This is the eighth installment of a multi-part series previewing the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. The event will be broadcast over four days on the NFL Network, Thursday, March 3 through Sunday, March 6. Today, we’ll look at the off-ball linebackers.
Lions’ pre-free agency needs
Detroit has some difficult decisions to make at linebacker ahead of the draft. Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, the team’s snap leaders at the position a year ago, are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Neither are likely to break the bank, but retaining one or both could be indicative of how much the franchise feels the need to upgrade an area of weakness.
A player who will be back for sure is Derrick Barnes, last year’s fourth-round draft pick. He saw more than 400 defensive reps during his debut campaign, but only made modest improvements through the course of the season. With the experience, it’s reasonable to hope he makes bigger developmental strides in Year 2.
Metrics to monitor
► 20-yard shuttle, 40-yard dash, 3-cone drill
While most schemes have preferred size thresholds at linebacker, there’s been an increased emphasis on speed and agility in the second level to counter the proliferation of spread offense concepts, including increased quick throws and more athletic tight ends. The shuttles and 3-cone drill demonstrate a prospect’s ability to change direction and accelerate, while the 40-yard dash hints to whether a player is a true sideline-to-sideline talent.
Top prospects
► Nakobe Dean, Georgia
Listed at 225 pounds, Dean is clearly undersized, but he makes up for it by getting to spots first with quickness and instincts. He’s a three-down player who did a little bit of everything at Georgia last season, including racking up six sacks and 31 total quarterback pressures as a blitzer. In coverage, he allowed 21 catches for 122 yards on 36 targets, which is elite for the position.
► Devin Lloyd, Utah
Lloyd’s production is eye-catching. In 14 games for the Utes last season, he racked up 111 stops, including a staggering 22 behind the line of scrimmage. And in coverage, he managed to snag four interceptions. An all-around option who could climb into the top 15 with a solid combine, the primary concern is his tackling. He whiffed 14 times as a senior and failed to wrap up on one of eight chances throughout his collegiate career.
► Christian Harris, Alabama
Harris capped his solid career with the Tide by racking up personal-bests in tackles (80), tackles for a loss (11.5) and sacks (5.5), while also breaking up a trio of passes and forcing two fumbles. His game is built around physicality, but he’s been an subpar tackler, missing an average of 11 per season the past three years. Better coming forward that dropping into coverage, Harris is adept at shedding blocks when playing the run and generated 21 pressures when rushing the passer.
► Brandon Smith, Penn State
Smith possesses an impressive build at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, complemented by plus-athleticism. In 12 games for the Nittany Lions last season, he recorded 81 tackles, including nine behind the line, two sacks and five pass breakups. Like a couple of the others mentioned above, tackling was a major issue last season. He whiffed 15 times. As for his coverage ability, he moves well in space, but still managed to surrender 36 catches on 44 targets.
Sleepers to watch
► Chad Muma, Wyoming
Like Logan Wilson before him, Muma was a tackling machine for Wyoming, racking up 142 stops in 2021. That kind of volume takes the sting out of 13 misses. In coverage, he allowed 26 catches on 31 targets, but he turned three of those five incompletions into interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes. There’s nothing to suggest he’ll be a playmaker at the next level, but his instincts and athleticism could be enough to continue posting big tackle numbers in a starting role.
► JoJo Domann
A sixth-year senior, Domann tallied 72 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 10 games this season. An undersized linebacker who plays more like a safety, he’s one of the better coverage options at the position in this class. His aggressiveness and hot-running motor also point to lofty special teams potential. Injuries have been an obvious issue, with two ACL tears prior to his 2021 season being ended by a torn ligament in his hand.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers