Panthers NFL Draft: 5 Linebacker Targets

In 2016, Boulware collected 116 tackles with 11.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one interception, two passes broken up and three forced fumbles. He has some athletic and speed limitations for the NFL in pass coverage, but he was a gritty college run defender. For the next level, Boulware could be best as a run-down defender in a 3-4 defense.

There has been some hype around Boulware, but sources say they aren’t buying it. In preseason study, they say Boulware has not impressed them in terms of his athleticism and speed.

Boulware had 82 tackles with 3.5 sacks, seven passes broken up, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions last year. As a sophomore, he recorded 40 tackles with an interception and a sack.

Gedeon is a similar prospect to former Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan, but the post-knee injury version of Ryan. In 2016, Gedeon totaled 106 tackles with 15.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and two passes batted. It was a huge jump over his junior (34 tackles), sophomore (17 tackles) and freshman (19 tackles) totals when he was a backup. Gedeon is a tough run defender, but he could have limitations, athletically, for pass coverage in the NFL.

Walker gained 20 pounds prior to the 2016 season, and sources say that has cost him some of his speed and explosiveness. He could have used 5-10 pounds to help get off blocks in the NFL, but his 20-pound weight gain appears to be too much. Sources preferred him at the lower weight, and his per-game averages were down. In 2016, Walker recorded 105 tackles with 10 for a loss, four forced fumbles, two sacks, five passes broken up and one interception. Sources have said they were really disappointed with Walker’s senior season.

Northwestern had a good team in 2015 and was led defensively by Walker as he totaled 122 tackles with 20.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes batted, one forced fumble and one interception. Walker reminds me of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David.

Against the run, Walker is tremendous when he goes unblocked. He is very fast to fire into the hole, bolt into the backfield, or get to the perimeter. Walker has good very good read-and-react skills and instincts.

The NFL is a passing-driven league, so Walker’s pass-coverage skills are the first area to scrutinize. He has shown an impressive ability to cover backs out of the backfield, and in the 2015 season opener, he was running stride for stride with the superb, speedy Stanford play-maker Christian McCaffrey on routes out of the backfield. Walker has the ability to cover in man, but really is excellent in zone.

There are some areas where Walker could improve. With his listed size, he could use five to 10 pounds of muscle to help take on NFL running backs. When offensive linemen fire off the ball and get to him, Walker is in trouble. He is good to take the block on, but he struggles to hold his ground or shed the block. That comes back to his size and needing more strength. Shedding blocks is the biggest area that Walker should seek to improve.

Bowser was looking for a huge senior season, coming off of a junior year where he started every game, making 50 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Unfortunately, a fight with one of his teammates resulted in his missing a month with a broken orbital bone. He overcame that setback to still garner second-team all-conference honors, leading the team with 8.5 sacks among his 12 tackles for loss in just eight games. Bowser played basketball and football over his first two years on campus. He played all games on the gridiron as a freshman (26 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) and sophomore (13 tackles, 3.5 TFL, three sacks), starting once each season.

On the year, Brown had 102 tackles with 1.5 sacks, four tackles for a loss, two passes broken up and one forced fumble. He is a solid run defender.

Brown was a contributor as a freshman and sophomore, but he took his game to another level as a junior. In 2015, Brown totaled 109 tackles with 13 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, two passes broken up, and an interception. He was a solid tacker and also displayed good instincts.

With Chris Jones and Beniquez Brown in the NFL, Richie Brown will take on a bigger role in 2016, and he could easily surpass his tackle production from last year. For the NFL, showing pass-coverage ability along with the speed and athleticism to be a three-down starter is critical for the senior.