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• Why not? Trevin Wallace Is the best athlete of the class? Even by NFL standards, this former track and field athlete is a top-tier athlete. His 40 yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump all ranked among the top 90 percentiles of off-ball linebackers in PFF database.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The NFL veteran is already on the field: Trotter Jr.’s field vision makes up for his physical and athletic limitations. He can recognize things before snap and communicate this to the rest the defense. He is never out of position.
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We continue our superlatives series with the off-ball defenders. We didn’t include edge rushers in any of the honors we gave, even though they are called outside linebackers. This list is only for true second-level defensive players.
Best Athlete: Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
This year’s class has a few great athletes at the position of off-ball linebacker. Edgerrin Cooper Has some of the fastest downhill/trigger speed you’ll ever find, making him very productive. In a straight line race, Payton Wilson Can fly. I believe that the best overall athlete is Trevin Wallace. This former high-school track and field star, who stands 6’1″ and weighs 237 lbs, brings an impressive athleticism, even by NFL standards. His 40 yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump all ranked among the top 90 percentiles of off-ball linebackers in PFF database.
Best Field General Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
You knew the winner of this award based on their last names. Trotter plays with the same veteran savviness as his All-Pro dad. Trotter, Jr. may be physically and athletically limited, but his field vision makes up for that. He can recognize things before snap and communicate this to the rest the defense. He is never out of position. He has four interceptions despite not being the fastest or the biggest. His anticipation is the best among the draft class of 2024.
Best Pass-Rusher Michael Barrett, Michigan
Barrett’s 92.4 PFF grade for pass-rush this past year makes him the best off-ball pass-rusher in this class. Barrett is a good blitzer. He knows how to time the snap to generate momentum and shoot gaps to get into the backfield. Once he gets to the offensive lineman’s shoulders, he has a decent ability for cornering. He’s not an excellent pass-rusher because he lacks size and length. He is able to attack in any gap in the middle, and he knows where he can have the biggest impact in the defensive backfield. In the last two years, he has a 20.7% win percentage in pass rush.
Best Tackler Junior Colson, Michigan
Barrett’s teammate, Junior Colson, Takes the honor of the class’s best tackler. Colson’s 6% missed tackle rate is tied with the best amongst draft-eligible linesbackers. Payton Wilson. Colson is the winner despite a tie, as Wilson’s 30.5″ arm length ranks in the 10th per centile for this position. Colson’s 32.5″ arm length is in the 57th per centile. This helps break the tie as shorter arms are more difficult to wrap. Colson has good size and strength to wrap, which makes him the most reliable linebacker of the class.
Best in Coverage Payton Wilson, N.C. State
I didn’t feel bad about awarding Colson the best tackler tie because I knew I could highlight Wilson’s performance in this category. Wilson has a 90.3 coverage grade from PFF over the last two years. This is based on four interceptions, 2 dropped interceptions, and 7 forced incompletions. Wilson is more fluid than most linebackers. He’s not just a straight line athlete. He can flip his hips, change direction and cover drop zones in specific spots instead of “covering” shallow areas and throwing to the flat. His coverage abilities are part of what has put him on top of PFF’s 2024 linebacker rankings.
Hardest Hitter: Marist Liufau, Notre Dame
There are many linebackers in this class who have had more forced fumbles than Liufau over the past two years, but I’m not sure if there is one who hits harder tackle-by-tackle. I noted that Liufau “comes with bad intentions” as I watched his tape. This is not to say that he is a dirty player. But he loves the physical side of playing this position. He consistently displayed the most power in contact of any linebacker ranked.
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