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2012 DRAFT OLB PROFILES

*Note players not necessarily listed in order of grade

4-3 LBs

Zach Brown, North Carolina, 6-2, 230, 4.35, SR… Fast, athletic WLB who will finally get a chance to be a full-time starter this fall after backing up Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter the past couple of seasons; still finished second on the team with 72 tackles last fall; has uncommon speed for a LB; indeed is a former state sprint champion who holds the UNC school record for the indoor 60-meter dash with a 6.72 clocking; not always that instinctive but can outrun most mistakes; has exceptional lateral range, but isn’t that aggressive or instinctive attacking the line of scrimmage; can run with just about any receiver in college football and has decent ball skills; picked off three passes last fall; not all that big at barely 230 pounds and can be engulfed at the point of attack by big offensive lineman, but is a physical tackler; is a also a dynamic special teamer.

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, 6-2, 235, 4.40, SR ... Super productive WLB who already has piled up 360 career tackles; not all that big or physical, but is a weight-room warrior with good strength and really explodes into tackles; also is a tremendous athlete with sub-4.4 speed, although tends to be somewhat stiff in the hips and doesn’t change direction all that quickly; has good instincts and exceptional acceleration and range; can also run with most backs and TEs and as a former star high school RB has good ball skills for a LB; indeed, already shares OU career record for picks for a LB with 8; can get into the backfield, but is not a natural blitzer; also struggles to get off blocks when engaged at times; will miss the first month of the season with a broken foot.

Lavonte David, Nebraska, 6-1, 225, 4.62, SR … Was a very good junior college LB before blowing up at Nebraska last fall where he posted a team-record 152 tackles; safety-sized at a bulked up 225 pounds, but has a thick lower body and plays bigger; also has good though not great speed with a projected 40-clocking in the 4.6 range, but again plays faster; is a good athlete with fluid hips; is also a real student of the game and is very instinctive; reads the play well and is very quick and explosive; can beat the offense to the point of attack, but can also get off blocks when engaged; has shortish arms, but is a very good tackler who drives through ball-carriers; can also blitz and make plays in coverage; had 6 sacks last fall, while breaking up 10 passes; can turn and run with most backs and TEs, but doesn’t have the greatest hands himself.

Keenan Robinson, Texas, 6-2, 235, 4.65, SR … Active, athletic backer with sideline-to-sideline range; versatile player who will line up on the strongside this fall, but could also play in the middle or on the strongside; aggressive run defender with a quick first step, good instincts and the ability to change direction on the fly; not huge by NFL standard, but has good functional strength and is a physical tackler who had 113 tackles in 2010; can get into the backfield, but is not necessarily a natural pass rusher; also covers a lot of ground in coverage and had a couple of picks last fall, but isn’t quite as instinctive when playing in reverse; excellent all-around athlete was a state-level triple jumper in high school where he also played some WR; also a good student and character player.

Sean Spence, Miami, 6-0, 225, 4.58, SR ... Disruptive WLB with first-round physical skill, but is somewhat undersized; one of the best all-around athletes on a roster full of good all-around athletes; has excellent instincts and a fine motor, as well has the speed, quickness and agility of a safety; not all that big at barely 225 pounds, but still packs a wallop when he finds the ball as he explodes through ball-carriers; isn’t going to stack and shed at the point of attack because of his size, but is tough to block because he is so active; specializes in getting into the backfield before a play has a chance to develop and had 13.5 other tackles for loss last season; not a natural pass rusher, though, but did have 2.5 sacks last fall; has great balance, can change direction on the fly, as well as flip his hips in transition out of his back-peddle; solid in coverage, but has the hands of a LB; missed three games in 2009 with a knee injury.

Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, 6-1, 230, 4.55, SR … Fast, athletic WLB with excellent range and instincts; solid wrap-up tackler had a 144 stops in 2010 including 13 for loss; also enters the season with an active streak of 9 games with double-digit tackles; had another 80 tackles in 2009 when he played through a broken wrist; weight room warrior isn’t all that big, but has bulked up to 230 pounds; does a nice job getting off blocks; has good quickness and excellent closing speed; has reportedly run the 40 in under 4.50 seconds; still more of a sideline-to-sideline type; not a natural blitzer and doesn’t make a lot of plays in coverage, although he can run with most backs and TEs; character player who goes hard all the time.

Nigel Bradham, Florida State, 6-2, 240, 4.65, SR … Consistent, versatile veteran WLB with 26 career starts; athletic player with good speed and better quickness; has good instincts with sideline-to-sideline range; solid wrap-up tackler led the team with 98 tackles last fall, although he doesn’t deliver many big hits; also not known as a natural blitzer, but did have 5 sacks last fall; covers a lot of ground in coverage and can run with most backs and TEs, but doesn’t have great ball skills and has only one career pick and 5 pass breakups; has a thick lower base, but isn’t that physical at the point of attack and struggles getting off blocks.

Tank Carder, Texas Christian, 6-2, 230, 4.67, SR … Athletic WLB leads the aggressive Horned Frogs defense; not overly big, but is an excellent tackler who rarely misses a stop; also very quick and instinctive with sideline-to-sideline range; can make plays in both directions; had 3.5 sacks and 6 other tackles for loss last fall; also one of the better coverage LBs in college football has 15 career pass break-ups, although he doesn’t necessarily have great hands; will struggle at times to hold the point of attack but generally does a good job shedding blocks; has an outstanding work ethic and should be a good special teamer at the next level; health is an issue, though, as he had problems with a shoulder in the past; also suffered multiple serious injuries including a punctured diaphragm, collapsed lung, and broken bones in his back in a car accident as a youth and wasn’t allowed to play high school football; fearless kid, though, who was a national BMX bike champion in elementary school.

Tyler Nielsen, Iowa, 6-4, 235, 4.60, SR … Prototype SSLB played in only 8 games last fall after suffering a broken vertebrae in his neck that will have to be checked at this spring; tall OLB with long arms can play over the TE and does a nice job fighting off blocks at the point of attack; smart, instinctive with good speed and range, although he’s a little stiff and doesn’t change direction all that well; not a natural blitzer, but effective in both zone and man coverage; had 42 tackles last fall with an interception and 4 other pass breakups.

Greg Williams, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 240, 4.75, SR … Came to Pitt as a heralded RB recruit – he’s a cousin of former star NFL RB Edge James - but made a successful transition to OLB; has started 32 games; not flashy, but a solid all-around player who can get into the backfield as well as make plays in coverage; lacks great range, but reads the field well, is quick off the snap and has good strength at the point of attack; opportunistic type who has three career TD returns in his career; had 64 tackles in 2010.

Ronnie Thornton, Southern Mississippi, 6-2, 230, 4.65, SR … Athletic WLB with good quickness, instincts and range; three-year starter had 61 tackles in 2010 after posting 114 the previous year; excellent athlete with sub-4.7 speed; has sideline-to-sideline range, but isn’t a natural pass rusher; also has yet to make many plays in coverage.

Max Gruber, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 230, SR … Tough, smart player who can play all three LB slots; not all that big or fast, but is very instinctive; understands the scheme and does a nice job lining up the defense; physical tackler had 170 tackles the past couple of seasons, although he doesn’t make a lot of plays upfield; can contribute in coverage and on special teams.

Miles Burris, San Diego State, 6-2, 235, 4.75 …. Hard-nosed SSLB who always seems to be around the ball; emerged as a disruptive force in 2010 when he had 20 tackles for loss, including 9.5 sacks; not overly big or fast, but has a quick first step, good instincts and is relentless into the backfield; not very agile and is a non-factor in coverage; character player who could also figure at ILB.

Ryan Baker, LSU, 6-0, 230, 4.77, SR … Versatile veteran LB will shift inside this fall after leading the team with 87 tackles as a WLB last season; tough player missed only one game after breaking his jaw in a pres-season practice last fall and then played in four games with his jaw wired shut; smart, instinctive player reads the play well and gets to the ball in a hurry; also a very physical tackler, but lacks great measurables; isn’t all that big at just under 6-0 and barely 230 pounds; has good quickness, but has limited speed in space; sees gaps in blocking and does and gets into backfield on a regular basis; had 11 tackles for loss last fall, including 7 sacks; has limited range in coverage; slightly older player will turn 25 during his first year in the pros.

Brian Hendricks, Wyoming, 6-1, 230, 4.75, SR … Active WLB who is always around the ball; isn’t all that big or fast, but has excellent instincts; solid wrap up tackler who had just under 200 tackles the past couple of seasons, but hasn’t made many plays in the backfield or in coverage; good all-around athlete who was a star RB in high school; also had a career record of 102-1 as a prep wrestler and was a medalist in state 400M; good student and character player who was a team captain as a junior; suffered a knee injury in high school and also missed a couple of games in 2009 with a minor knee injury.

Brandon Maye, Mississippi State, 6-2, 230, 4.70 … Looked like a potential early pick when he posted 103 tackles and forced 5 fumbles as a sophomore at Clemson in 2009, but slumped to just 43 stops last season and ended up transferring; not all that big or physical and can be engulfed at the point of attack, but has good speed and range; hard hitter but will play out of control at times; also not that instinctive in coverage.

Paul Vassallo, Arizona, 6-2, 240, SR … Former junior college All-American made an easy adjustment to D1A football last fall when he recorded 100-plus tackles, including 8 for loss; has good size, quickness and range; uses hands well to fend off blockers and can hold the point of attack; also has good instincts and plays hard; not a natural blitzer, though, doesn’t make many plays in coverage; originally walked on and red-shirted a year at Nevada; missed much of his sophomore year at the JC level with a concussion.

Demario Davis, Arkansas State, 6-2, 240, 4.60, SR … Former high school WR brings nice size/speed measurable to OLB; runs well and has sideline-to-sideline range; also quick with good balance and the ability to change direction on the fly; also a physical tackler who made over 140 stops the past couple of years, but doesn’t get into the backfield that often; not all that instinctive, though, and while he has good hands and the speed to stay with most backs and TEs, doesn’t make a lot of plays in coverage.

Curnelius Arnick, Tulsa, 6-0, 230, 4.80, SR … Underrated backer will play in the middle this fall, but projects to WLB at the next level; not all that big or fast, but is quick and instinctive; good tackler had 115 stops last fall including 5 sacks; also a very coverage LB who reads the play well and has good hands; picked off 4 passes last fall and broke up four others;

Alex Hoffman-Ellis, Washington State, 6-0, 245, 4.55, SR … Interesting prospect who has played only three years of football, but is a really good athlete who can run to the ball and brings an attitude when he finds it; actually was a troubled teen who never played any sports at all until his senior year in high school, but has since played basketball in the Maccabi games and was a track star (long jump, triple jump and javelin) in his one year at a junior college; still learning the technical aspects of the position and can be overwhelmed at the point of attack, but has great range and can outrun mistakes; had 81 tackles last fall including a couple of sacks; also picked off two passes and broke up four others.

3-4 OLBs

Bruce Irvin, West Virginia, 6-3, 235, 4.55, SR … Potentially one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire 2012 draft; still not a household name but is a returning All-American who was second in D1A football with 14 sacks last fall despite not starting; freakish athlete who played WR in high school and was originally recruited by all the national powers as a safety; ended up going the JC route because of poor grades and emerged as a pass-rush force; has an explosive first-step and outstanding closing speed; more than a one-trick pony when rushing the passer, has good balance and can change direction on the fly; could get stronger, but has quick hands and has the punch to knock big OTs off balance; seldom asked to play the run, but has natural instincts and the speed to track down plays from behind; comes from a tough background and the fact he de-committed from both Tennessee and Arizona State before ending up in Morgantown will get a lot of be scrutiny, but comes across as a grounded, focused kid with a solid work ethic.

Brandon Jenkins, Florida, 6-3, 260, 4.70, JR ... Emerged as a dynamic edge rusher last fall when he posted 13.5 sacks and 8 other tackles for loss; has a great first step and a very active motor; also is a good athlete with fluid hips who can plant and change direction; also effective spinning out of blocks; can also dip his shoulder and force his way around the corner on occasion, but has only average closing speed and isn’t going to just run around quality OTs; also isn’t all that big or strong and struggles to hold the point of attack, although he does have decent lateral range defending the run.

Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina, 6-4, 250, 4.65, JR … One-time big-time recruit emerged as a disruptive edge rusher last fall when he posted 7 sacks and 6.5 other tackles for loss; not all that big at a bulked up 250 pounds, but is very strong; still not all that effective a run defender as he can be engulfed by big OTs at the point of attack, although he can extend plays to the sidelines; has a long quick first stride and good closing speed; also has a long wingspan and uses reach well to gain leverage getting to the edge; somewhat hyper personality who plays hard, but was suspended from the Heels’ 2009 bowl after getting in a fight with an opponent; was also charged with a misdemeanor assault after getting into a dorm-fight with a teammate.

Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy, 6-2, 252, 4.70, JR … Explosive edge-rusher had 13.5 sacks in his first year in D1 football last fall; also had 11.5 sacks as a freshman at the junior college level; not all that big at a bulked up 250 pounds and not that stout at the point of attack; also doesn’t use hands that well and has almost no punch at the point of attack, but very active chasing plays down from behind; very quick off the snap, has good balance, can change direction on the fly and has good closing speed to the ball; cousin of both Cleveland WR Mohammed Massaquoi and Minnesota TE Visanthe Siancoe.

Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 250, 4.67, SR … Prototype 3-4 OLB who emerged as an explosive edge rusher last fall when he got the call to replace an injured Greg Romeus; had 10 sacks and 7.5 other tackles for loss as a true DE last season, but this fall he line up in as a hybrid OLB-DE; very quick off the snap and relentless in pursuit of the ball; low-based player who can maintain leverage once he’s turned the corner; also an athletic player who can turn and play in reverse.

Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, 6-2, 265, 4.75, SR … Doesn’t get the national recognition of some of his more heralded teammates, but was the most productive Tide LB last year posting 52 tackles, including 7 sacks,7.5 other tackles for loss and four forced fumbles working off the edge; not particularly tall or athletic, but has good strength and quickness; gets to the edge in a hurry, keeps pads low and uses arms well to maintain leverage; high motor guy explodes into tackles and will track plays from behind; also a very good special teams player. missed 2 games in 2010 with a high ankle sprain; also was arrested in 2009 after an altercation with a woman that may have been more a misunderstanding than a serious red flag issue.

Mychal Kendricks, California, 6-0, 245, 4.75, SR … Will slide inside this fall, but emerged as a disruptive edge rushing OLB last season when had 8.5 sacks and 7 other tackles; not all that tall for a prototype OLB at barely 6-0; also not all that bulky at just over 240 pounds, but has exceptional quickness off the snap and is relentless closing on the ball, although he lacks sprinter speed; can dip shoulder under OTs pads and maintain leverage around the corner; can also change direction on the fly and spin out of blocks; has good instincts and will chase plays down from behind; has a couple of career picks, but has seldom been asked to play in reverse and is not that effective in coverage.

Adrian Robinson, Temple, 6-2, 250, 4.72, SR … Pro scouts are intrigued to see which guy shows up this fall: the 2009 MAC Defensive Player of the Year who had 14 sacks or the player that wore the same number last fall that had only 3.5 sacks despite all the attention on Muhammad Wilkerson; when on his game is an explosive edge rusher with a very quick first step and the ability to drop his pad level and flatten out to turn the corner, as well as can plant and change direction on the fly; former high school wrestling star also does a nice job shedding blockers; also has solid fundamentals, plays under control and carries out his assignments; not all that big for a down DE, but plays big enough and is solid defending the run, but will struggle to anchor on plays right at him; slumped last year as he appeared tentative at times and hesitated too often to find the ball first rather tha n firing upfield.

Darius Fleming, Notre Dame, 6-3, 250, 4.65, SR … Hybrid DE/OLB who can get after the passer; has 11.5 career sacks including 6 last fall; has a quick first step and excellent closing speed; also has the upper body strength to maintain leverage once he gets to the edge; covers a lot of ground and is an improving all-around LB who had an interception and four pass breakups last fall, but is somewhat stiff, doesn’t change direction all that well, and isn’t the most instinctive LB.

Cordarro Law, Southern Mississippi, 6-2, 255, 4.67, SR … Consistent edge-rusher with 18.5 career sacks including 6 in 2010; has a very quick first step and excellent closing speed with a projected 40-time under 4.7 seconds; also a hard hitter with 10 career forced fumbles; not all that physical at the point of attack and isn’t as effective defending the run; best fit at next level likely will be as a 3-4 rush LB; good athlete who was an all-state basketball player in high school.

Kyle Wilber, Wake Forest, 6-4, 240, 4.70, SR … Rangy edge rusher had 6 sacks and 8.5 other tackles for loss last fall when he lined up as an undersized DE, but shifts to an OLB in the Deacons’ new 3-4 scheme this fall where he should shine operating in space; long strider with a quick first step; can also change direction on the fly and has excellent lateral range; not all that big at just 240 pounds but is a weight-room warrior with very good functional strength; good tackler, but needs to work at keeping opposing blockers off his legs; missed much of the 2009 season with a broken leg; good athlete who also was a wrestler in high school.

Sammy Brown, Houston, 6-2, 240, 4.62, SR … Disruptive 3-4 OLB prospect who quietly put together a very productive year after transferring from the junior college level; had 7.5 sacks and 12.5 other tackles for loss last fall; has a very quick first step and 4.6 closing speed; also has decent lateral range and finished the year with 76 tackles; will struggle at times, though, to hold the point of attack and is not going to be a factor in coverage.

Matt Broha, Louisiana Tech, 6-3, 235, 4.75, SR … Undersized DE who will have to play OLB at the next level; emerged as a disruptive force last fall when he posted 9 sacks and 5 other tackles for loss; quick off the snap with decent closing speed; can also change direction, uses his hands well to disengage and can spin out of blocks; not as strong at the point of attack and can be run over; has also never been asked to play in reverse.

Darius Nall, Central Florida, 6-3, 250, 4.65, SR … Active, but undersized DE, will get some later round looks from 3-4 teams looking for a disruptive edge rusher; did not play in 2008 while battling cancer, but has made a nice comeback; explosive pass rush specialist had 8.5 sacks last fall playing second-fiddle to Bruce Miller, a 7th round pick at the 2011 draft; has a very quick first step, gets excellent leverage, and can really close on the QB, but is not all that instinctive or flexible and does not do a particularly good job defending the run.

Josh Biezens, Wyoming, 6-2, 260, 4.78, SR … Hybrid DE/OLB who plays DE in college, but projects to a 3-4 rush LB at the next level; actually played FB as a freshman; has good size and strength and uses hand well to disengage; plays hard, but isn’t that explosive or athletic; had 61 tackles, including 6.5 sacks last fall.

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