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Inside or out you know these boys gone ride! Is there such a thing as a soft linebacker. Okay sure maybe a few but I can’t think of any except for Bobby “Barbie” Carpenter of the Dallas Cowboys. But hell Bobby was cold in college and if he was as soft as he was portrayed to be on the HBO show “Hard Knocks” then Carpenter wouldn’t sniff the field which he does consistently.

This year’s class of linebackers are extremely athletic and very smart. The top linebackers in this year’s class are Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri, Brandon Spikes of Florida, Rolando McClain of Alabama, and Navorro Bowman of Penn State. Weatherspoon is like Dexter the cartoon, genius proven results but still not respected. Spikes is a pure unsung hero, think Robin with dreadlocks. Rolando McClain is Optimus Prime, well closer to Bobby Fischer he’s just so smart. He’ll definitely last the longest out of this year’s LB class. Bowman is the little engine that could.

Inside Linebackers

Rolando McClain

Pros: via NFL.com, Weatherspoon’s a highly-productive linebacker. He possesses a great combination of size, strength and athleticism. Displays very good range against the run and dropping in coverage. Plays with good intelligence and has proven to be an outstanding leader. Has displayed the toughness to play through injuries. Durable performer in college.

Cons: via NFL.com, Weatherspoon can be an inconsistent reactor at times. Despite his intelligence, he takes too many false steps and is often a step too slow. Won’t get away with this as a starter at the next level. Needs to expand his blitz techniques in order to provide more value on third down.

Overall: via NFL.com, Weatherspoon is an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism for the position. He is a tough hard-nosed linebacker that plays with a great motor. Weatherspoon is a solid tackler but not a thumper in this area. He runs well and shows good range in pursuit as well as in coverage. Weatherspoon leverages the ball well with good angles and proper body positioning. He uses his hands well to ward off blockers and maintain gap responsibility. Weatherspoon is an intelligent linebacker that possesses great intangibles that along with physical attributes which should make him a productive player as a rookie.

Brandon Spikes

Pros: via NFL.com, Spikes has an outstanding combination of size, strength and toughness for the inside linebacker position. Is a highly-competitive performer who was the heart and soul of his Florida defense. Highly- productive player who earned All-American status. Displays impressive athleticism in multiple facets including in coverage where he’s a playmaker. Supremely instinctive reactor who is extremely quick to diagnose plays and find the football. Has been very durable.

Cons: via NFL.com, Can be overly emotional at times. Spikes only possesses average long- speed which limits his range against the run and ability to play in man coverage, Only has average change of direction in space and can be beaten by counter plays. Flashes the ability to effectively blitz but has not been very productive yet in this area.

Overall: via NFL.com, Spikes is a big, strong physical defender that missed some time in 2009 after being suspended for a game due to an on the field incident early in the season. Spikes is best attacking the line of scrimmage and is a solid tackler in the open field. He uses his hands well to ward off blockers and leverage the ball and understands angles and run fits in the Gators defense. He is an instinctive player that is best versus the run but appears to have limitations in coverage. Spikes is quicker than fast and reacts quickly as plays develop but will need lots of technique work (especially defending the pass) at the next level. Spikes has excellent blood lines and is a good football player that brings attitude and leadership to the linebacker position.

Outside Linebackers

Sean Weatherspoon

Pros: Weatherspoon’s a highly-productive linebacker. He possesses a great combination of size, strength and athleticism. Displays very good range against the run and dropping in coverage. Plays with good intelligence and has proven to be an outstanding leader. Has displayed the toughness to play through injuries. Durable performer in college.

Cons: Weatherspoon can be an inconsistent reactor at times. Despite his intelligence, he takes too many false steps and is often a step too slow. Won’t get away with this as a starter at the next level. Needs to expand his blitz techniques in order to provide more value on third down.

Overall: Weatherspoon is an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism for the position. He is a tough hard-nosed linebacker that plays with a great motor. Weatherspoon is a solid tackler but not a thumper in this area. He runs well and shows good range in pursuit as well as in coverage. Weatherspoon leverages the ball well with good angles and proper body positioning. He uses his hands well to ward off blockers and maintain gap responsibility. Weatherspoon is an intelligent linebacker that possesses great intangibles that along with physical attributes which should make him a productive player as a rookie.

Navorro Bowman

Pros: via NFL.com, Bowman possesses great athleticism for a 4-3 outside linebacker. Exhibits great effort and toughness and isn’t afraid to stick his head in on run support. Has been a highly productive performer. Displays natural instincts when diagnosing against the run or dropping into coverage. Has tremendous range and is a real sideline-to-sideline player who is also a terrific open field tackler.

Cons: via NFL.com, Durability is a bit of a concern. Has a somewhat slight frame for a linebacker. There are character questions surrounding Bowman from a few incidents in college. Only has average size and average strength. His ability to take on and shed blockers is in question. Can play over-aggressive at times.

Overall: via NFL.com, Bowman is an average sized linebacker with good athleticism. He has had some durability problems in the past and this may be a concern at the next level. Bowman is a tough, competitive player that has good range inside out to the ball. He is most effective when covered up utilizing his speed and quickness to get to the pile. Bowman doesn’t separate well from larger blockers and gets smothered too often. He is quick to react and shows natural instincts as plays unfold. Bowman is a solid coverage defender and reads route progressions well. Bowman is a good football player that is limited due to lack of size and with some off the field issues as well as durability concerns, his draft status is likely to fall.

That’s all I got,

Ricky Writer

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