BEST RATED LINEBACKERS IN COVERAGE 2021 NFL Draft

2021 BEST RATED LINEBACKERS IN COVERAGE

As the pass-heavy era of football continues to evolve, linebackers such as Luke Kuechly (Boston College) and Manti Te'o (Notre Dame) have historically set a high standard in pass coverage, demonstrating that effective linebacking isn’t merely about tackling and run defense, but also about thwarting passing lanes and neutralizing middle-field threats.

Dive into the data below, uncovering the current college linebackers emerging as proficient coverage specialists. Key metrics like pass breakups, coverage grades, and yards allowed per coverage snap will facilitate a deeper understanding of their ability to safeguard the middle of the field, limit tight end production, and occasionally, match up against slot receivers with notable efficacy.

2021 Linebackers ranked by COVERAGE

RANK Player Pos Team TACKLING PASS RUSH RUN DEFENSE COVERAGE Rating
1

Zaven
Collins

LB
Tulsa   Mascot
Tulsa Mascot
65 79 71 89
90.0
2

Nick
Bolton

LB
Missouri   Mascot
Missouri Mascot
80 83 91 78
89.0
3

Azeez
Ojulari

OLB
/ED
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
77 92 81 78
88.0
4

Micah
Parsons

LB
/ED
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
99 98 100 76
93.0
5

Jamin
Davis

LB
Kentucky   Mascot
Kentucky Mascot
88 76 91 74
85.0
6

Amari
Gainer

LB
/ED
North Carolina   Mascot
North Carolina Mascot
72 56 64 72
54.0
7

Monty
Rice

LB
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
79 92 77 71
79.0
8

K.J.
Britt

LB
Auburn   Mascot
Auburn Mascot
68 57 76 70
62.0
9

Baron
Browning

LB
/ED
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
72 85 77 69
77.0
10

Paddy
Fisher

LB
Northwestern   Mascot
Northwestern Mascot
52 55 61 68
53.0
11

Sam
Williams

OLB
/ED
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
66 92 66 67
82.8
12

Ernest
Jones

LB
South Carolina   Mascot
South Carolina Mascot
80 59 70 67
71.0
13

Justin
Hilliard

LB
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
61 62 73 66
45.0
14

Pete
Werner

LB
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
72 69 69 66
83.0
15

Blake
Gallagher

LB
Northwestern   Mascot
Northwestern Mascot
65 66 67 66
62.0
16

Andre
Mintze

OLB
/ED
Vanderbilt   Mascot
Vanderbilt Mascot
70 82 69 66
62.0
17

Elijah
Sullivan

LB
Kansas State   Mascot
Kansas State Mascot
64 58 64 65
65.0
18

Antjuan
Simmons

LB
Michigan State   Mascot
Michigan State Mascot
70 61 80 65
65.0
19

Kyle
Pugh

LB
Northern Illinois   Mascot
Northern Illinois Mascot
71 47 59 65
62.0
20

Dylan
Moses

LB
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
86 67 63 63
83.0