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: 04/21/2024

Player Rankings - Linebacker

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
73

OLB/ED
Charles
Snowden

6-7 245lbs 4.75
OLB/ED
CHI   Mascot
CHI Mascot
245lbs 6-7 4.75 23 163.7
34.0
Good key and diagnosis skills. Quickly locates the ball and shows no wasted motion in getting there. At least adequate lateral agility to...
37

OLB/ED
Jordan
Smith

6-7 255lbs 4.71
OLB/ED
JAX   Mascot
JAX Mascot
255lbs 6-7 4.71 20 133.1
59.0
He has good reaction skills and awareness. Forceful tackler vs. the run. Quick to read run, showing good agility and speed to get past...
78

OLB/ED
Kuony
Deng

6-6 240lbs 4.80
OLB/ED
California   Mascot
California Mascot
240lbs 6-6 4.80 86 640.5
30.0
Spends a lot of time outside the box in coverage, but he has the strength to hold the edge against large tight ends and linemen. Gives...
3

LB
Zaven
Collins

6-4 260lbs 4.80
LB
ARI   Mascot
ARI Mascot
260lbs 6-4 4.80 3 30
90.0
One of the top 5 edge players in the 2021 draft Zaven is expected to hear his name called towards the end of the first or early in the...
8

OLB/ED
Chris
Rumph II

6-4 235lbs 4.70
OLB/ED
LAC   Mascot
LAC Mascot
235lbs 6-4 4.70 16 104.5
86.0
Chris is the son of Chris Rumph Sr, the outside linebackers coach for the Houston Texans. Rumph has been an impressive presence for the...
5

OLB/ED
Joseph
Ossai

6-4 253lbs 4.63
OLB/ED
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
253lbs 6-4 4.63 6 42.3
88.0
The 6'4" Longhorn has entered the draft as one of the top pass rushing prospects. Ossai plays hard and is a dynamic presence on...
7

LB
Jabril
Cox

6-4 231lbs 4.63
LB
DAL   Mascot
DAL Mascot
231lbs 6-4 4.63 11 68.1
88.0
Cox forms part of a great group of linebackers in the 2021 class showing great size and speed. He was an FCS transfer who has made the most...
47

LB/ED
Amari
Gainer

6-4 235lbs 4.58
LB/ED
North Carolina   Mascot
North Carolina Mascot
235lbs 6-4 4.58 62 455
54.0
He’s very good in coverage when looking into the backfield in zone coverage. Shows a burst to close. Flashes explosive hitting ability...
15

OLB/ED
Sam
Williams

6-4 261lbs 4.46
OLB/ED
DAL   Mascot
DAL Mascot
261lbs 6-4 4.46 10 77.9
82.8
Sam Williams is no doubt an elite athletic specimen who possesses an elite combination of speed, hand strength, and explosiveness. He has...
9

LB
Jamin
Davis

6-4 234lbs 4.44
LB
WSH   Mascot
WSH Mascot
234lbs 6-4 4.44 25 175
85.0
Davis has been rocketing up draft boards recently - in January he was ranked as the 12th best prospect, but now, mainly due to a very...
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...
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...

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.