NFL Draft Update: MLB
By Keith Myers
MLB isn’t usually a first round position. Even the best players at the position are usually taken no higher than pick number 20, with rare exception, so you’ll almost never find MLB with first round grades. This year there are 2 such players, which is extremely uncommon.
Unfortunately, the talent drops off sharply after that. I only have 13 players that I believe will be drafted at the position, which is very low. This will put a lot of pressure on the Seahawks to re-sign David Hawthorne, or to commit to move KJ Wright from the SAM linebacker over into the middle.
The real steal of this draft class is Arkansas’s Jerry Franklin who should come off the board in the late 5th to early 6th round.
Update: Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o has announced he’s staying in school for another year.
| Rank | Player | Pos |
PRank
School
Ht.
Wt.
Luke Kuechly
ILB
1
Boston College
6-2
237
Manti Te’o
ILB
2
Notre Dame
6-2
255
Dont’a Hightower
ILB
3
Alabama
6-4
260
Vontaze Burfict
ILB
4
Arizona State
6-3
250
Audie Cole
ILB
5
North Carolina St
6-4
239
J.M Johnson
ILB
6
Nevada
6-1
240
Emmanuel Acho
ILB
7
Texas
6-2
245
Mychal Kendricks
ILB
9
California
5-11
240
Chris Galippo
ILB
10
Southern Cal
6-2
250
Jerry Franklin
ILB
11
Arkansas
6-1
245
Bobby Wagner
ILB
12
Utah State
6-0
232
Max Gruder
ILB
13
Pittsburgh
6-1
230
D.J. Holt
ILB
14
California
6-0
242