Linebacker Rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft
With the 2023 NFL Draft coming up, it’s time to release my first positional profiles! Feel free to comment any disagreements or questions!
This is the first part of my pre-Draft Guide positional profile series. As I finish the profiles for each position I’ll be posted them here. The overall rankings are TBD and will come out with the final Draft Guide.
This year’s linebacker is an underwhelming class, but has some intriguing talent that may rise up the boards on draft day. It’s a very diverse class and teams will value these prospects very differently.
Jack Campbell (TBD)
Iowa – (6’4” 250 lbs)
The leader of Iowa’s defense, Jack Campbell was stellar this season. He received an outstanding 91.7 PFF grade (highest for all LB’s), while allowing only 236 coverage yards. He received the Dick Butkus award for best linebacker, and any team that drafts based on production will have Campbell highly rated. Campbell has great instincts in both run and pass coverage, with the ability to find the ball. He is a good tackler with good effort and motor. He also disengages well and has the power to blitz.
Campbell is a bulkier old school LB and lacks high end speed or athleticism on tape. His movement skills, twitch and change of direction were inconsistent on tape and were his biggest weakness in his profile. But Campbell absolutely demolished all expectations at the combine, testing well in every category and scoring an insane 9.98 RAS (99% athlete). While it can’t answer all the questions on tape, it made it clear that Campbell will have no issues holding up against top NFL talent. He’s experienced and an older prospect, and will have no issues stepping in immediately as a rookie.
Campbell has the talent to be a prototype “old school” linebacker. He will instantly impact the run game and make downhill plays. He’ll win with pure skill and instincts, but isn’t the freak athlete teams covet nowadays, even if his combine said otherwise. While he lacks the ceiling of some other prospects, he is NFL ready with a role to play.
Strengths:
Run Defense+
Motor
Instincts
Leader
Combine Testing
Weaknesses:
Man Coverage
Vertical Speed
Twitch
Grade: Early Second
2. Drew Sanders (TBD)
Arkansas – (6’4” 235 lbs)
A five star recruit out of Texas, Drew Sanders wasted two years on a stacked roster before transferring to Arkansas. He is a sensational athlete, who played nearly every role. As a Linebacker, Sanders is a fluid mover with the range to blow up sideline run plays. He is disciplined and has the instincts to fill run gaps and find the ball. Sanders relied on twitch more than pure strength as a defender, and was an inconsistent tackler (22 missed tackles). His run defense is his biggest strength, and contribute in that area immediately. Sanders’ versatile athleticism allows him to be a successful edge rusher, which he will take snaps at in the NFL.
However, he lacks the brute strength to consistently win edge reps in the pros and must either bulk up or purely resort to speed rushing. His strength is also evident as a downhill force, where he isn’t a natural mover. Sanders has solid coverage instincts, but rarely took pure drop back snaps, and will need further experience in the role. Sanders profiles as a run defending LB with the instincts to improve as a coverage backer. He should get occasional EDGE snaps as well. As a rookie Sanders should be used in run defense and QB spy roles as he continues to polish his coverage skills.
Strengths:
Run Defense
Play Speed
Fluid/Rangy
Instincts
Edge Rusher Versatility
Weaknesses:
Tackling
Not a Mover
Coverage Experience
Brute Power
Grade: Mid Second
3. Trenton Simpson (TBD)
Clemson – (6’2” 235 lbs)
Trenton Simpson has the explosiveness and versatility that teams look for in a modern linebacker. He is quick and agile, with the burst to make plays in the backfield. Simpson played nearly every role in the box: dropping into coverage, blitzing, lining up as edge and spying the QB. He’s most comfortable as a run defender, with the instincts to find the ball and breakdown concepts. Simpson has the physicality to line up on edge, but is too small to win with power. He has the speed (4.43 40) to win the edge. Like most athletic college Linebackers, Simpson was rarely used as a pure coverage back. He has the traits to succeed, but lacks the experience to be productive in coverage as a rookie. He’s also not fluid enough to guard in man coverage.
Simpson is a jack of all trades Linebacker that will play in the box. While he doesn’t have a singular trait to lean on as a rookie, he has the athleticism to grow into a great, well rounded Linebacker. His role as a rookie is a “find ball, get ball” SAM LB. NFL teams may struggle to properly utilize his skills. My biggest concern is that he won’t develop a goto trump card. Drafting Simpson is betting on his traits over his current skill set.
Strengths:
Aggressiveness
Burst
Finds the Ball
Run Defense Instincts
Quickness
Weaknesses:
COD
Smaller Frame
Lacks a truly elite skill
Grade: Mid/Late Second
4. DeMarvion Overshown (TBD)
Texas – (6’3” 230 lbs)
DeMarvion Overshown is the most underrated linebacker in the draft. He was originally recruited to the Longhorns as a Safety, which shows every time he steps on the field. Overshown has the range to prevent stretch runs, with the speed to cover in space. He has great instincts in both run and pass defense, and has the movement skills to cover in man.
Overshown has insane length at the position, with 32½ inch arms in addition to his 6’3” height. His length helps him cover space and break up passes, but his frame is very slender and Overshown must add muscle. He is a big hitter, but his play strength is weak and can struggle against blocks and missing tackles. His frame has tons of untapped muscle potential, but it may take him a few seasons to completely grow into his body. Overshown has the speed and bend to rush off the edge, but lacks downhill strength. He jumped 36.5” and 10'4” at the combine, while also running a 4.56 40, both numbers that displayed his explosiveness.
In a poor linebacker class, Overshown has the chance to be a long term starter. Most of his issues stem from his slender frame, so if he can add weight/muscle he can round out an impressive profile. As a stronger linebacker he is a +starter with versatility. If not, Overshown should still be a solid rotational starter.
Strengths:
Coverage Instincts
Fluid
Big Hitter
Rangy With Long Speed
Fluid
Weaknesses:
Skinny Build
NFL Physicality
Play Strength
Power Run Defense
Grade: Late Second/Early Third
5. Daiyan Henley (TBD)
Wash St. – (6’1” 225 lbs)
Daiyan Henley was originally a receiver at Nevada, before switching to Safety and transferring to Washington State. His newness at the position is obvious, as his overall technique is raw. Henley’s stance is too wide and can run undisciplined and uncontrolled. Henley occasionally reacts slowly and is caught not moving on the field.
However, Henley has the athleticism and traits that will help him quickly accel at linebacker. He is a quick, explosive defender with downhill power. His background at receiver gave him unique fluidity. Henley’s a good blitzer and tackle, who won mostly with his athletic ability. Henley performed well at the Senior Bowl, before recording an impressive 8.89 RAS and the Combine. Any team that drafts Henley is betting that his traits speed up his development process. His production this year showed signs of a further developed prospect, with 5 sacks and a 90.3 PFF tackling grade.
Daiyan Henley will improve quickly, but he’s already an older prospect at 23. It’s tough to draft a developmental player who is also older than most other prospects. His age drops his grade down as it’s unlikely that Henley will be a heavy contributor before 24/25 at the earliest. Henley has potential to be a solid coverage back who also makes a difference as a run defender and blitzer. He should be a backup as a rookie and can grow into a solid starter or rotational edge/blitzer.
Strengths:
Pass Rush Arsenal
Motor/Effort
Instincts
Hand Usage
Production
Weaknesses:
Small for Edge
Raw Coverage
Bend
Edge Run Defense
Grade: Early Fourth
6. Dorian Williams (TBD)
Tulane – (6’1” 228 lbs)
Dorian Williams is this year's forgotten Linebacker prospect. He’s overlooked as a small school player who is not a freaky athlete. He has a very lanky build and can struggle to fight through blocks. His frame has a lot of untapped growth, so expect him to put on mass early on. He’s not overly twitchy and isn’t a downhill blitzer or occasional edge rusher. Dorian is a classic read and react Linebacker. He is patient and knows how to avoid blocks while keeping his eye on the running back. Williams can play the classic coverage role, and has the instinct and eyes to cover an area well. While he’s solid in many classic LB skills, he lacks a true dominant ability. Dorian Williams is fluid but lacks the twitch and downhill power to be a physical force. His combine performance was better than expected, running a 4.49 40. He has the well rounded skill set, intelligence and special teams skills to keep him on a roster, but don’t expect high end production.
Strengths:
Zone Coverage
Read and React
Weaknesses:
Power
Twitch
Fighting Through Blocks
Grade: Early Fourth
7. Noah Sewell (TBD)
Oregon – (6’1” 246 lbs)
Noah Sewell, brother of Penei Sewell, is a burly prospect with straight line speed. He is strong and can fight through blocks with the power to win as a blitzer. Sewell plays the downhill LB role very well, but can do little else at the position. He is extremely stiff which limits his coverage skills. His instincts in zone are serviceable, but his movement skills will prevent him from ever dropping back. Sewell also falls for misdirection and can overcommit to fakes and play actions.
Sewell failed to live up to the high expectations this year, getting exposed on coverage and misdirection plays. He profiles as a hard hitting downhill LB who is a tone setter and blitzer. Similar to last year’s Channing Tindall he should get snaps on designed “find the ball” plays. His role is extremely limited and won’t be on many team’s draft boards.
Strengths:
Power
Blitzing
Play Speed
Weaknesses:
Stiffness
Jittery
Man Coverage
Grade: Fourth
8. Owen Pappoe (TBD)
Auburn – (6’0” 225 lbs)
The final player on my list, Owen Pappoe, is another combine riser. Pappoe’s game is designed around his speed, which he proved by running a 4.39 40 (99%) while also jumping 10 '6 in the broad jump (95%). He scored a 9.23 RAS which could potentially push him into round two discussions. His performance came to no surprise, as on film his explosiveness is evident. He is insanely fast from sideline to sideline and has fluid movements. His frame is much smaller for a LB, but Pappoe has long 31.75 inch arms. His size limits him when facing power and fighting through blocks. Pappoe’s mental side needs improvement as well, as he is slow to read and react while falling to misdirection. He has big play potential but can’t be trusted in coverage due to his tendency to be targeted by the offense. Pappoe is a natural leader who was the two time team captain at Auburn.
Owen Pappoe profiles as a developmental speed linebacker. He has the athleticism to become a potentially rangy coverage player, but has immense amount of work needed to get there. He has the twitch to play as an outside run defender, but struggles to win reps with power. Pappoe will start as a backup and can be utilized as a rotational LB/QB Spy.
Strengths:
Range
Leadership
Wingspan
Quickness/Fluidity
Weaknesses:
Frame
Fighting Through Blocks
Read and React
Power Defense
Grade: Late Fourth
