2011 NFL Draft: Inside Linebacker Rankings

Published on January 24, 2011 by Seahawk Fanatic     

1. Quan Sturdivant, ILB, North Carolina
   Height: 6-2. Weight: 232.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
   Projected Round (2011): 2.
   10/9/10: Sturdivant looks like the top consensus inside linebacker at the moment. He is a hard hitter with adequate range in coverage and good instincts who doesn’t miss his gaps.

   5/12/10: Quan Sturdivant collected 79 tackles and 12 TFL as a junior.

2. Chris Marve, ILB, Vanderbilt
   Height: 6-2. Weight: 232.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
   Projected Round (2011): 2-4.
   10/9/10: Marve is a quick athlete who diagnoses and makes plays. He has shown the ability to cover tight ends in man coverage. He’s battling a knee injury at the moment, but should return to his stellar play when healthy.
3. Dont’a Hightower*, ILB, Alabama
   Height: 6-4. Weight: 250.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
   Projected Round (2011): 3-4.
   10/9/10: Hightower is ridiculously overrated right now. I’ve seen a very slow, sluggish player on tape with no range (though this could be the result of his knee injury). He’s always getting to the play late and delivering a big hit at an irrelevant time when he’s the second or third player to the ball-carrier. I don’t like his lethargic body language or jogging around on the field in the middle of the play. Buyer beware.

   5/12/10: Dont’a Hightower is a very talented linebacker, but played only four games in 2009 because of a knee injury that required surgery.

4. Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU
   Height: 6-3. Weight: 239.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
   Projected Round (2011): 3-4.
   10/9/10: Sheppard has gotten a lot of hype this season, but I haven’t seen him really produce on tape yet. I think he needs to step it up.

   5/12/10: Kelvin Sheppard collected 110 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2009, and there was speculation that he’d declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

5. Mike Mohamed, ILB, California
   Height: 6-3. Weight: 237.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.73.
   Projected Round (2011): 3-5.
   5/12/10: Playing in Cal’s 3-4, Mike Mohamed managed 111 tackles, eight TFL, three passes broken up and three picks as a junior.
6. Mario Harvey, ILB, Marshall
   Height: 6-0. Weight: 244.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.81.
   Projected Round (2011): 4-6.
   10/9/10: Harvey has been getting a lot of hype this season for his play and rightfully so. He’s outstanding in run support as a sure tackler and being able to shed blockers at will.

   5/12/10: Mario Harvey has a knack for getting to the quarterback; as a junior, he had 117 tackles, 8.5 TFL and seven sacks, earning All-Conference USA First Team honors.

7. Nate Irving, ILB, North Carolina State
   Height: 6-1. Weight: 235.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.82.
   Projected Round (2011): 5-7.
   10/9/10: Irving looks like a developmental linebacker at the next level because of his lacking speed and range.
8. Casey Matthews, ILB, Oregon
   Height: 6-2. Weight: 235.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.76.
   Projected Round (2011): 5-7.
   5/12/10: Casey Matthews notched 81 tackles, 4.5 TFL, five passes broken up and three sacks in 2009.
9. Brian Duncan, ILB, Texas Tech
   Height: 6-1. Weight: 249.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.86.
   Projected Round (2011): 5-7.
   10/9/10: Duncan has been racking up the sacks this year for Tech, but his skill set doesn’t project very well to the next level.
10. Josh Bynes, ILB, Auburn
    Height: 6-2. Weight: 239.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.63.
    Projected Round (2011): 5-7.
    1/8/10: Josh Bynes notched 104 tackles and six TFL as a junior. Did not declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

    

11. Alex Wujciak, ILB, Maryland
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 255.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.84.
    Projected Round (2011): 5-7.
    5/12/10: An All-ACC First Team member, Alex Wujciak had 131 tackles and 8.5 TFL. As with Brandon Spikes, Wujciak’s 40 will be crucial because his sideline-to-sideline coverage is a concern.
12. Scott Lutrus, ILB, Connecticut
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 245.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.78.
    Projected Round (2011): 6-FA.
    10/9/10: Lutrus missed the first three games being injured, and his concerning durability might prevent him from getting drafted in the mid-rounds – or at all.
13. Brian Smith, ILB, Notre Dame
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 240.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
    Projected Round (2011): 6-FA.
    5/12/10: Brian Smith notched 71 tackles, 5.5 TFL and two interceptions in 2009.
14. Kendall Smith, ILB, Florida State
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 224.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.57.
    Projected Round (2011): 7-FA.
    5/12/10: Kendall Smith’s size is an issue, but he had 85 tackles and seven TFL as a junior.

WalterFootball.com: 2011 NFL Draft: Inside Linebacker Rankings.

Tags: Adequate Range, Ball Carrier, Body Language, Chris Marve, Four Games, Gaps, Hard Hitter, Height 6, Hightower, Instincts, Knee Injury, Lsu, Man Coverage, Mohamed, nfl draft, Sacks, tackles, Tfl, Tight Ends, Vanderbilt