NFL Football Betting: 5 Best Linebackers In 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is going to begin on Thursday, April 29, and will continue through Saturday, May 1. The focus will, as always, revolve around the quarterbacks, especially since quarterbacks are going to be taken with the first three picks of the draft. Offensive linemen and wide receivers are the other glamour positions in the draft, and they will fill out most of the back end of the top 10. Not to be ignored in the focus on top positions is linebacker. There probably isn’t a top-10 pick on the board here, but there are strong defensive stalwarts who can significantly improve an NFL team which lacks top-tier quality at this position group. Let’s see what the linebackers in the NFL draft have to offer their soon-to-be employers.

Micah Parsons, Penn State

Parsons opted out of the 2020 season, so the good side is that he will be very healthy and rested for his NFL rookie season. The bad side is that there won’t be fresh film on him, which could lead to some degree of apprehensiveness among NFL teams who want to have a 2020 body of evidence which shows what a prospect is capable of. Relying on 2019 film might make some teams uneasy.

That said, Parsons is clearly the fastest linebacker in the draft in terms of flowing to the ball and covering a wide range of territory with smooth, easy strides. Other linebackers on this list are stronger, but Parsons has the best blend of speed and strength. He does a better job of reacting to plays, making reads, and moving to the ball than any other linebacker in the draft. He is a linebacker who is especially suited to modern football because his speed will allow him to match up with tight ends and running backs on downfield passing routes. He has a better ability to defend both the run and the pass.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame

Owusu-Koramoah won the Butkus Award and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year trophies this past season, helping Notre Dame to make the College Football Playoff semifinals. Notre Dame cultivated a very physical defense which overwhelmed most opponents. Owusu-Koramoah will not get overpowered in individual confrontations. At the point of attack, he will be able to hold up physically. Coaches will love that in a new NFL linebacker. Pass coverage might be slightly more of a question mark, but Owusu-Koramoah is reasonably versatile and will never be burdened with a lack of toughness. In a division without an elite passing game (think of the AFC North or NFC East), Owusu-Koramoah could fit in really well.

Zaven Collins, Tulsa

The physically enormous Collins scored multiple touchdowns last season. He has a playmaker’s instinct and a great natural feel for the game. His physique will enable him to be a high-level run defender. The only question will be his ability to run with running backs in downfield coverage on wheel routes. In every other aspect of the craft of linebacking, Collins clearly makes the grade.

Jamin Davis, Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats have regularly churned out quality NFL defensive players over the past several years under coach Mark Stoops. Davis is the latest prospect. Kentucky has built such a strong and deserved reputation in developing great defensive players that it will be hard to bet against Davis as a productive NFL linebacker.

Nick Bolton, Missouri

Nick Bolton got to play against Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, the best teams in the SEC, this past season. He was tested as a rush defender and a pass defender, and he came out of the 2020 campaign with a lot of freshly-won respect in the SEC and on a national level. If he could withstand the athleticism of Alabama’s and Florida’s best skill position players, he can hang in the NFL as well.