Here is a breakdown of the middle linebackers attending the 2014 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
1. Christian Jones – Florida State
Christian Jones is an extremely athletic linebacker with an amazing build. At 6’4” and 234lbs. he shows tremendous speed, agility and quickness for a man of his stature. He does a great job of diagnosing plays and taking on blockers in front of him instead of trying to go around them. Jones’ main issues are in pass coverage were his size makes him stiff when forced to run with receivers.
Jones was an underrated piece of the puzzle on a brilliant Florida State defense and has a lot to gain this week in Mobile. Scouts will be blown away by his presence and he could quickly rise up draft boards.
2. Chris Borland – Wisconsin
At 5’11” Borland is considered a “small” prospect but thanks to the success of Russell Wilson, London Fletcher and Desean Jackson, height and weight is factoring less and less into draft evaluations. Borland is a competitor who makes plays and tackles well. He is not fast and flashy nor is he big and particularly strong but he does what he needs to do. The senior has a football mind and a nose for the ball. I expect Borland to be in with a shout of being named Senior Bowl MVP.
3. Lamin Barrow – LSU
Lamin Barrow is another strong run defender at this year’s Senior Bowl. At 6’2” and 232lbs. he has a good, thick build to take on blockers and meet running backs at the line of scrimmage. Like Jones, Barrow’s weaknesses come against the pass in both coverage and rush forms. He does not have the speed to stick with good tight ends and has not developed any pass rushing moves. Barrow will be a mid-round pick come May.
4. Jordan Zumwalt – UCLA
An old-fashioned, two-down linebacker, Jordan Zumwalt brings the wood in the run game. He struggles to disengage blocks and is often easily taken out of the play at the second level but he does know how to tackle and deliver a tone-setting hit. Zumwalt lacks agility and speed making him a late-round pick who could contribute on special teams.