1. Jack Campbell – Iowa

6’5″ 249 lbs.
The top linebacker in a class that lacks star power at the position is Jack Campbell. Campbell, a larger linebacker measuring up at 6’5” and 249 pounds plays the position well thanks to his intelligence. He’s a super smart player, and makes up for his lack of athleticism by reading the quarterback and route combination. Campbell does a good job of pressuring the quarterback when sent on the blitz when matched up against running backs. Despite his size, he doesn’t play with a lot of strength, but does a great job in downfield pursuit by closing the space between blockers or runners. When he meets a running back in the hole, he makes some impressive plays and initiates good contact, but he lacks the ability to wrap up very well which leads to inconsistent play. Campbell is a bit slow out of his stance, and isn’t able to read the play substantially well when he’s lined up at the line of scrimmage. He lacks the athleticism to get away with being more reactive rather than instinctual. Campbell could do well if paired with an already developed linebacker group. Could be a sneaky day 1 pick at the NFL draft due to teams in need of a linebacker being so far back on the draft list. I see it more likely that he’s off the board within the first 10 picks on day 2. 

2. Drew Sanders – Arkansas

6’4″ 235 lbs.
For a linebacker that big, it’s surprising that Drew Sanders plays so fast, and light on his feet. Originally, Sanders committed to Alabama where he played edge rushers for the crimson tide. But lacking playing time after an injury, he transitioned to off-ball linebacker for Arkansas. Sanders was moved around the defensive front fairly often in his last season with the Razorbacks showing off his athletic profile and versatility. He is one of the defensive players with the highest ceiling in the 2023 NFL draft thanks to him being fairly raw, and showing promise in his ability to cover ground with his speed. Sanders takes up a lot of space in both running and passing lanes thanks to the size of his frame and length. He also has the ability to play sideline to sideline, and he can beat blockers to the hole thanks to his speed. He does a good job of utilizing his speed, size, and agility to get off or work around blockers. Sanders shows good feel in zone coverage, and reads the quarterbacks eyes to take away space in the passing game. When playing against the run, he can overcommit and outrun the running back, leaving a big gap for the back to shoot upfield. Despite his lengthy frame, Sanders doesn’t show a ton of strength and could use some filling out. Sanders needs to work on his open field tackling, often times leaving his feet to get to ball carriers. Overall, he’s a super raw prospect that shows high upside with the hep of his athletic ability. A team should be willing to take the chance on Sanders in round 2 of the NFL draft. 

3. Trenton Simpson – Clemson

6’2″ 235 lbs.
Trenton Simpson is an explosive athlete who ran a 4.43 40 yard dash at the combine. He’s extremely versatile, and always makes a play on the ball regardless of his alignment. Simpson is a downfield linebacker that lays out ferocious hits but also shows off his ability to wrap up well. Given his speed and agility, Simpson possesses the range to play sideline to sideline. When playing in-line, he shows good patience and diagnoses the play well keeping a good contain one the outside. He’s a huge asset when placed in coverage as well. He shows that he can play through contact well versus tight ends, and read routes and keep up with receivers in the slot. Due to his smaller frame, he can get pushed off the ball at the point of attack because of his lack of strength and his inability to utilize his hands well. As much of a big hitter he is, he tends to lunge into blocks and loses reps due to his lack of balance. He can be too aggressive and overcommit on plays, leaving cutback lanes in the running game, or guessing wrong when in zone. Simpson leans on his freak athleticism which doesn’t often translate well to the next level. Simpson should be a day 2 pick for a team that is looking for a linebacker with unique athleticism that could use some fine tuning. 

4. Noah Sewell – Oregon

6’1 1/2″ 246 lbs.
Noah Sewell played exceptionally well in the 2021 season, but was unable to boost his stock much in 2022. Sewell is an explosive player that has a high motor and shows good hands when getting after the quarterback. He has good quickness and understands plays well to fill holes and meet blockers. Sewell shows good instincts to find the ball carrier, and is able to finish the play by demonstrating effective tackling technique. He possesses good closing speed and long arms to chase down runners in the open space. Sewell showed promise when sent on inside blitzes, totalling 36 quarterback hurries in his last 2 years.  Although he’s elite at stopping the run, he can be too excited and beats running backs to the spot, leaving lanes for the back to take advantage of. He showed decent speed at the college level, but may struggle playing sideline to sideline in the NFL. Sewell was a good but not great athlete in coverage, and could lose reps against more athletic tight ends. Thanks to his ability to play the run, Sewell will play early downs well, but could see his role limited on third down and be taken off the field. He was is an exceptional athlete that didn’t produce well in 2022 despite being a highly anticipated prospect going into his draft year. Teams that are looking for a traditional MIKE linebacker will look to call his name in round 3 or 4. 

5. Henry To’oto’o – Alabama

6’1″ 227 lbs.
A 4 year starter at the middle linebacker position, Henry To’oTo’o played 2 years at Tennessee before transferring to Alabama. He possesses a high football iq, meaning he is rarely in the wrong spot, and is always able to make a play. To’oTo’o is a good tackler in open space, and fills gaps well in the run game. He has shown that he is able to slip off of lineman’s blocks, and meets running backs in the backfield. However, he does lack the athleticism to stop runners every time he meets them, leading to missed tackles. If he isn’t able to bring down the ball carrier, he does a good job of slowing them down for a teammate to finish the play. He has a lighter frame which leads to him getting knocked backwards when engaged by a strong offensive lineman. To’oTo’o also lacks the range for a middle linebacker, he hasn’t shown that he can play sideline to sideline very well. He also had a poor judgement of angles in the passing game, and is a liability in man coverage. When playing zone, he has demonstrated that he can rely on his instincts to read the quarterback and make a play on the ball. He has the experience and football iq to play the position, but lacks the athleticism to really stand out. He should hear his name called in the 3rd or 4th round.