2021 NFL Draft Preview: Inside linebacker sleepers and Broncos fits
Apr 16, 2021, 6:29 AM
Inside linebacker has been a position of need for the Denver Broncos for quite some time. They’ve not addressed the position under head coach Vic Fangio, even though they’ve had the opportunity to do so with some big-name players (like Devin Bush).
Fangio’s defenses have almost always had a great inside linebacker running the show. Stars like Sam Mills (Saints), Patrick Willis (49ers) or Roquan Smith (Bears) have been integral parts of a Fangio defense.
Denver needs to get one of “those guys” at that position to truly get the best out of the defensive side of the ball. We’ll see if this is the year they finally get Fangio a top-rated inside linebacker. Starters Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson are fine, but they aren’t the modern linebacker needed and are both the weak spot in the Broncos defense.
In this article, I will look at the market for the position. I’ll also write about sleepers at the inside linebacker position and some players who could fit what the Broncos need in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Market Watch
Micah Parsons (Penn State) is the best linebacker in this class, regardless of “inside” or “outside” designation. He does not move like a player who weighs almost 250 pounds. Parsons has the athleticism, quickness and speed of a smaller player but packs it into a muscular frame.
He plays with an aggression that few can match on the field. Parsons attacks each play like he’s rushing the passer, even if he is just tasked with meeting a running back in the hole. He arrives at the play with natural violence and has bad intentions for his opponent. Parsons needs more experience working in coverage, but his athletic tools make it likely that he can thrive in man coverage.
There are the dreaded “off field concerns” with Parsons from his younger days at Penn State. I’ve checked in with executives around the league and they assure me that these past incidents won’t impact his draft stock much if at all. Parsons could be a top-10 pick and should be one of the first defenders off the board.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) is built like a safety but could play outside or inside linebacker. At 221 pounds, Owusu-Koramoah has no problem in coverage. Not only does he have speed, but JOK can use his short area burst to stay with wide receivers in the slot.
He played the “rover” position for the Fighting Irish, and any team that adds him in the first round is going to have to be versatile with his role. His size prevents him from being a “take on” linebacker, but he’s not shy about contact. He plays full speed all the time but there are instances where if he slowed down and was a bit more patient, he would not overrun plays. We’ll see him go off the board at some point in the first round.
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Sleepers
The middle rounds of this draft feature some of my favorite inside linebackers. If a team decides to wait on the position, then day two of the draft (rounds two and three) has some great players to consider.
Baron Browning (Ohio State) is one of four Buckeyes defenders I’m excited about. He played inside and outside for the Buckeyes, so I think he can do the same thing in the NFL. Browning is athletically gifted and can fly around the field.
He does a good job hunting down the ball-carrier and arrives at the play with a force. Browning can be described as a demolition crew all in one player. He wants to destroy an opponent on every play. I believe his anticipation needs to improve as a pro as there are times when he will get lost in the mix. He’s likely to go off the board in the third or fourth round.
Dylan Moses (Alabama) would likely go off the board higher if he hadn’t had injury issues in college. He missed the entire 2019 season due to a knee injury and then had to get a cleanup surgery on the knee after the 2020 season. Medical checks are going to be huge for his draft stock, and we’ll know by where he gets drafted what teams think of his knee.
Moses is one of the most athletic linebackers in this class. He can rush the passer is asked, but he really stands out as a “seek and destroy” type of linebacker in the middle. He plays with natural violence and has high football intelligence as he was the “green dot guy” for the Crimson Tide and called the plays/adjustments for the defense.
Chaz Surratt (North Carolina) is a player I talk about so much that I might as well be part of his representation. I liked what I saw from Surratt during the week of practice for the Senior Bowl, and he showed me everything I saw on film and a bit more. Surratt went to the Tar Heels as a high school quarterback and was at the position for three years. He’s only been playing linebacker two seasons, and he’s just shown us the tip of the iceberg in terms of his ability at the position.
Surratt is a fluid athlete who works well in space. He understands what an offense is trying to do, largely because he used to be a quarterback. Surratt does take some false steps and can bite on play fakes and pump fakes, so fixing that will take some work. He would be a fine third-round pick for the Broncos.
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Broncos Fits
Jamin Davis (Kentucky) is a player I need to talk about more. Every time I turn on the film, he stands out more and more. Some have compared him to former Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright, but I see Zach Cunningham (Texans) when I watch Davis. I loved Cunningham in college at Vanderbilt and thought the Broncos should have drafted him when he came into the league back in 2017.
Davis is a player with the athletic profile teams are looking for in today’s modern inside linebacker. He’s got the ability to move well in space, although his experience in coverage is lacking. Davis only has one year as a starter, and he’s played 837 career snaps with 26 of those snaps coming in man coverage. He’s got the speed to stick with players in space but needs better coaching and more reps in this department.
The most outstanding part of his game is his tackling ability. He’s got a large catch radius and can scoop onto oncoming players and won’t let them go. Davis is not a “thumper”, but he is known as a sound tackler with no hesitation when it comes to taking on larger players. His tackling ability should make him a favorite of coach Fangio if the Broncos were to add him. Davis should be a second-round “projection” type of pick in the draft.
