Best ILB in the 2022 NFL Draft-Justin Edition
This draft is not the deepest at linebacker, but it is impressive at the top with two legitimate top-half of the first-round prospects. The priority of drafting an the off-the-ball linebacker early on has decreased in recent years. However, it is still an important position in the middle of a defense where the right mix of speed and strength is necessary to play it at a high level. This ranking will list the top-five linebackers as I see them at this point in the draft process. For the purposes of the exercise, players that are projected as more of outside linebackers and pass rushers were left out. The players listed here are more likely to play as one of the two inside backers in a 3-4 front or as one of the three linebackers in a 4-3 scheme.
1. Devin Lloyd, Utah
As I have said numerous times on this website, Devin Lloyd is my favorite prospect in the entire draft class. For starters, Lloyd is sort of an underdog in terms of the path he has taken to become a top NFL prospect. He enrolled at Utah as a three-star safety and didn’t see any action as a freshman while he transformed his body. Lloyd quickly became a standout contributor at his new position and even had the opportunity to declare last year and be a likely day two pick. Instead, Lloyd bet on himself and put the college football world on notice with an incredible individual season. 111 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 of which went for touchdowns. Not too shabby. His versatility is another thing that stands out with his ability to cover and blitz effectively. The numbers, and the film, show this.
2. Nakobe Dean, Georgia
Not too far behind Lloyd is Nakobe Dean. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dean selected before Lloyd in the draft either. As overall prospects, these two are very close in terms of intangibles, game experience, and elite production. Like Lloyd, Dean is an effective blitzer that can pressure off the edge or knife through the center of the line to get the QB off his spot. He is the best sideline-to-sideline linebacker in this class and is solid defending the run. Dean is on the smaller side for linebackers and doesn’t have ideal length which has shown some coverage vulnerability on film. However, he is plenty athletic and smart enough to be solid defending the pass. It is fun to watch Dean fill his gaps and deliver large hits. He plays like he was shot out of a cannon. Dean finished his final season at Georgia with 72 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles
3. Chad Muma, Wyoming
Lloyd and Dean are in a class of their own as premier prospects in this draft class. After that, there is a grouping of linebackers that are on a similar grade level as prospects. I have Chad Muma at the top of that group. Muma has the chance to follow in the footsteps of his former Wyoming teammate Logan Wilson who is now the Bengals’ best linebacker. There is a sizable opportunity for Muma to show out against solid competition and lock himself as a round two pick.
He has awesome size and length for a linebacker which has helped him become the best tackler in the draft. Muma reads the game well, seemingly always finding himself around the ball and is excellent at getting off blocks. Muma isn’t the athletic specimen that some other linebackers are. Still, he is heavily productive and is solid when asked to drop back and defend the pass. Muma led the nation in tackles in 2021.
4. Christian Harris, Alabama
Christian Harris has been one of the leaders and top producers for the Alabama defense the past two seasons. He was a three-year starter for the Tide, contributing from the moment he stepped on campus which is a rarity for consistently loaded Alabama teams. Harris has a good frame with solid functional length and strength. He plays with a strong physicality that allows him to be successful taking on blockers and playing downhill. He is a high-IQ player that doesn’t get baited often and is a great zone defender.
Harris doesn’t show a ton of splash plays on film and that is reflected in his relatively low interception and fumble numbers. He also doesn’t have the elite athleticism to make up for the instances he is out of position and sometimes struggles to tackle in the open field. Still, Harris is a savvy linebacker with solid play speed and strong physicality. He finished this season with 79 tackles to go along with 5.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
5. Brandon Smith, Penn State
Smith is unlike any of the other four linebackers on this list because he is the best athlete of the group, but the rawest player and worst fundamentally. I had trouble deciding whether to include Smith on this list, because he could be more of an edge player at the next level with his elite athleticism and a frame to grow into. There is no doubt he is more equipped to be a strongside linebacker rather than a MIKE. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he took on a role similar to his former teammate Micah Parsons as a rookie. Smith has the ideal body for a linebacker, with his long arms and a thick frame. He shows amazing speed moving sideline-to-sideline and can cover vertically against top-tier athletes. Where Smith needs improvement is with his technique making tackles and playing against the run. He is slow to diagnose the play and is often outside the action in short areas. He will surely have to answer questions about his physicality during the draft process, but his elite traits and testing numbers will keep his stock high.
Analyst- Justin Trevisani
