2023 NFL Draft Inside Linebacker Rankings

1. Henry To’o To’o, Alabama

HT: 6016
WT: 228
4-star (0.9779) Super Junior from De La Salle (Concord, CA)
A transfer from Tennessee, Henry To’o To’o was a star for the Volunteers. His production over his first three seasons as a starter has been commendable. However, despite the production and just about every positive trait you could desire athletically, his instincts appear to be lacking as he doesn’t have a natural feel for the game.

Pros:

Excellent speed. Very fluid athlete.
Decent lateral quickness. Can break off of it instantaneously.
Has good body control. Has no issues changing direction. Fluid hips and does a great job changing direction and attacking.
Decent upper body strength. Does a great job initiating contact and using his hands well enough to get off of the block and make the play on the ball carrier.
Very strong tackler. Nasty, intense player.
Pursuit angles are normally good.

Cons:

Would really like to see him wrap up better and more consistently.
Not a great blitzer. Struggles to feel the gaps properly.
Not great in man coverage, struggles to locate the football. Does have the athleticism to stay with running backs out of the backfield and limit the gain after catch.
More than capable defender in zone coverage. Just needs to get better depth more consistently.
I just don’t see a lot of instinct from To’o To’o. Consistently just there. Isn’t really special, but just overall good. I think it’s from a lack of natural instincts.

2. Dillon Doyle, Baylor

HT: 6022
WT: 235
3-star (0.) Super Redshirt Junior from
A transfer from Iowa, Dillon Doyle came to Baylor in 2020 after two seasons in Iowa where he redshirted and then started three games during the covid season.

Pros:

Speed is very solid. Moves very well. Fluid athlete. Played some fullback at Baylor in 2022 as well. Might be just a step slow to prevent him from being elite.
Good lateral quickness. Moves well into his zone in coverage, especially when dropping from a blitz look.
Shows some fluidity in his hips.
Has a good solid upper body. Has the capability to shed of blocks with relative ease and make plays.
Strong tackler. Baylor’s top returning tackler in 2022. Typically a good pursuit defender.
Adequate zone coverage, understands his assignment and feels the area around him. Disrupts passing lanes well.
Made a lot of the on field calls and adjustments for the defense last year.
Seems to have good instincts. Feels the play well.

Cons:

Would just like to see more control from the tackle. Surrender’s yardage, especially in the red zone.
Didn’t see too much of an impact timing his blitz well through gaps.
Might be a bit of a liability in man coverage.

3. SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh

HT: 6005
WT: 230
2-star (0.7852) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, NY)
SirVocea Dennis has stood out in every 2021 Pittsburgh game that I have seen. Coming into the season as a rotational linebacker, Dennis made big plays and shows game-changing ability. He has very long arms and is an excellent athlete, giving him range all across the field. Dennis could have a huge rise this season and be one of the first linebackers taken in the Draft.

Pros:

Excellent speed for the position. Very solid athlete overall.
Fluid hips – might even be able to contribute at safety.
Has a very strong upper body. Controls his tackle well.
Not really a brute per say, but does create brutish intensity with his play style.
Strong, powerful contact. Has improved his wrap up in 2022.
Does a good job in pursuit, especially inside of the box.
Blitz timing is spot on. Accelerates instantly and is effective on a late blitz concept. Works well against both the pass and the run games.
Good space defender.
Solid zone coverage ability – can do it both in underneath coverage and deep coverage.
Shows excellent instincts consistently. Works the play well and seems to always be in the right position.

Cons:

Decent tackler, I think he tends to attack too high on the ball carrier, but he has big play potential.
Didn’t see him play much man coverage.
Might be a little bit undersized.

4. Noah Sewell, Oregon

HT: 6015
WT: 251
4-star (0.9) Super Sophomore from
Noah Sewell, the younger brother of Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, is a strong linebacker prospect who will be draft eligible in 2023. Noah might be limited to the box, which could cause concerns with defensive coordinators looking to scheme him in other ways. I think Sewell becomes a gamble by a team on day two who think that they can develop him.

Pros:

Moves well laterally. Plays very well inside of the box.
Very stout upper body. Great frame overall.
Good tackler. Punishes ball carriers and wraps up well.
Great timing with his blitzes.
Good zone defender. Does a good job getting depth and keeping the play in front of him.
Inside of the box, quickly finds the hole and diagnoses the run play. Excellent run defender.

Cons:

Strong athlete. Isn’t going to be among the fastest in the class. Not as quick either, and might not impress at the Combine.
Hips just aren’t as fluid as they need to be. Can get turned, especially in pursuit.
Will miss in pursuit simply under-pursuing the play and trying to get there too quick, especially when working toward the boundary. They’ve started to get better in 2022, but still not quite there yet.
Consistently in place to make a play inside of the box. Not consistently in place to make a play outside of it.

5. Jack Campbell, Iowa

HT: 6035
WT: 243
3-star (0.8706) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls, IA)
Jack Campbell fits all of the boxes in terms of prototype size, and is an instinctual box linebacker who has some ability to play half-field as well. He’s a decent athlete, but won’t test as well as some of the linebackers in this class.

Pros:

Explosive. Well built in his lower half.
Capable in zone coverage.
Great size, ideal for the position at the next level.
Seems to recognize plays well.
Shows good instincts.

Cons:

Decent athlete, nothing to write home about.
Not a consistent tackler.
Struggles to pursue through traffic. Tends to go low and can miss tackles against quicker ball carriers. Struggles to pursue to the boundary.
Not a consistent blitzer, but didn’t see a lot of the opportunities that he could thrive from in the Iowa scheme.

6. Mike Jones Jr, LSU

HT: 6005
WT: 232
4-star (0.9186) Super Redshirt Junior from IMG Academy (Lebanon, TN)
A transfer from Clemson, Mike Jones Jr is the son of former NFL player Mike Jones, who was a 2nd round pick out of North Carolina State. After 3 years at Clemson, Mike Jones left the program and transferred to LSU where he has been named a team captain and become one of their impact players.

Pros:

Very quick.
Moves very well laterally.
Good upper body strength. Very stout build up top.
Struggles to tackle consistently. Flashes the ability to clog holes effectively. Really stepped up and showed a better wrap up in 2022.
Does a great job timing his run through gaps as they engage with other players.
Recognizes play concepts quickly and reacts accordingly.

Cons:

Lacks a lot of straight line speed.
Hips are a little bit tight and he struggles to turn them.
Shows the ability to get good pursuit angles but isn’t consistent.
Lacks some athleticism to hold up effectively in space.
Suitable zone coverage player, although I’d like to see him consistently get more depth in his drop.
Still working on being more instinctive – it isn’t natural to him.

7. Bumper Pool, Arkansas

HT: 6010
WT: 232
4-star (0.8947) Super Senior from Lovejoy (Lucas, TX)
Bumper Pool is arguably one of the most consistent defenders in the entire country with his field vision, and ability to play the field, and has all of the makings of a modern NFL linebacker. While overall his middling athleticism might prevent him from being a star, he can play a role in a defense well at the next level and do everything that he is asked to.

Pros:

Decent speed. More quick than fast.
Very decent athlete. Has a good first step to help him accelerate.
Decent upper body strength. Typically controls the tackle through the rep.
Very tough, physical tackler. Wraps up well. Works well off of blocks to get to the running back in run defense. Consistent tackler – always found around the football.
Has good man coverage ability against running backs.
Bumper Pool shows good instincts and isn’t too aggressive. Always near the football. Might be one of the most consistent players in the class.

Cons:

Pursuit angles could be better.
Not a great pass rusher.
Struggles to work off of blocks at times to make tackles in space.
Fell into a rotational/backup role in 2021.

8. Luke Reimer, Nebraska

HT: 6005
WT: 225
Not recruited Super Redshirt Sophomore from North Star (Lincoln, NE)
Luke Reimer came into Nebraska as a lanky, unranked athlete who held offers from schools like South Dakota State, North Dakota, and Northern Iowa. However, he spurned the scholarship offers in favor of walking onto Nebraska, taking a bet on himself. After a redshirt season, he worked into a starting role during the covid year.

Pros:

Speed is good but not great. Looks like he could be faster but needs to tweak his running form.
Good upper body strength.
Very strong tackler, especially considering his size. Plays much bigger than he is listed. Does an excellent job jabbing the ball out too. Cleans up tackles inside very well.
Takes great angles.
Shows some excellent blitz timing. Really works well through the gaps as well as around the edge.
Speed will ultimately limit him, but he’s smart in his coverage assignments. Shows good technique to jam the receiver and neutralize his release to stay with him. Intense in man coverage.

Cons:

Very loose with his body movements. Doesn’t show a lot of control.
Still working on his instincts and play recognition. Still developing and learning the details of the position.
A little bit small for the position.

9. DaShaun White, Oklahoma

HT: 6002
WT: 225
4-star (0.9200) Super Senior from Richland (North Richland Hills, TX)
DaShaun White explodes on tape every time you turn it on. Athletically, he’s everything that you would want to see in an inside linebacker. In terms of instincts, he’s still not quite there. White has very solid upside and I could see him going as high as the late third round next year as a developmental prospect.

Pros:

Speed is good. Such an explosive defender.
Worked to the boundary well against average athletes.
Solid blitzer. Can find ways to the quarterback even when his lane is clogged by getting off of blocks.
Suitable zone coverage defender.

Cons:

Struggles to control his body while in pursuit. Hips are stiff. If he can loosen them, he will become an incredibly rangy defender.
Not a lot of upper body strength.
Struggles with wrapping up tackles and filling gaps. When he gets a good downhill angle, he tackles well. Otherwise, doesn’t show a lot of wrap-up ability.
Struggles to consistently take good angles to the ball carrier.
Struggles in space with positioning and pursuing properly.
Instincts just aren’t great. Doesn’t have a good feel for the play around him.
Doesn’t have an ideal size.

10. Antonio Grier, USF

HT: 6002
WT: 213
2-star (0.7953) Super Redshirt Junior from Mays (Atlanta, GA)
While Antonio Grier is a little bit undersized and could use filling his frame a little better, an NFL team could be willing to take a shot on him with the intention of building back his frame and developing him into a strong half-field linebacker. He’s a good tackler, flashes strong run defense, and can be capable in pass coverage.

Pros:

Has some good lateral quickness to his game, especially to find the hole.
Pretty fluid hips. Can change direction well, especially adjusting to a diagnose.
Nasty, aggressive tackler. Attacks the football. Very strong defender. Wraps up well. Has the ability to work off of blocks and impact run lanes.
Great timing with the blitz, works through traffic very well. Doesn’t offer any impact when he’s caught in traffic.
Good in zone coverage. Reacts well to the play in front of him.
Flashes good instincts.

Cons:

Not as quick or as fast as he needs to be to play as an efficient starter at the NFL level.
Really just needs to continue to work on building his frame. Lacks upper body strength needed to control tackles at the next level.
Lacks some lower body strength to really be an explosive athlete.
Pursuit angles could be better, seems to over pursue a bit. Doesn’t hurt him as much in college as it will at the next level.