As Chad Parsons recently said in the UTH podcast, the combine often just moves the needle only a little a bit. Although it does sometimes unearth talent that has flown under the radar. My rookie linebacker tiers have changed some based on the combine, and definitely has sent me back to the film in some cases. My personal evaluation criteria has four major dimensions: college production, film analysis, measurements (combine and pro day), and draft position.
For a player to be fantasy relevant they often need to stand out in at least one area, if not a few of them. We still do not have the full picture with out the draft data, but below are my updated linebacker tiers based on the combine. It is important to note some of the outside linebackers could end up as 4-3 defensive ends, and I have left off a few players because they checked into the combine as defensive ends. Also expect my rankings to change a little more before the draft as I further dig into film and we get pro day data.
Tier 1: Elite Prospects
Tier one is filled by the guys that are “checking all the boxes”. Currently, they have solid college production, flashed on film, and looked good at the combine. McKinney and Kendricks may not be elite, but have the talent to be good starting inside linebackers in the NFL.
The inside and middle linebacker positions often hold nice fantasy value in most league formats. The rest of this tier is composed of edge rushers with serious upside. Dupree basically won the combine scoring numbers that would be impressive for a safety, but he weighed in at nearly 270 pounds. Beasley would have been the talk of the defensive combine if Dupree had not stolen the spotlight.
Finally, Gregory and Fowler had solid combine showings, but their high level of talent is more clear on film. This is emphasized by film guru Greg Cosell showering them both with praise. Although it should be noted edge rush guru Justis Mosqueda has concerns about Gregory due to lack of density, read BMI. Personally I have not found a strong linebacker and defensive end correlation with BMI, but Justis has been slinging production models longer than I have, so it is worth taking note.
- Alvin “Bud” Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
- Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
- Eric Kendricks, OLB, UCLA
- Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
- Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
- Donte Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
If you still consider Gregory an edge player, #ForcePlayers# suggests you’re falling for Dion Jordan lite. Need to eval as a LB, IMO.
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) February 24, 2015
Tier 2: NFL Starters
