2023 NFL Draft 3-4 Outside Linebacker Rankings

1. Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

HT: 6045
WT: 260
4-star (0.9164) Super Redshirt Sophomore from De La Salle (Antioch, CA)
Isaiah Foskey is a top ten prospect in the NFL Draft class and can play both as an upright edge rusher or he can put his hand in the dirt and play defensive end. Either way, Foskey will be a valuable prospect moving forward to the next level with his strong athletic ability and tackling.

Pros:

Shows some excellent straight-line speed.
So explosive and stands out on tape as an annihilator when he gets a clean lick on someone.
All of Foskey’s strength must be found in his calves and ankles. Incredibly explosive.
Decent bend. Works well around the edge.
Good hand usage on his speed rush.
Vicious tackler. Arrives with an explosive hit, and wraps up instantly. Takes down the quarterback well and shouldn’t draw flags.
Good space defender. Shows the ability to play very effective contain.

Cons:

Not as quick or as fast as you would like to see in the backfield, especially considering his explosive ability.
Still has a lot to learn with his hands.

2. Andre Carter II, Army

HT: 6056
WT: 250
Not Recruited Super Senior from Westbury Christian (Houston, TX)
Andre Carter appears to be a prime outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. He came out of high school as a wide receiver, put on 50 pounds since, and moved to the edge. His abilities stand out immediately on tape and he looks like he could be a first-round prospect.

Pros:

Very quick. Decent long speed, especially for his size. Very capable of quickly disrupting the play in the backfield. Explosive first step.
Insanely good first step. Does a great job of getting his hands up to disrupt passing lanes as a pass rusher.
Excellent pass-rushing ability. Solid first step explosiveness, has a plan during the rep, and stays active with a strong motor. Good hand usage and he looks like he could improve to become great.
Plays solid contain.
Has the capability to play effective zone coverage.

Cons:

Offers some power to his game, but not really in a “brutish” way.
Wraps up decently well. Only came up with 44 tackles last season – positioning is a bit of an issue with Carter. Has missed 22% of his career tackle attempts, per PFF. Doesn’t look particularly comfortable when making a tackle.
Typically under pursues plays to the boundary.
I would like to see Carter recognize and react to play concepts better. Stays true to his assignment.
I don’t see a lot of instincts from Carter, as he is more of a disrupter.

3. Garrett Nelson, Nebraska

HT: 6022
WT: 245
3-star (0.8659) Super Junior from Scottsbluff (Scottsbluff, NE)
Garrett Nelson became the star, headlining edge rusher for the Nebraska defense in 2022 and immediately started attracting a ton of extra attention. He’s struggled with consistency most of his career – just being the playmaker that his team needs. We’re looking for that to get better in 2022 and whether he’s a starter at the next level or just another good rotational piece.

Pros:

Good speed, fluid athlete especially for the position group. Moves well very laterally.
Good first step, has ability to create opportunities when he times the snap well by utilizing his power.
Good balance.
Has some understanding of how to use his hands, he’s just slow to work through his plan. Does a good job getting his hands up to impact passing lanes.
High motor, high energy player.

Cons:

Solid upper body strength. Can generate some power but not consistently enough.
Stiff athlete, don’t see a lot of bend to his game. Struggles to shrink under the block, even against lesser talents.
Struggles to wrap up in space. His missed tackle rate has been consistently around 15%.

4. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State

HT: 6010
WT: 250
3-star (0.8154) Super Junior from John Ehret (Marrero, LA)
A transfer from UNLV, Jacoby Windmon is a major mismatch weapon who can play on and off ball linebacker as well as potentially a defensive end. Played a huge opening game with Michigan State, collecting 5 sacks against Western Michigan.

Pros:

Very athletic, especially for the position. Has a really great speed rush.
Explosive athlete.
Flashes some incredible bend, gets very low and does a great job working under the block and keeping that leverage.
Disruptive. Constantly finding ways to impact the play.

Cons:

Not as strong of a tackler as he could be.
Doesn’t look like he has great strength, will have to work in the weight room.
Still working on becoming more instinctive and reacting better.

5. Praise Amaewhule, UTEP

HT: 6026
WT: 245
2-star (0.7681) Super Redshirt Junior from Taylor (Katy, TX)
Praise Amaewhule is an explosive edge rusher who hasn’t produced huge numbers at UTEP but was consistently regarded as one of the best defenders in the C-USA. Teams had to scheme around him to attack the defense in every game due to the lack of depth on the UTEP roster.

Pros:

Good, not great, athletic ability.
Certainly has an explosive first step.
Strong upper body, especially in his arms. Great lower body. Gets a great power drive.
Has good, heavy hands to work effectively around the perimeter.
Shows good hand placement when engaging with the blocker.

Cons:

Inconsistent at timing with the snap.
Looks stiff as an athlete.
A little bit undersized and lanky, could use some more muscle on his frame.

6. Nick Hampton, Appalachian State

HT: 6021
WT: 225
2-star (0.7953) Super Redshirt Junior from Westside (Anderson, SC)
Nick Hampton is an extremely athletic player on an aggressive defense that allowed Hampton many opportunities to play several different roles and spots. While he is not quite built for the outside position yet, he can safely put on some weight and be a mismatch/rotational piece that teams could use situationally immediately.

Pros:

Very good athlete at the position. Fluid athlete.
Lightning lateral quickness, can get off a block quickly to affect a run lane. Works around blockers without having to use his hands.
Has a special first step that stands out on tape immediately.
Good upper body strength.
Good hand usage, but still presents some upside to be even better.
Good wrap-up. Craves contact, is always looking to make a tackle.
Is capable of playing zone coverage in the flats and hooks.

Cons:

Struggles to keep his feet, especially in the open field.
Balance leaves a bit to be desired.
Has the athleticism to be great in space, but struggles to keep his feet and pursuit ball carriers.
Still working on becoming more instinctual. Flashes the ability to feel a play and react to it on time, but he’s not yet consistent.
Has to add a lot more to his frame.

7. Thomas Rush, Minnesota

HT: 6030
WT: 250
3-star (0.8456) Super Redshirt Junior from Marysville (Marysville, OH)
One of three effective pass rushers on Minnesota’s defensive line in 2021, Thomas Rush moved from running back to outside linebacker during his freshman year at Minnesota.

Pros:

Excellent lateral quickness. Plays contain very well to the boundary.
A brute for his size, average otherwise.
Good, solid wrap up tackler. Can be too hesitant to attack the play. Does wrap up well and bring down the ball carrier.
Strong contain defender. Better pursuit angles than most edge rushers in the draft.
Excellent instincts and play recognition.
Great motor. Does not give up on the play.

Cons:

Decent, but not great, upper body strength. Doesn’t have the ability to work off the blocker with a power move.
Doesn’t show great hand usage, doesn’t look like he has a plan going into a rep. Struggles to get off of blocks.