NFL Draft: First-Round Linebackers

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The conversation at linebacker begins with Courtney Upshaw, the outside linebacker out of Alabama who was the defensive MVP of the BCS National Title Game.

The big question about the 6-foot-2, 263-pound Upshaw is will he be used as a rushing linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or as a hybrid defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. Most analysts and scouts don't believe a team will draft him this high and then use him as a defensive end, but rather as a 3-4 outside linebacker who can rush the quarterback.

No matter what his true position in the NFL will be, Upshaw ranks among the most, if not the most physically gifted defensive players in the entire draft. He is projected in most mock drafts in the 10-15 range. A good percent of mockers project him as the 10th pick by the Buffalo Bills.


Beyond Upshaw the next linebacker which tops draft boards is Luke Kuechly out of Boston College, the 2011 Butkus Award winner for the best linebacker in College Football. Some analysts have him going before Upshaw but still in the 10-15 range.

Mel Kiper of ESPN says of Kuechly "Great instincts against the run and even dropping his hips and falling into coverage. Tape tells the story. Dependable, a tackling machine; he makes great reads, sees the play develop and sheds blockers well. Solid status."

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network gave this scouting report on Kuechly: "I think he's the best inside linebacker in this draft by far. He's a natural three-year junior. He's got more production than you could imagine. He's never been hurt. He's got no significant injuries. He's clean off the field, intelligent. He's got great instincts, and he's a better athlete than people think."


Vontaze Burfict out of Arizona State is generally regarded as the third best linebacker in the draft. Burfict has some question marks though and he'll need to have a strong performance at the NFL Combine next week to turn heads and stay in the first-round.

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post scouts Burfict with the following "A talent with a natural pop on contact, can hold the point of attack when he wants to and for his size exhibits good range and fluidity. However, due to the character concerns it will be interesting to see what kind of shape he's in when asked to workout. Talent evaluators want to see how passionate he is about the game and this process, and getting a feel for what kind of shape he's in will be key."

Kiper says of Burfict that "he's prone to a personal foul" and has been compared to Ray Lewis because of his intensity.

Burfict is ranked as a late-to-middle second-round pick.

Regarded as the 3rd or 4th best linebacker is Zach Brown out of North Carolina.​

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NFLDraft Scout.com critiques Brown as follows:​

"While he has only average size and strength, Brown's athleticism and playing speed have been elite, as expected. He has shown explosive quickness with the rare fluidity and change of direction skills that make him so special athletically. With that said, his instincts are very hot/cold and he needs to show better read/react skills. Scouts fear he might be limited as a "Will" linebacker at the next level in a traditional 4-3 scheme."​

Lavonte David out of Nebraska , Ronnell Lewis Oklahoma, Mychal Kendricks Cal, Bruce Irvin West Virginia, and Audie Cole Stanford, round out the Top 10 for the position in this year's draft.