Kim Kardashian: 2011 NFL Draft –Inside Linbacker Prospects

Top Inside Linebackers 2011 NFL Draft By Rafael Garcia Sr. Contributing Writer-Southeast Region
Football Reporters Online

1. Martez Wilson ILB Illinois 6'4" 250 lbs. 40 Time: 4.49 Bench@225: 23x Jr. Wilson is a sound all around ILB and finished up as one of the leading tacklers in the country. He has the ability and speed to slice through the defense and make the tackle in the backfield. Shows good moves when forced to the outside to make the tackle. Has the speed to get to the quarterback or to the sideline. Uses his long arms to keep opponent at bay and then uses those arms to get around his man for the tackle. Is able to follow play once he reads it and will hustle all the time. In pass defense he can keep up with receivers and uses his hands to knock them off their routes. Will affect the passing game with his length and effective in zone coverage. Has to work on reading the play faster to more of an impact. Will need to add bulk to his frame for the NFL. Has the habit of over pursuing the play because he is so aggressive trying to get to the quarterback. Finds himself lost in coverage due to lack of anticipation and gets cut blocked too often. His lack of flexibility will make it hard for him to fit into a 3-4 or 4-3. Showed poor footwork during Pro Day. Projected Round: 2

2. Quan Sturdivant ILB North Carolina 6'1" 241 lbs. 40 Time: 4.65 Bench@225: 21x Sr. Sturdivant is an excellent gap tackler and a big hit linebacker. He is very consistent, instinctive and aggressive. Has excellent straight-line speed and gets a lot of tackles. Has very good work ethic and loves to work hard. Good lateral movement and pursuit. Good athleticism and awareness that keeps him around the ball a lot. Very quick off the line of scrimmage to beat opponent to spot of the ball. Needs to back off some on his aggressiveness as it leads him to find himself out of the play. Will make tackle but he lacks execution and technique. Needs to work upper body strength and the use of his hands on his man. Struggles a bit with change of direction that results in blown pass coverage. He depends on his speed too much when it comes to making the play. Must get better at breaking free from initial block. Does not have the best agility and base so he will have to work on that too. Projected Round: 2

3. Kelvin Sheppard ILB LSU 6'2" 232 lbs. 40 Time: 4.70 Bench@225: 22x Sr. Sheppard is very good at ball location and athleticism. Possess the agility and speed to get to the ball carrier. Very good at reading the blitz and coming off the edge. Has excellent pursuit and lateral movement that allows him to get downfield. Consistently gets past his blocker to make the tackle. Has very good hand and footwork to go with his awareness. He will make the open field tackle more often than not. Weak on play action and reaction to the play. Does not have the pop to beat more physical opponents. Must stop getting cut blocked as much as he does. Must add upper body bulk to disengage from his block quicker. His aggressive play tends to allow ball carrier or receiver to use cut back on him and get away. Projected Round: 3

4. Greg Jones ILB Michigan St. 6'0" 242 lbs.40 Time: 4.69 Bench@225: 21x Sr. Jones plays with good instincts and awareness. Good reaction as play develops with good acceleration. Strong enough to command more than just an initial hit from opponent. Has the ability to become a playmaker at the next level. Good against the run as he reads when reading the play. Very quick off the snap and gets penetration. Has good leverage for a player his size. Avoids cut blocks by keeping low to the ground and uses his hands well. Can play sideline to sideline and gives maximum effort. Good enough to read the blitz and make the play because of his anticipation. Great work ethic on and off the field. Smaller than most teams would want at his position. Can get overpowered by bigger man and lost in traffic due to over pursuit. Tends to overrun routes in pass coverage. Bigger and taller tight ends will give him problems too. Can be beaten in the run game by faster back. Must get to thee hole faster to avoid being stood up by bigger lineman. Projected Round: 3

5. Colin McCarthy ILB Miami 6'1" 238 lbs. 40 Time: 4.64 Bench@225: 23x Sr. McCarthy is a player that you will find all over the field though he isn't the fastest player. Did great in the drills at combine workout. Fantastic against the run the way he attacks the line of scrimmage. This allows him to beast his blocker which resulted in a lot of tackles. Has good pop and knows how to shed a block as well. Has great pursuit and shows a love for the game. Can be to over active against the run at times allowing the ball carrier to get away from him. Needs to work on his footwork while in pass coverage to keep up with receiver. Needs to work on blitz rush technique. Another player that must do better to avoid cut block. Could be more athletic for better coverage too. Will help on special teams right away. Projected Round: 4

6. Casey Matthews ILB Oregon 6'1" 232 lbs. 40 Time: 4.79 Bench@225: 13x Sr. Matthews is the brother of Green Bay Packer Clay and we know his family roots in the NFL. Had a weak combine but that did not matter much since he is a game day player. He is a great competitor and works on his game at all times. Has above-average instincts and plays with great passion. Will make the tackle most of the time and gets into great position. Can anchor, shed and make plays off the block as well. Has knack of getting into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss. Has good football smarts and will be a durable dependable player for years to come. He does not have that top speed and was used a lot in the blitz packages. Will need to work on change of direction and man coverage. Needs to work on his field vision as well and will not overwhelm you with speed. Jack of all trades but master of none. Projected Round: 5

7.Jeremy Beal ILB Oklahoma 6'2" 267 lbs. 40 Time: 5.16 Bench@225: 22x Sr. Beal is one of those dominating players that should be just as good in the NFL. He has a motor that will not stop and is good at getting to the quarterback. Has been consistent throughout his college career. Knows his assignment and will stick to him. Reads the play well enough and with patience. Uses his hands to tip or bat the pass away. Good lateral movement and knows how to cover in space. A player that will give it his all and likes to knock the ball out of the runners hands or strip receiver. Likes to watch film and study his craft. Will find himself with matchup problems with quicker runner or receiver. Needs to come up with other ways to get penetration. Needs to improve decision making to make up for lack of speed. Projected Round: 5

8. Nate Irving ILB North Carolina St. 6'1" 240 lbs. 40 Time: 4.76 Bench@225: 27x Sr. Irving is a very productive football player when healthy and on the field. Very versatile player that will help on special teams and later at linebacker. Can be a tackling machine and works hard at getting better. Finds himself in the right place at the right time to pick off pass. Had great Pro Day workouts that will help his stock. Overcame life-threatening injury that shows he can can be depended on and is tough. Can get to the quarterback often and makes the play. Needs to improve footwork and is lack of speed will hold him back a bit. Must improve on field vision and pass coverage downfield. Has a lot of work to do to succeed at the NFL level, but has the heart and desire to get it done. Projected Round: 5

9. Mario Harvey ILB Marshall 6'0" 257 lbs. 40 Time: 4.43 Bench@225: 27x Sr. Harvey has been making a name for himself lately. He is very good and getting better in the run game. He gets a hold of the ball carrier a brings him down more times than not. Has the ability to shed his blocker to make the play. He has that nose for getting to the quarterback, producing a sack or two, as well as hurries. He can be a tackling machine as his sats will show. The team leader in tackles most of his career. Impact player that can make a game changing play. Strong enough to play at the next level. He lacks the speed to move up in the draft and he needs to work on his pass rushing skills more. Needs to get better at reading the play and not get lost in the pack so much. Must remain healthy since his opposition will be much bigger than what he has faced. Can make an impact on special team until he gets a spot. Projected Round: 6

10. Chris White ILB Mississippi St. 6'3" 237 lbs. 40 Time: 4.72 Bench@225: 17x Sr. White is a very durable and dependable player. He has the size technique needed to play at the next level. Good at getting his feet under him to make the tackle. When making the tackle he uses his hands to wrap up carrier and drop him. Plays smart between the tackles and always plays hard till the end of the play. Can become a very productive player so long as he puts in the work at all times. His lack of speed and agility are a negative. Does not have that knee bend needed so he tends to play too high. Needs work on mobility and lateral movement. Will not make an impact off the edge. Weak in pass rushing that will be exploited in the pros. Projected Round: 7

11. Josh Bynes ILB Auburn 6'2" 240 lbs. 40 Time: 4.81 Bench@225: 21x Sr. Bynes is very active and likes to play physical. Has good versatility and very reliable. Ran a slower 40 than he needed at Pro Day. Needs to work on breaking initial contact and getting to the corner faster. Projected Round: 7

12. Mike Mohamed ILB California 6'3" 239 lbs. 40 Time: 4.73 Bench@225: 21x Sr. Mohamed has a good football IQ and is a productive type player. He is very durable and has lots of experience at his position. Good in pass coverage. Plays too high at times and does not play with the consistent aggressiveness he will need. Projected Round: 7

13. Greg Lloyd ILB Connecticut 6'1" 246 lbs. 40 Time: 4.82 Bench@ 225: 22x Sr. Lloyd had great reaction and recognition to a play. Strong player that can get into the backfield. Needs to have better leverage and balance. Does not cover well in angles. Projected Round: FA

14. Orie Lemon ILB Oklahoma St. 6'1" 243 lbs. 40 Time: 4.87 Bench@225: 27x Sr. Lemon is a huge, solidly built linebacker. Has the power to hold his own at the line. Good leverage and hand work on his man. Could be taller needs to learn how to read a ply effectively. Play action seems to fool him too much. Projected Round: FA.

15. Akeem Dent ILB Georgia 6'1" 242 lbs. 40 Time: 4.87 Bench@225: 24x Sr. Dent is athletic with an ability to get to the corner and make play. He is not too bad in pass coverage. Too small for the his position and lacks the speed in coverage to be a difference maker. Projected Round: FA

16. Nick Bellore ILB Central Michigan 6'1" 245 lbs. 40 Time: 4.84 Bench@225: 23x Sr. Bellore plays at a high level and gives all out effort. Excels at reading and breaking down the play. Has good leverage and balance. Is not too good at wrapping up the ball carrier. He will get beat in coverage and cannot make up ground resulting in bug pass plays. Projected Round: FA

17. Brian Duncan ILB Texas Tech 6'0" 235 lbs. 40 Time: 4.89 Bench@225: 17x Duncan is a tackling machine that will fit good in a 3-4 defense. Overall he will need lots of work to make a roster and stick in the league.

18. Alex Wujciak, ILB, Maryland 6'3" 255 lbs. 40 Time: 4.84.
Bench@225: 21x Sr. A good tackler with playmaking ability. Needs to work on pass coverage especially sideline to sideline. Projected Round: FA.

19. Elijah Joseph ILB Temple 6'1" 243 lbs. 40 Time: 4.80 Bench@225: 31x Sr. Joseph is a good tackler that likes to hit. Good power and has the knack of knocking football loose from ball carrier. Lacks the football instincts and vision needed at the next level. Projected Round: FA

20. Obi Ezeh ILB Michigan 6'2" 250 lbs. 40 Time: 4.78 Bench@225: N/A Ezeh is good in pursuit and strong versus the run. Works good between the tackles but needs to work on pass coverage. Must get more physical to sustain every day rigors of the pros. Projected Round: FA

21. Derrell Smith ILB 6'0" 244 lbs 40 Time: 4.76. Bench@225: 17x Sr.

22. Kendall Smith ILB Florida State 6'1" 224 lbs. 40 Time: 4.83 Bench@225: 22x Sr.

23. Cobrani Mixon ILB Kent St. 6'1" 241 lbs. 40 Time: 4.69 Bench@225: 33x Sr.

24. Stephen Franklin ILB Southern Illinois 5'11" 244 lbs. 40 Time: 4.64 Bench@225: 17x Sr.

25. Brian Smith ILB Notre Dame 6'3" 240 lbs. 40 Time: 4.72 Bench@225: N/A Sr.

26. JoJo Dickson ILB Idaho 6'2" 247 lbs. 40 Time: 4.78 Bench@225: 36x Sr.

27. Brad Jefferson ILB Georgia Tech 6'2" 240 lbs. 40 Time: 4.75 Bench@225: 28x Sr.

28. Michael Lockley ILB Florida Atlantic 6'1" 237 lbs. 40 Time; 4.67 Bench@225: 22x Sr

29. Tressor Baptiste ILB Texas A&M-Kingsville 6'0" 235 lbs. 40 Time: 4.82 Bench@225: N/A Sr.

30. Chris Colasanti ILB Penn St. 6'2" 241 lbs. 40 Time: 4.67 Bench@225: N/A Sr.