TOP SENIOR OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Sergio Kindle
College: Texas
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3½, 250
Kindle played as a true freshman in 2006 and 2008 was his first year as a starter. He was a high school running back, who rushed for 5,632 yards in three years and started on the basketball team. He made the Texas high school All-State team on both offense and defense (first-team on both). His best position in the NFL might be as a hand-on-the-ground pass rusher, who has the strength, quickness and toughness needed to be taken in the lower-half of the first round.
2. Sean Weatherspoon
College: Missouri
Height/Weight: 6-1, 245
Weatherspoon played as a true freshman in 2006 and has started 28 games over the past two years. He had 155 total tackles in 2008, plus five sacks and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. He plays weakside backer and is an aggressive player with speed, who is a good blitzer and a good player in space. Weatherspoon can play every down and should play a lot of years in the NFL. He was a high jumper and point guard in high school.
3. Roddrick Muckelroy
College: Texas
Height/Weight: 6-1½, 237
Muckelroy is a fifth-year player, who started 16 consecutive games and had 50 more tackles (112) in 2008 than Texas' next-highest tackler. He has very good speed and athletic ability and can play in space, is good vs. the run and should be a solid starter and special teams player for many years.
4. Eric Norwood
College: South Carolina
Height/Weight: 6-foot ½, 250
Norwood played as a true freshman and had six sacks. He played defensive end his first two years at South Carolina and played linebacker in 2008. He had nine sacks, made first-team All-SEC at defensive end in 2008 and linebacker in 2008. Norwood has started 25 consecutive games and has great versatility as a player, can rush the passer or play coverage, plays hard every play and is a good character person. I wish her were a little taller, but he should be a good player for years and is a Pittsburgh-type player and good athlete.
5. Justin Cole
College: San Jose State
Height/Weight: 6-3¼, 243
Cole is a fifth-year player, who played defensive end his first two years at San Jose State. He has started 31 games and had 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2008. He was selected second-team All-WAC in 2008 and was a sprinter in high school, who has the ability needed to play in the NFL. He is a very good competitor with size and speed and can play with his hand on the ground or in space.
6. Ricky Sapp
College: Clemson
Height/Weight: 6-4, 245
Sapp is a four-year player, who tore his ACL in the 10th game of the 2008 season. He has played defensive end for three years and was a great high school athlete as a track sprinter and starter on the basketball team. He has pass rush ability coming off the edge, because of his speed and quickness. The question will be if he can play in space and recover from his injury. He has the physical talent.
7. Dekoda Watson
College: Florida State
Height/Weight: 6-1½, 225
Watson played as a true freshman, starting one game as a strong-side linebacker. He had 46 tackles in 16 games in 2008 and is very athletic and can play in space. Watson is a big hitter at the college level, but needs to get bigger to play well in the NFL. He will be a good special teams player.
8. Sean Lee
College: Penn State
Height/Weight: 6-2, 235
Lee is a fifth-year player, who played as a true freshman missing the 2008 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The injury happened during spring practice in a non-contact drill. Lee won All-State awards in both football and basketball before the injury. He was outstanding and a great competitor, with quickness. He is a very instinctive player with speed and is a smart player, leader and co-captain for the 2009 season. If healthy, he is a starter in the NFL.
9. Cameron Sheffield
College: Troy
Height/Weight: 6-2¼, 245
Sheffield is a four-year player and two-year starter at defensive end. This is a playmaker on defense and was a first-team all-conference player in 2008. He plays faster than his timed speed (4.80) and is very athletic with very good quickness and is strong, tough and can play in space. Troy has turned out some good players over the past several years, including DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora.
10. Daryl Washington
College: TCU
Height/Weight: 6-1½, 215
Washington played as a true freshman, who has started just two games in his first three years. He has the speed (4.58 40) to play safety, but is not big enough for linebacker. He will be a great special teams player for an NFL team. He has ability, but needs weight and strength. The 2009 season will be a big year for him. Washington is well coached and had 63 tackles, two sacks and one interception in 2008.