very aware. Quick to sniff out play-action plays. Extremely high motor. Always finds himself in tackle-ready position and usually finishes. Has solid tape but nothing jumps off the page, speed and athleticism aren’t his strong points.

Re-invest, Double up.. pic.twitter.com/HiBcxNU9g9

— Samwise (@Sam_Hubbard_) January 31, 2018

5 - Arden KeyCollege: LSUSize: 6’6” 265 lbs

Arden Key is long-limbed with plus flexibility throughout upper and lower body. Good job of timing up snap for a head start. Plays slippery and is hard to keep centered.  Scouts have a concern regarding his personal discipline.  Key left the team last season for 4 months because of “personal reasons”.  There are red flags, but a strong Combine performance could land him a spot in the first round.

Arden Key was credited with .5 sack here somehow. Love the dead leg (believe that is one) to fake inside (sells it with that head fake as well) and then Key gets his hips turned back inside towards the QB and finishes him. pic.twitter.com/i3SoTxPcCq

— The Mick Nartin™ (@themicknartin) February 24, 2018

6 - Dorance ArmstrongCollege: KansasSize: 6’4” 246 lbs.

Plays with loose hips and agility.  He’s smooth and explosive in his movements. Has rush experience standing and with a hand in the ground. Good inside spin counter. Effort level is consistent. 

7 - De’shawn HandCollege: AlabamaSize: 6’4” 289 lbs.

Long, muscular build that is pro-ready. He carries 290 pounds of lean muscle. Has desired physical traits to play end in an odd front (3-4) as well as end or potentially tackle in an even front (4-3). Hand has good change of direction and quickness to alter his rush and track down QBs leaving the pocket. 

8 - Jaylen HolmesCollege: Ohio StateSize: 6’5” 270 lbs.

Compact, strong slot corner who can beat up finesse receivers and disrupt the route release. Dawson can match and blanket underneath, but hip tightness shows up when he's forced to turn and run from a backpedal. Dawson can handle himself in man or zone coverage and is ready to work when run support calls. He has some length and speed limitations, but he has the instincts and cover talent to become a starting nickel cornerback.

9 - Chad ThomasCollege: MiamiSize: 6’6” 275 lbs.

Thomas has all the physical and athletic traits that a team could look for along the edge and he's versatile enough to play in an odd or even front. Smooth lateral movement can mirror running backs. Change of direction comes easily. Athletic enough to drop into space as standup linebacker on occasion.

10 - Duke Ejiofor College: Wake ForestSize: 6’4” 270 lbs.

Ejiofor's game revolves around his heavy hands and his ability to finish as a rusher if a blocker gives him an opening. Ejiofor needs to play with better play speed and a more consistent motor to reach his potential.

 Defensive Tackle1 - Vita VeaCollege: WashingtonSize: 6’4” 344 lbs.

Vea's combination of size and light feet are rare.  At 350 pounds he was lining up as an edge rusher at times. Two-gap defender. Can punch, lock out, and locate the ball. Able to shed blockers and range down the line of scrimmage to make tackles. Still very raw player with much more to be seen.

Vita Vea looks like that kid in pop warner who was three or four years older than every other player in the league with the "X" on his helmet: pic.twitter.com/7tn6CEnmVe

— Jonah Tuls (@JonahTulsNFL) February 27, 2018

2 - Da’Ron PayneCollege: AlabamaSize: 6’2” 308 lbs.

Payne possesses one of the most impressive combinations of strength and athleticism. He will be the premier run-stuffer. Payne is a game-ready starter who immediately upgrades a defense's ability to slow the run. 

Da’Ron Payne just has insane quickness & change of direction for a 310lb guy. pic.twitter.com/k7w4q2552c

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 12, 2018

3 - Maurice HurstCollege: MichiganSize: 6’2” 282 lbs.

Hurst is an upfield three-technique who gets out of the blocks ahead of his competition. Has disruptive initial quickness. Comes off the ball low and looking to disrupt in the backfield. Too quick for blockers to trap. High motor pushes him into the pocket as a rusher. 

4 - Taven BryanCollege: FloridaSize: 6’4” 291 lbs.

Talented defender with rare athletic ability. Bryan played inside at Florida but has the size and talent to play inside or outside. He has the ability to become a disruptive player with a very high ceiling. 

Expect Florida DT Taven Bryan to rise up draft boards after the combine. Explosive athlete, perfect build, can play inside or outside, bends like a DE. His first step on this pressure was insane. #Patriots #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/FcGRhaAY9n

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) February 20, 2018

5 - Tim SettleCollege: Virginia TechSize: 6’3” 335 lbs.

 Settle has rare gifts for a big man with mass, play strength, quickness and agility. His weight loss and additional conditioning allowed him to play more snaps and play faster. He's a disruptive, versatile defensive lineman who offers enough pass rush potential to warrant reps on passing downs. Settle is a natural 4-3 fit but can play in a 3-4 as well. 

Tim Settle Film/Thread
NT Virgina Tech 6’3” 335. Tim Settle is a huge surprisingly nimble footed defender that plays with a high motor. He does not use his size to his advantage however and tries to read and react instead of driving through the blocker#TimSettle #VT #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ZKkxdxhney

— NFL Draft and 49ers (@JL_Chapman) February 27, 2018

6 - Harrison PhillipsCollege: StanfordSize: 6’4” 255 lbs.

 Phillips plays a little upright but he definitely has the leverage and power to play to anchor and muddy the run game waters.  As a former wrestler, Phillips has non traditional ways of getting to the quarterback. He has a good feel for blocking schemes and is able to handle down blocks and double teams while allow linebackers to flow to the ball.

7 - Derrick NnandiCollege: FSUSize: 6’1” 299 lbs.

Shows good tape. Nnadi has a good motor, active hands and enough pass rush ability to cause problems for blockers up front.

8 - BJ HillCollege: Boston CollegeSize: 6’4” 315 lbs.

Hill is a one-gapping, upfield defensive tackle with decent athleticism who stays productive despite lacking some strength. While Hill's production has been solid, he will have to develop more strength at the point of attack or become a more explosive upfield player to set himself apart and become a rotational defensive tackle.

9 - Trenton ThompsonCollege: GeorgiaSize: 6’4” 295 lbs.

Thompson is a tough, athletic three-technique who offers an adequate combination of disruption and strength at the point of attack. Though he's known as a player who plays with pain, his inability to stay healthy clearly had an impact on his lack of production this season. 

10 - John Atkins

College: GeorgiaSize: 6’2” 205 lbs.

Atkins carries a wide frame and has adequate power but his inability to overwhelm interior blockers could limit his value to teams since he offers no help as a pass rusher. Good football character and work ethic. Possesses natural upper body strength.

Outside Linebacker1 - Tremaine EdmundsCollege: Virginia TechSize: 6’5” 250 lbs.

Edmunds combines elite size, speed and explosiveness. Edmunds has posted high-impact production over the last two seasons and he still has room to get bigger and better. He will also be only 19 years-old come draft day.

If people want to know what Tremaine Edmunds is a freak, here he is at 6'5", 250 lbs running stride-for-stride easily with a running back on a wheel route. #Bears pic.twitter.com/QjxNKgAdWx

— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) February 26, 2018

You thought JuJu was young? Come draft day, Tremaine Edmunds will be 19 years old. And a stellar fit for Pittsburgh. https://t.co/3Y7ILg8YTi pic.twitter.com/fxmA8UNW6J

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) February 13, 2018

2 - Harold LandryCollege: Boston CollegeSize: 6’3” 250 lbs.

Lacks height, but arm length makes up for it.  no false steps when the ball is snapped. Long-strider who takes early leads on races to the edge. Creates strip sacks and batted balls with his long, active arms. Expected to show out at the Combine. 

Harold Landry vs Clemson (2017)

I don’t want #Packers spending the 14th overall pick on Harold Landry. He looks very finesse oriented, especially verse the run; his speed rush is nonexistent. Not physical. pic.twitter.com/KQ1uTYwaIg

— Kornélios Taylor (@iKornelios) February 26, 2018

3 - Hercules Mata’afaCollege: Washington StateSize: 6’2” 252 lbs.

Hercules was known for being an undersized defensive tackle who wins with quickness and tenacity. So it only makes sense that he makes the move to 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. Mata’afa has a solid ability to bend the edge and shows fluidity in his movements. He shows great burst off the line of scrimmage. Excellent closing speed to chase down plays and generate clean-up sacks.

Coming off the EDGE again, Hercules Mata'afa is too quick for OL, splits the RG/RT pair and is gone before they can adjust pic.twitter.com/pJfGEH8Xk5

— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) February 25, 2018

4 - Lorenzo CarterCollege: GeorgiaSize:  6’6” 242 lbs.

Carter played with increased toughness and confidence this year. Carter is an outside linebacker in a 3-4 or 4-3 with sideline sideline-to-sideline range and the tools to become a productive edge rusher in sub-packages. He needs to add more bulk, but he is a future NFL starter.

I say this to @fduffy3 a lot - if you’re the unblocked DE/OLB, I don’t care where on the field it is - go make the tackle!

Watch the hustle from Lorenzo Carter - he’s the OLB on the top of the screen each play pic.twitter.com/AHp3wx8kpi

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) February 24, 2018

5 - Darius LeonardCollege: South Carolina StateSize: 6'3" 230 lbs.

Has athletic ability and straight-line speed that should light up the combine. Leonard has packed on the pounds since hitting campus, but it hasn't compromised his play speed as he has posted dominant production throughout. Patient tackler. Blazing closing speed and outstanding sideline-to-sideline range.

#SouthCarolinaState #Bulldogs LB Darius Leonard (@dsleon45) highlights from the #SeniorBowl @SCStateAthletic pic.twitter.com/N4oI4KJ6bd

— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAthletes) January 28, 2018

6 - Ogbonnia OkoronkwoCollege: OklahomaSize: 6’1” 242 lbs.

Okoronkwo doesn't possess the height, weight and length teams usually want on the edge. That being said, he's solidly built and plays with aggression and a good motor.  Attacks the pocket with natural instincts as a rusher. Uses hesitation moves, changes pace and alters his path to the quarterback. Posted impressive tackle numbers thanks to quick disengage and finish.

- Jeff HollandCollege: AuburnSize: 6’2” 249 lbs.

Play is fierce and physical. Has good initial upfield burst with ability to accelerate around the edge. Pursues inside pocket with control and patience. Works with high motor. Has upper body power to press and extend in setting edge.

8 - Uchenna NwosuCollege: USCSize: 6’3 240 lbs.

Really athletic with loose lower body movement. Plays with smooth directional change and has instant stop-start quickness. Possesses good burst and overall chase speed. Nwosu may not have the edge strength to handle run downs, but if he tests well at the Combine, teams may fall in love with his burst.

9 - Malik JeffersonCollege: TexasSize: ’3” 240 lbs.

Built like an NFL linebacker with a long, athletic frame. Explosive with loose hips and good speed. Has ability to range far and wide for the tackle. Covers ground quickly. Substantially more productive when Texas put him in position to think less and just play. Tackles improved from 60 to 104 under new defensive coordinator.

10 - Dorian O’DanielCollege: ClemsonSize: 6’1” 215 lbs.

O'Daniel is a mad man on special teams. He is technically sound as tackler. Offers versatility. What he lacks in size and speed at the linebacker spot, he makes up for with production and consistency. He may not have the tools to become a quality full-time starter at linebacker, but his outstanding career as a special teams cover talent could be enough to earn him a roster spot. 

Inside Linebacker1 - Roquan SmithCollege: GeorgiaSize: 6’1” 225 lbs.

Roquan Smith plays with discipline and focus. He is fluid and explosive in space. Block-slipper. Praised by his head coach as being a "tremendous leader" who holds himself accountable. While he's a little undersized, he does have the quickness and speed to keep himself from being mauled.

We all know Roquan Smith has range but how will the rest of his game translate to the NFL?

Find out: https://t.co/wqCKhYvSHO pic.twitter.com/mkQGtVAHk6

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) February 25, 2018

2 - Rashaan EvansCollege: AlabamaSize: 6’3” 234 lbs.

Possesses good length and great speed. Premium athlete with plus agility, range and explosiveness. Evans is an ideal inside linebacker fit for a blitz-happy 3-4 unit, but he could easily fit as a 4-3 WILL with rush potential on sub-packages. 
 

Not blocking Rashaan Evans... not a great idea. pic.twitter.com/HYjfAq3UNL

— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) February 27, 2018

3 - Leighton Vander EschCollege: Boise StateSize: 6'4" 240 lbs.

Vander Esch is a loose-hipped, instinctive linebacker who played in 2017 like he had a GPS tracker on the football. His production totals against both the run and pass are rare for being a first-year starter and with a frame that is primed for more muscle, his NFL ceiling is high. 

Watch how quickly Leighton Vander Esch blows up this play. He’s not only fast but instinctive. They moved him all over field. pic.twitter.com/eboZwUfJa9

— Steel Legends (@Steel_Legends) February 26, 2018

4 - Josey JewellCollege: IowaSize: 6'2" 236lbs. 

2017's Lott Trophy winner, Jewell is borderline from a size standpoint. He will have nay-sayers and some that may worry about whether he's big, or fast enough, to become a starter in the NFL. He’s an instinctive linebacker who combines physicality with a relentless motor to find his way into play after play. Jewell's consistent play speed and consistency as a tackle finisher could make him a future starter as an inside linebacker perfectly suited to the WILL spot in a 3-4.

Back-to-back plays from The Outlaw Josey Jewell on Senior Day pic.twitter.com/95h00V8Xe3

— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) November 18, 2017

5 - Micah KiserCollege: VirginiaSize: 6’2” 240 lbs.

Makes tackles near the line of scrimmage and doesn't wait on running backs to get to him. Recognizes cutback lanes and fills the fit to look up runners in the cutback lane. Tough guy who likes contact. Brings it to second level climbing blockers with stiff shoulder or a powerful punch. Has the play strength and leverage advantage to play under blocker's pads. Willing to fire downhill into his run fits to close off the lane.
 

Our man Micah!
Check out this great video on the @NFFNetwork Campbell Trophy 🏆 winner!@kiser_rollin pic.twitter.com/lBAaPDQY0N

— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) December 6, 2017

6 - Mike McCrayCollege: MichiganSize: 6’4” 248 lbs.

McCray is a big, physical inside linebacker who plays with most of the characteristics evaluators want from an inside linebacker, but his limited range could hurt his draft stock.

- Tegray ScalesCollege: IndianaSize: 6’0” 230 lbs.

Highly instinctive linebacker who combines a keen sense of play direction with a feel for the optimal angles to fill up the stat sheet. Scales may lack desired size and speed, but his 36 tackles for loss and 13 sacks over the last two seasons should give an indication of his playmaking ability.

8 - Christian SamCollege: Arizona StateSize: 6’2” 237 lbs.

Sam is an inside linebacker who has the ability to swing over to a WILL spot if needed. He absolutely "looks the part" and has the potential to turn some heads with a big Combine and coming off of a 127-tackle season.

9 - Shaun Dion HamiltonCollege: AlabamaSize: ’0” 233 lbs.

Technically sound and tough, Hamilton is a 3-4 inside linebacker with good football intelligence who is almost always where he is supposed to be. 
 

10 - Keishawn BierriaCollege: WashingtonSize:  6’2” 223 lbs.

Bierria is a smart linebacker with a solid resume from a successful program, but he lacks the athletic traits and playmaking talent that teams covet from early round linebackers.