Linebacker Rankings 2021 NFL Draft

LINEBACKER PROSPECT RANKING 2021 NFL DRAFT

The 2021 Linebacker draft class is good but not great, with only one prospect being worthy of a top 10 pick. Star line-backer for the Lions, Micah Parsons, is, without doubt, the top prospect at the position; he had a really strong 2019 season, finishing with over 100 tackles, 5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles, and was a finalist for the Butkus Award.

He has everything an NFL team could want. The only thing that stops him from being drafted higher is the position (Inside Linebacker) he plays. The top outside linebacker prospect is Notre Dames's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah; he's an explosive and versatile player whose only knock is his lack of ideal physical traits. He has had a strong 2020 season, at a time when a lot of other players have opted out, and that helped him in showcasing his skills.

The rest of the class is filled with excellent talent, with 11 prospects having our 80 plus rating (Quality prospect) assigned to them.

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LAST UPDATED: 03/25/2023

Player Rankings - Linebacker

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
71

LB
Tuf
Borland

6-1 233lbs 4.98
LB
MIN   Mascot
MIN Mascot
233lbs 6-1 4.98 40 243.8
35.0
Plays fast, flows with the action, showing smooth lateral agility and short-area burst. Has good instincts and awareness to quickly find...
60

LB
Farrell
Hester II

6-1 235lbs 4.91
LB
UNLV   Mascot
UNLV Mascot
235lbs 6-1 4.91 163
53.0
Big, aggressive hitter who can lay the wood. Has good awareness to quickly locate the ball, keeping his eyes up and on point. A bit stiff...
45

LB/ED
Dimitri
Moore

6-3 235lbs 4.89
LB/ED
Texas Tech   Mascot
Texas Tech Mascot
235lbs 6-3 4.89 60 387
72.5
Moore has violent hands and consistently breaks away and disengages from blockers. He’s instinctive, reading, reacting and locating the...
54

OLB/ED
Ali
Fayad

6-2 248lbs 4.89
OLB/ED
Western Michigan   Mascot
Western Michigan Mascot
248lbs 6-2 4.89 36 278
62.0
He's not an elite pass rusher and projects as a left end in a 4-3 defense. If he layers on more muscle, he might fit in the 3-4. Size,...
53

LB
Trajan
Stephens-McQ...

6-1 230lbs 4.88
LB
Georgia State   Mascot
Georgia State Mascot
230lbs 6-1 4.88 164
54.0
An aggressive run defender, filling run lanes hard, and won't shy from contact. Plays with violence to fight off blocks, flashing a...
33

LB
Zane
Zandier

6-3 230lbs 4.88
LB
Virginia   Mascot
Virginia Mascot
230lbs 6-3 4.88 100 663
61.0
An aggressive run defender, filling run lanes hard, and won't shy from contact. Plays with violence to fight off blocks, flashing a...
25

LB
Dorian
Etheridge

6-3 230lbs 4.87
LB
ATL   Mascot
ATL Mascot
230lbs 6-3 4.87 82 494.5
64.0
Quick to read run, showing good agility and speed to get past blockers and finish. Experienced in coverage and gets a strong jam on...
20

LB
Erroll
Thompson

6-0 254lbs 4.85
LB
ATL   Mascot
ATL Mascot
254lbs 6-0 4.85 59 335.3
66.0
Big, aggressive hitter who can lay the wood. Has good awareness to quickly locate the ball, keeping his eyes up and on point. An...
63

OLB/ED
Willie
Baker

6-3 250lbs 4.84
OLB/ED
Louisiana Tech   Mascot
Louisiana Tech Mascot
250lbs 6-3 4.84 169
53.0
An aggressive run defender, filling run lanes hard, and won't shy from contact. Plays with violence to fight off blocks, flashing a...
67

OLB/ED
Jon-Michael
Terry

6-3 245lbs 4.83
OLB/ED
Tulsa   Mascot
Tulsa Mascot
245lbs 6-3 4.83 171
52.0
An aggressive run defender, filling run lanes hard, and won't shy from contact. Plays with violence to fight off blocks, flashing a...
40

LB
Isaiah
Kaufusi

6-2 221lbs 4.83
LB
BYU   Mascot
BYU Mascot
221lbs 6-2 4.83 128 945
59.0
Good key and diagnosis skills. Quickly locates the ball and shows no wasted motion in getting there. At least adequate lateral agility to...
36

OLB/ED
Anthony
Pandy

6-1 228lbs 4.82
OLB/ED
Arizona   Mascot
Arizona Mascot
228lbs 6-1 4.82 104 694
60.0
An aggressive run defender, filling run lanes hard, and won't shy from contact. Plays with violence to fight off blocks, flashing a...

2021 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Outside Linebacker

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

2021 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Outside Linebacker

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.