NFL Draft 2013: Inside Linebacker Rankings

Oct 20, 2012; College Station, TX, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Kevin Minter (46) tackles Texas A

Every year I seem to think the crop of inside linebackers isn’t very good. This year isn’t any different.

This is partly because every year the some best ILBs aren’t even on my ILB rankings, because they’re 4-3 OLB’s until an NFL coach gets a hold of them and converts them. Think Bobby Wagner a year ago. So take this list as incomplete. These are only those linebackers who are played in the middle in college.

The best in this class, and the only one I’d take in the first round is Kevin Minter. I don’t believe Manti Te’o is worth it, and that has nothing to do with the “catfish” hoax. He’s a guy who can play stack only, can’t cover man to man, and doesn’t have the athleticism to play in a cover 2 system. Te’o is a 2 down LB in the NFL, and that isn’t something I’d both drafting before the 3rd round.

Seattle is in need of another LB, but they’re looking someone to play on the outside. If they do take someone on this list, it’ll be a player late in the draft to be Wagner’s backup. Virginia Steve Greer would be a very good fit in my eyes.

RankPlayerPosP RankSchoolHeightWeight*Kevin MinterILB1LSU6/1246Manti Te’oILB2Notre Dame6/1241Kiko AlonsoILB3Oregon6/3238Nico JohnsonILB4Alabama6/2248Jon BosticILB5Florida6/1245A.J. KleinILB6Iowa State6/1250Kevin ReddickILB7North Carolina6/1243Steve BeauharnaisILB8Rutgers6/1240Albert RosetteILB9Nevada6/2245Vince WilliamsILB10Florida State6/1247Steve GreerILB11Virginia6/1236Nick ClancyILB12Boston Col6/2229Bruce TaylorILB13Virginia Tech6/1234