2021 NFL Draft: Breaking down the top three linebackers

The 2021 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away and these linebackers are expected to go sometime in the first two rounds.

Inside linebackers are always one of the most important pieces for a defense in the NFL. They hold the group together and many wear the “green dot” that has them become the voice of that eleven-man squad. They are the defensive quarterbacks that lead the team onto the field when their defense is called upon. They’re asked to cover, blitz, and attack the run game each and every down.

This position is very important and these three players in the draft are going to be great additions to whatever team they fall to. It has become more and more about speed as the game has developed into a more pass-happy league instead of the old days of ground and pound football. The passing attack has made this position into one that demands quickness from the linebacker position and these prospects have plenty of that. These linebackers in this draft class are athletic freaks that will hold up the middle of any defense.

Zaven Collins, Tulsa

Zaven Collins is coming out of a smaller school after attending Tulsa but he showed up big time on tape. His athletic ability and sideline to sideline speed are something special. He can cover and get after the passer as well. The biggest knock on him will be the competition he faced each and every week but he still produced at a high level. Many have him projected to go in the first round still and that seems like it will happen late on day one.

Collins is just too good of an athlete to not be selected. He has been mocked as an outside and inside linebacker but his best place to play at the next level is inside. He can do it all and this young man out of Tulsa will be great at the NFL level. He might not have played the same level of competition as the other linebackers on this list but he is one of the best linebackers in this draft.