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This year’s linebacker class lacks in star power but makes up it with depth.
Though not the flashiest group in the 2023 NFL Draft, this year’s class of off-ball linebackers features a handful of rock-solid prospects.
This year’s group lacks a bona fide star prospect like Micah Parsons and Isaiah Simmons in recent drafts before it, but the class brings plenty of value early in Round 2 and earlier on Day 3 that should see a run of draft picks taken at the positions in those ranges.
SB Nation polled several of its draft analysts to determine a consensus top 11 linebackers in this year’s class.
1. Jack Campbell, Iowa
Armed with elite size for a linebacker and top-notch athletic attributes, one could make the argument Campbell has the highest ceiling of any off-ball linebacker in this draft. His processing needs some more consistency, but his fluidity and overall value on passing downs makes him a valuable asset in a pass-heavy NFL.
2. Trenton Simpson, Clemson
Simpson is a bit light for his position and doesn’t bring elite play strength to the table, but he’s an absurd athlete who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Combine this year. His range as a tackler is arguably the best in the class, and he’s a sound processor at the second level.
3. Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Potentially the best blitzing linebacker in this class, Sanders only has one year of significant college production but dominated for Arkansas in 2022. He’s a big-bodied linebacker with very good athletic traits and the ability to rush the passer off the edge at a high level from time to time.
Henley is a gangly linebacker with a smaller frame but long arms and plenty of room to fill out. He’s an athletic defender with very good closing speed as a run defender and the fluidity to move around in zone coverage across the middle of the field.
5. DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
Though his skinny frame and overall pad level could prove to be an issue at the next level, Overshown’s sheer length, mobility in space, range as a tackler and value as a blitzing option should see him selected as one of the first linebackers in the 2023 draft.
6. Owen Pappoe, Auburn
Pappoe is a well-rounded linebacker whose speed stands out as a major strength of his on tape. He’s a rangy, sideline-to-sideline tackler, and though he lacks size and block-shedding ability, an agile defender like him with a 4.39 40-yard dash to his name will certainly turn some heads.
7. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
If you’re looking for a solid, if unspectacular linebacker to fill in as a high-floor option, To’oTo’o is your guy in this class. He’s a good tackler who wraps up with good form and has a high football IQ, even if his physical tools are rather pedestrian.
8. Noah Sewell, Oregon
The younger brother of Lions offensive tackle Penei, Noah Sewell entered the 2022 season as a highly-touted prospect but now finds himself in the background, arguably more than he deserves to be. He looked a tad slower and less explosive this past year, but he improved his form and play strength as a tackler and has a very well-built frame.
9. Dorian Williams, Tulane
Williams has the length and athleticism needed to fit as a solid WILL option and a potentially elite special teamer at the NFL level. Whether he can overcome a lack of ideal size remains to be seen, however.
10. Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
If Pace were just a few inches taller, odds are he would be one of the first linebackers off the board this year. He’s athletic, powerful, and refined in his technique as a tackler, and he’s one of the most polished blitzers in the 2023 draft. Size and length remain massive red flags, with him being a hair under 5-foot-11.
11. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
Herbig is a bit of a hybrid defender who can rush the passer off the edge and serve as an off-ball SAM linebacker with good athleticism in space. His ability to stack and shed blocks is much better than most off-ball defenders, but one could argue he lacks ideal length and is raw as a processor at the second level. He has a true tweener profile, for better or worse.
