One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs entering the 2020 NFL Draft is at inside linebacker. After decades of having great play at linebacker with guys like Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley, Baltimore has been trying to find their next star at the position with no luck. After revamping their defensive line this offseason and having a stacked secondary, inside linebacker remains one of the only positions keeping the Ravens from having a truly legendary unit.
Though all the attention will go to prospects in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Baltimore could find key contributors throughout the entire draft. While typical three-down linebackers will go in the first round, the Ravens can find players for niche roles (playing the run or dropping into coverage) all the way to the seventh round if they wish.
With that in mind, I wanted to identify who would be the top target at linebacker in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Some of these players might fall into Baltimore’s lap when they pick and others will require the Ravens to trade up to go get them. But these are the best of the best of each round in the 2020 NFL Draft.
1st round: LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
You don’t get any better than Simmons in this draft, which is why he’s widely considered the top linebacker prospect and expected to go in the top 10. However, there is a little contention over where Simmons ends up playing in the NFL. As a more athletic player with insane speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine), Simmons might be better suited to playing safety than a traditional three-down linebacker role.
The Ravens love that type of versatility and would be able to do so many things with a player of Simmons’ caliber. Just imagining defensive coordinator Don Martindale moving Simmons all over the field likely has Baltimore drooling. With a ton of upside, Simmons could be a star in the right scheme and it’s easy to see how the Ravens would be the exact right fit for him.
The problem here is that Baltimore is going to have to absolutely love Simmons for him to be even considered an option. In order to have a shot at drafting Simmons, the Ravens will have to move up pretty far. Even if Simmons falls a little bit, the amount Baltimore would have to give up in a trade to go get him makes it extremely unlikely it happens. Still, for an article pointing to the best in each round, Simmons is that guy in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2nd round: LB Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
While I wondered if Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen would drop into the second round, both have been expected to go in the first. Brooks, on the other hand, has been expected to be an early second-round pick, making him more of a sure thing here. But there isn’t that much of a drop off from Queen and Murray to Brooks, so he could be a steal in the second round.
Brooks is a super athletic linebacker that has a little bit of a beefier build than either Patrick Queen or Murray, which gives him a ton of upside. However, in spite of his athleticism, he’s unproven in coverage and has better used his speed as a blitzer. Brooks is a sideline-to-sideline tackler in run support and he does a good job quickly identifying plays and reacting to them. He’s far better in run support but he has all the physical traits necessary to be a plus in coverage as well, though that will take some time to develop in the NFL.
If the Ravens want Brooks, they’ll almost assuredly have to move up to go get him at the top of the second round.
3rd round: LB Malik Harrison, Ohio State
If you want offenses to fear the middle of the defense, you get a guy like Harrison. An absolute thumper of a tackler, Harrison will make running backs pay for thinking they can run on him. He’s able to shed blockers and does a good job of running downhill in run support with a little bit of a blitz upside to him as well.
However, you’re not going to want to put Harrison in coverage. He’s not that athletic and if asked to cover a speedy running back or tight end, he’s going to struggle. He also tends to be a little too aggressive at times, biting on play fakes in an effort to shut down the run primarily.
If the Ravens are looking to stop the run and allow their safeties and L.J. Fort to handle coverage duties, Harrison is the guy they’ll be looking to get. He’s an immediate two-down linebacker in Baltimore’s scheme, though I don’t think he has much upside to do more than that. There’s a solid chance Harrison falls to the Ravens and their No. 92 pick in the third round.
4th round: LB Troy Dye, Oregon
The flip of Harrison is a player like Dye. Tall and thin with a ton of athleticism, Dye is the type of linebacker Baltimore would be looking to toss in more of a coverage role or against teams with a speed rushing attack. He’s smart and knows how to take great angles to beat ball carriers around the edge or to the sideline.
However, that lack of mass on his frame is a concern. Dye will struggle if offensive linemen can get their hands on him and he’d struggle to handle a bigger power back. Even with his athleticism and speed, Dye isn’t very polished in coverage and could use some more development there.
Dye is the epitome of a fourth-round prospect in that his upside is far greater than what he brings immediately. He could be a rotational player as a rookie but really needs some time in the weight room to handle the rigors of the NFL and could use practice reps to improve his technique. But in a year or two, Dye could become a starter or at least a solid rotational option that gets a bunch of snaps.
5th round: LB Chris Orr, Wisconsin
If Orr’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the Ravens had his older brother, Zach Orr, as a starting linebacker before his abrupt retirement. Much like his brother was, Chris Orr is a developmental prospect. Orr is a little undersized at 6-foot-0 and 224 pounds and has limited athleticism but what he lacks in those areas, he makes up elsewhere as an early-down linebacker.
He has good vision, keeping his eyes in the backfield and diagnosing where plays are going well enough. He’s got the size and strength to fend off linemen with enough agility to weave through potential blockers to make the tackle. Orr is also a plus blitzer as his 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2019 will attest. In spite of his limited athleticism, Orr does a decent job in short-area coverage, though he plays more of a clean-up role rather than making many plays on the ball there.
Even as a fifth-round option, Orr would likely compete with Jake Ryan in training camp for a good number of snaps as a rookie. Though his upside is limited, he could become a two-down starting linebacker for Baltimore just like his brother did.
6th round: LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
Quarterman is an old-school type of linebacker. He puts everything into tackles and can make a ball carrier disappear when he tackles, putting them on the ground from one frame of game film to the next. He’s also capable of using his size to fill gaps in run support, causing plays to stretch out, even if he isn’t the guy making the tackle
However, he can be a little slow to diagnose plays, often running in circles where he’s trying to figure out where the ball is going and what he should be doing. For a guy of his size — 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds — he gets caught up in the mess a little too often for my liking and will need to learn how to better shed blockers to be effective consistently in run support. Quarterman shouldn’t be trusted in coverage at all. He’s really stiff and without the speed to keep up or burst to make up ground, he’s going to be picked on in both man and zone coverages.
Quarterman is a developmental project in the sixth round with really limited upside. He has the size and tackling ability to project into a rotational linebacker in run defense but that’s about it.
7th round: LB T.J. Brunson, South Carolina
As his last-round status would indicate, Brunson is a developmental prospect with limited upside. But looking at the film, you can see Brunson is just a ballplayer. He’s not going to wow you in any of his measurables but he has a knack for always being around the play, especially the big ones.
A little undersized at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Brunson is more athletic than stout and his game leans that way. He has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline and be thrown into coverage, though he can be a little slow to diagnose plays and has to make up position at times.
Though Brunson isn’t the biggest linebacker, he doesn’t play like it. He’s willing to throw himself into gaps and will square up on a bigger running back in the hole. He does struggle to get off blocks but has enough agility to weave through the mess if he wants to.
I’d see Brunson as a special teams player primarily with the upside of being a depth piece.
