Dane Brugler has released his 2024 NFL Draft Big Board. The Athletic has published their first 2024 NFL Mock Draft.

Over the years, the off-ball linebacker position has undergone an identity crisis of sorts for certain schemes. But regardless of the NFL’s evolution, teams will always prioritize three key traits at the position: mental processing, athletic versatility and tackling skills.

Advertisement

Read Dane’s previous summer scouting reports here: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive tackles | Interior offensive linemen | Edge rushers | Defensive tackles

The 2024 draft class at linebacker offers an interesting mix of those skills from both underclassmen and the senior class. Is there a first-rounder in the group? The potential is definitely there, but how the 2023 season plays out will better answer that question.

(Note: An asterisk signifies a draft-eligible underclassman. Heights and weights are what NFL teams have on file — a “v” represents a verified measurement; all others are estimates.)

1. *Barrett Carter, Clemson (6-1, 225 pounds, 4.55 40-yard dash)

What he does best: Hyper-athletic

What Carter lacks in size, he makes up for with athletic range and twitchy instincts. He plays fast and physical against the run with the speed to beat blockers in the gap or mirror runners outside. In coverage, Carter has fluid hips to transition and carry tight ends and the burst to undercut routes. He also shows his explosiveness downhill as a blitzer (see the below clip).

Carter (No. 0) was everywhere on the Louisville tape. He finished with eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a pair of sacks, including this 11-yard loss in the fourth quarter where his athletic ability is on full display.

Must improve: Take-on skills

Built like an oversized safety, Carter plays with pop, but he isn’t very long and needs to be more efficient with his hands. With his urgent, explosive play style, he arrives quickly to the play but could use more control at the point-of-attack to work off contact and flow to the ball carrier.

Advertisement

2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook

A former five-star recruit, Carter was the No. 1-ranked linebacker in the 2021 high school class and recruited by just about everyone before committing to Clemson. After spending his freshman season as a backup, Carter became a starter last season alongside Jeremiah Trotter, forming one of the top linebacker duos in the country. Carter finished with 77 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

With his lack of size, Carter won’t be an ideal fit for every role. But he has the playmaking athleticism and instincts that so many NFL teams covet. His range to defend outside runs and perimeter throws is outstanding and he offers true three-down skills to be an impact blitzer and cover man.

What he does best: Controlled burst

An impressive-looking athlete, Mondon moves differently than most linebackers due to his short-area burst and controlled strides. He responds quickly to what he sees and displays the agility to win his 1-on-1s, whether as a blitzer or dropper in coverage. Even when he is a half-beat late to read, Mondon has the speed to close the gap. Unsurprisingly, he was one of the best triple-jumpers in the state of Georgia in high school.

This play won’t show up in the box score because the Tennessee slot was called for a false start. But even with the early start, the receiver wasn’t able to shake Mondon, who glued himself to the route and skillfully knocked down the pass.

Must improve: Adding weight

Mondon has a very athletic, yet long and lean, frame with a narrow torso. He has room to add bulk and weight, but how much? Though he didn’t miss many tackles on tape, the additional strength should help him become a block-shedder and finisher.

Advertisement

2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook

Every program in the country wanted Mondon out of high school, even after missing most of his senior year at Paulding County (Ga.) with a knee injury. He decided to stay in state and commit to Georgia, becoming one of four five-stars in the Bulldogs 2021 class. With Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Channing Tindall moving on to the NFL, Mondon stepped into a starting role last season as a sophomore and led the Bulldogs with 76 tackles.

Jamon Dumas-Johnson is also an outstanding linebacker on the Georgia defense, but I currently give the edge to Mondon as an NFL prospect because of his athletic profile. With a full year under their belts as starters, it will be interesting to watch both Dumas-Johnson and Mondon and track their development for the Bulldogs.

3. *Junior Colson, Michigan (6-3, 245, 4.65)

What he does best: Loose, well-built athlete

A backer who certainly looks the part, Colson has a yoked-up, muscular frame, but not to the point that it restricts his movements. He has a quick first step and plays smooth in space with the sideline range to close the gap outside the numbers. Colson isn’t afraid to fill with pop either, using his physical build to force his way through gaps and aggressively finish tackles.

With Colson’s downhill speed and balance, the Purdue tight end has no shot of reaching the linebacker on the run blitz. With his athletic control and strength, he rarely misses tackles.

Must improve: Zone coverage

Though he is a very athletic mover, Colson is more comfortable driving downhill or chasing laterally rather than feeling out space in zone. Aside from a few knockdowns on the TCU tape, offenses had little trouble completing passes on his watch. Colson has the athletic gifts to stay glued to targets, but his route recognition and proximity awareness must improve.

2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook

A four-star recruit out of high school, Colson was highly-recruited, but he wasn’t the top-ranked linebacker from the state of Tennessee and wasn’t even the top recruit from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood. However, Colson assumed a starting role over the second half of his true freshman season and led the Wolverines in tackles (101) last season as a sophomore. He added 10 pounds over the offseason and enters the 2023 season as one of the top linebackers in the country.

What he does best: Key, read, attack

In order to process run fits quickly, linebackers must have disciplined eyes to read both the blocking scheme and the ball carrier, which is what separates Eichenberg from most college linebackers. He has a very trustworthy trigger and rarely takes himself out of plays because of how efficiently and accurately he keys, reads and attacks.

Advertisement

The Iowa tape from last season is a great example of what makes Eichenberg (No. 35) an NFL linebacker. Instead of simply flowing with the action and getting sucked into the B-gap on this play, he reads the mid-zone and cuts toward the A-gap. The running back attempts his cutback, but Eichenberg sifts through and makes the tackle.

Must improve: Conservative in coverage

Though he graded well in pass coverage, Eichenberg will give up completions in front of him. As a zone dropper, he can be late to digest all the routes happening around him and must identify catch windows quicker to break on the football. However, Eichenberg rarely takes himself out of position and does a great job limiting run-after-catch opportunities.

2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook

Cleveland’s St. Ignatius is one of the more storied football programs in Ohio and has produced numerous Buckeyes like LeCharles Bentley and Dre’Mont Jones. Eichenberg’s older brother, Liam, went a different route and enrolled at Notre Dame, later becoming a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Tommy decided to stay in state and sign with Ohio State. After two seasons on special teams, he was a key part of the defense in 2021, including a record 17 tackles in the Rose Bowl, and blossomed into an invaluable team captain in 2022, leading the team with 120 tackles.

With an average athletic profile, Eichenberg won’t be a Combine darling next February. But his college tape will earn him high grades with NFL teams. With his smart, disciplined understanding of angles and strong tackling skills, Eichenberg is a plus run defender and capable in zone coverage. He might not be drafted as high as his older brother (No. 42 overall), but Tommy projects as a Day 2 draft pick with NFL starting traits.

5. Ben Bywater, BYU (6-2 1/2 [v], 232 [v], 4.75)

What he does best: Versatile range

Studying Bywater’s tape took longer than most linebacker prospects because it takes a moment on each play to find his number on the field. He is stacked inside one play and split out as a nickel the next. He saw snaps on the line and even flexed outside as a cornerback. With his athleticism and instincts, Bywater has the versatility to play across the defense, which is a luxury for teams and how they game plan and use personnel groupings.

On this play from the bowl game against SMU, Bywater is lined up at the bottom of the screen and immediately sniffs out the tunnel screen. After fighting through the initial tight end block, he finds the ball in flight and makes an athletic interception, returning the ball 76 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

Must improve: Tackling angles

On last year’s tape, Bywater graded well as a run defender due to his range and ability to shed blocks. But if there was one area that needed work, it was his tackling angles because of his tendency to leave his feet too soon, dive for the ball carrier’s legs and pull his man to the ground. Ankle tackles count just the same as perfect form tackles, but they also lead to more misses and opportunities for the ball carrier to get free.

Advertisement

2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook

A standout football and rugby player in high school, Bywater followed in his parents’ footsteps when he committed to BYU. After serving his religious mission in Guatemala, he spent his first two seasons as a backup before becoming a starter the past two seasons. With 102 tackles in 2021 and 98 tackles last season, Bywater is the first BYU player to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back years since Fred Warner in 2016-17.

There are definitely a few things working against Bywater as an NFL prospect. He is an older player and has a history of left shoulder injuries, including surgery this past offseason. But I want my linebackers to be versatile with quick-reaction ability and true four-down potential — and that is exactly what Bywater offers. I am eager to see him and the BYU defense against a physical run-at-you Arkansas offense in mid-September.

(Note: Heights and weights are verified for senior prospects listed below and estimates for underclassmen, unless otherwise noted.)

Preseason top-20 senior linebackers

1. Eichenberg
2. Bywater
3. Cedric Gray, North Carolina (6-1 7/8, 230)
4. Jaylan Ford, Texas (6-2 3/8, 232)
5. Curtis Jacobs, Penn State (6-1 7/8, 235)
6. Darius Muasau, UCLA (6-0 1/4, 237)
7. Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri (6-2 1/8, 232)
8. Jordan Magee, Temple (6-2 3/4, 229)
9. Payton Wilson, NC State (6-4 1/8, 238)
10. Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin (5-11 7/8, 238)
11. Javon Solomon, Troy (6-2e, 249e)
12. Steele Chambers, Ohio State (6-0 7/8, 222)
13. Marist Liufau, Notre Dame (6-2, 226)
14. Easton Gibbs, Wyoming (6-0 3/8, 232)
15. Edgerring Cooper, Texas A&M (6-2 3/8, 225)
16. Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State (6-2, 247)
17. JD Bertrand, Notre Dame (6-1, 230)
18. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State (6-0 3/4, 235)
19. Omar Speights, LSU (6-0 1/8, 239)
20. Michael Barrett, Michigan (5-11 1/4, 221)

Preseason top-10 draft-eligible underclassmen

1. Carter
2. Mondon Jr.
3. Colson
4. Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia (6-1, 245)
5. Jeremiah Trotter, Clemson (6-0, 230)
6. Karene Reid, Utah (6-0, 225)
7. Cal Haladay, Michigan State (6-2, 230)
8. Deontae Lawson, Alabama (6-2, 230)
9. Trevin Wallace, Kentucky (6-2, 241)
10. Chris Paul Jr., Arkansas (6-1, 235)

(Illustration: Ray Orr / The Athletic; photos: Michael Reaves/ Getty Images; Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3Bsb2pnaHxzfJFsZmlwX2Z9cLrFpWSdqpGbwW5%2Bj2trZqSZo7KjrcKknKurXZeus77Eratmm5Gnwaa%2Bjg%3D%3D