The middle linebacker position hasn't held its value over the past few drafts. While the position has been tabbed as "Quarterback of the Defense", teams have been able to wait until day two of the NFL draft to draft their middle linebacker of the future. Only high football-IQ players and excellent tacklers can play this position.
Shayne Skov was a big reason why the Stanford Cardinal had one of the best defenses in college football. Let's take a look at eDraft's official scouting report for the prospect.
College: Stanford
Ht: 6'2"
Wt: 245
Video
Junior and Senior Seasons | | Total Tackles | Tackles For Loss | Sacks |
| Junior | 81 | 9 | 2.5 |
| Senior | 109 | 13 | 5.5 |
Strengths
High football-IQ: During his time at Stanford, no player epitomized the Cardinal's motto than Skov. The 5-year player enjoyed an excellent career in college.
Stanford is one of the smartest schools in the country, and they sometimes produce some of the smartest players in the NFL.
Coming from a program with great bloodlines like Stanford, it is easy to see why many NFL teams are so high on Skov.
Sure tackler: To be an elite middle linebacker, you need to be a tackling machine. Skov led the Cardinal in tackles in 2013. This was largely due to the fact that Skov doesn't miss on many plays. There will rarely be times where Skov misses opposing running backs.
Reads plays well: Often, linebackers can be seen guessing holes when playing against the run. It takes a true special talent to diagnose plays consistently. This is something Skov excels in. With many teams inserting the read-option into their offense, NFL teams are looking for linebackers who can shed blocks and make tackles at the line of scrimmage. Skov can do just that.
Weaknesses
Injury concerns: In 2011, Skov tore his ACL, MCL, and he even fractured his tibia in his left knee. Skov needed three surgeries to recover from the knee injuries. His injury concerns may have him slip to the third round. This was the case with Sean Lee in 2010 when he slipped to the second round because of knee surgeries. The same could happen with Skov in this year's draft.
Build: Weighing in a 245 pounds, it is clear that Skov is a little under-sized. Skov thrived in college by using his smarts and making sure tackles. But in the NFL, he may have a problem transitioning to going against NFL offensive linemen. Putting on around 15 pounds would do wonders for Skov and his draft stock.
Pass coverage: At Stanford, you will rarely see Skov matching up against opposing receivers. When Skov was in pass coverage, he usually matched up against running backs out of the backfield. Linebackers in the NFL need to cover tight ends. With tight ends like Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski, Skov must improve his coverage against the pass.
NFL Comparison
Paul Posluzsny, Jacksonville Jaguars: I had trouble with this one, as there aren't a lot of players like Skov in the NFL. It may be a stretch, but Skov reminds me of Paul Posluzsny. The NFL linebacker has had an excellent career, playing for small-market teams like the Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills. With his ability to read the offense and make sure tackles, Skov is very similar to Posluszny.
Draft Outlook
Like I said earlier, middle linebackers aren't chosen that high in draft annually. Besides C.J. Mosley, there isn't another linebacker that has more of an impact on a game than Skov. I can see Skov being drafted somewhere in day two. A team that is in need of a quality linebacker will be interested in Skov in later portion of the second round.
Best Fits
The Chicago Bears were the worst team against the run in 2013. In fact, they have looked lost as a defense since Brian Urlacher retired. Drafting Skov would give them a good linebacker to use. Pairing Skov next to second-year player Jon Bostic would give the Bears a young and productive linebacker group.
Other possible fits include the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Minnesota Vikings.