Rating the inside linebackers

The inside linebacker spot usually has been overlooked in recent seasons, mainly because the top prospects have lacked ideal athleticism or big-play potential. This year's crop does not fall into that category.

Like some of the other positions previously reviewed, there are a variety of player types when it comes to evaluating inside linebackers. A Cover 2 scheme is in need of a player who has very good foot speed and agility as he will be called upon to drop back into coverage. These players also may lack ideal bulk in terms of their playing weight, but it rarely is a cause of concern for their defensive coordinators.

The next are the throwback, two-down run stuffers who can be stiff in the hips but who use their size and strength at the point of attack and normally fit in either a base 4-3 or even some 3-4 schemes.

However, the most coveted guy is an every-down player. Those defenders are few and far between these days, but a player possessing smarts, great instincts, strong intangibles and high character can be as productive – if not more – than someone deemed to have more talent at this position.

The depth of this class will allow teams to find very useful role players in the fourth through sixth rounds, including a handful of prospects who possess the ability to become starters down the line.

THE TOP FIVE

1. Patrick Willis, Mississippi: One of the most prolific tacklers in recent memory during his time in the SEC, Willis played through an assortment of injuries as a junior before opting to return to school rather than jumping to the NFL.

Willis, a great leader on the field, has made all the calls for his defensive unit. He gets good depth on his drops, but lacks ideal lateral quickness and has a tendency to takes a few false steps to the ball after the snap. However, he does have good instincts and takes proper angles to the receiver, creating more than a few pass breakups by nailing an opposing receiver as the ball arrives.

Willis plays faster than his originally reported 40 times and really gets after the run. However, he needs to make better use of his hands to avoid cut blocks. He's a terrific defender who brings an emotional presence to the field and showed much better range than anticipated during the Senior Bowl week practices.

The Saints and 49ers seemed to keep a closer eye on him during his time in Mobile, but teams like Buffalo, New England and even Dallas could surface as bidders for his services. Do not be surprised if he is overdrafted as it is hard to find full-sized inside linebackers like this who actually play at a consistently high level.

2. David Harris, Michigan: A solid if not spectacular all-around prospect who steadily improved his grade throughout his senior campaign, Harris is the type of player who grows on you the more that you watch his game films. He has a few limitations in pass coverage – better in zone than man-to-man – but has terrific natural instincts and is especially adept at diagnosing the play quickly, making the proper pre-snap read and then keeping the defenders around him in the right place.

Harris does not get out of position on misdirection plays, but sometimes lacks the foot speed to make the tackle on plays run to the wide side of the field. He brings intangibles to the position and will be a good character player for the locker room.

There are several teams in need of a pure inside linebacker, which is where Harris fits best for the next level. He can be productive playing the middle in a base 4-3 system or even inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme; his only weakness would come if asked to stick most running backs or tight ends in man coverage on third downs. He could be removed in certain third-down situations early in his career, but he has the type of work ethic and dedication to improve as a pass defender over time.

Depending on how the inside linebacker market plays out in free agency, I expect Harris will make a hard charge up into the early portion of the second round.

3. Justin Durant, Hampton: A very athletic linebacker who is able to attack the line of scrimmage and drop comfortably into coverage as a pass defender, Durant will be an ideal inside linebacker prospect for a Cover 2 scheme team.

He looks fluid in all of his movements as he rarely takes false steps and figures to be a steady open-field tackler, although he can get overpowered at the point of attack if a lead blocker is allowed to seek him out without being touched. Durant locates the ball quickly and plays with good balance.

Some teams feel he is a little smaller than ideal to man the middle as he will need to be protected by his defensive tackles or face lead blockers who could clear him out of the way. Maybe that factors into why he has bulked up some since the East-West Shrine game as he intends to weigh-in at 230-235 pounds during all his pre-draft workouts.

Durant lacks that small-school mentality as he has a solid football IQ and comes across confident in his game with the willingness to absorb new coaching. He could sneak into the second round but figures to be a solid third-round pick with the chance to start early in his career.

4. Quincy Black, New Mexico: A versatile defender who showed up big in his team's best games and was recognized by current and former teammates as having ideal leadership and intangibles.

He is very good at locating the ball and tends to be around the pile when a big play is created. He's a good two-way defender that needs to translate some of his weight-room strength onto the field, especially at the point of attack as he can get turned around or pushed to the side if hit by an unblocked fullback or tight end. He needs to make better use of his hands to get off blocks or when trying to maintain his balance.

Black has the ability to play both inside or outside at the next level, but his play and production from the inside linebacker spot at the East-West Shrine game really helped him gain momentum heading into the combine. He's a strong character kid who has some upside and could become a very productive Cover 2 scheme middle linebacker thanks to his speed and cover skills. He could break into the first day of the draft thanks to his athleticism and versatility.

5. Jonathan Abbate, Wake Forest: A tremendously productive middle linebacker who starred on one of this year's most surprisingly successful defensive units, Abbate is a compact, well-built defender with ideal instincts on the football field and unbelievable character.

Abbate needs to make better use of his hands to get off blocks. He also has shorter arms than you would like as it can allow ball carriers to get past him at the line of scrimmage. However, his compact build lets him see the play, and he rarely is caught out of position. He will have to continue taking proper angles to the ball in order to make up for his lack of ideal straight-line speed.

Every year there are players like this who will see their stock drop because they lack ideal measurements – he ran a 4.90 at the combine – but don't let the numbers fool you. The best thing this kid does is play football, and that can't be judged or timed in a workout. He might slide on draft day, but this would be one of the kids I would go to bat for 24/7 if I were an area scout. The bottom line is this kid's effort, tenacity and willingness to pay the price will result in him being great on special teams and one day a 100-plus tackle guy. Remember how productive Ronald McKinnon was over a four- to five-year period of time in Arizona?