Ranking the "Off the ball Linebackers"

[Beaker42]

Next in the series is my Cowboy Off the ball Linebackers. This need could be huge considering: Lee might retire, Thomas is a fa, Jaylon could be a cap casualty, Lve cannot stay healthy and the move back to the 4-3 scheme.

I think there are starting needs at MLB, Weak-side backer and a starting caliber backup to protect against Lve, where they must decide to pick his option up this May. Here are my top 10 rankings, Cowboy specific:

1-Parsons Penn State (upside potential is huge, but new to the position, needs some development)
2-JOK Notre Dame (the chess nickel piece, excellent coverage linebacker, fits Quinn's smaller/faster LB)
3-Collins Tulsa (many feel he is more of a 3-4 OLB, do it all linebacker, some think he's similar to Lve)
4-Bolton Missouri (high floor player that lacks the elite, physical traits, perhaps most instinctive in the class)
5-Browning Ohio State (possesses all the elite, physical traits for the position, lacks experience)
6-Cox LSU (considered one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft, more of a run/hit type)
7-Surratt UNC (former QB learning the new position, coverage is his calling card, not very physical)
8-McGrone Michigan (more of a two down run linebacker that needs more experience in coverage)
9-Moses Alabama (a lot of inconsistency in his game both against the run and the pass)
10-Werner Ohio State (more of a strong-side linebacker, average athlete)

Bolton would be our new Coakley.

 

[Cowboyny]

Bolton would be our new Coakley.

He's one of my top pet cats, but I don't think he will be on the Cowboys radar, as he doesn't fit that athletic profile they usually target for the position.

 

[Cowboyny]

if I can trade down in rd 1 and take Nixon/Moehrig at 18-22 then I would go Barmore/Tufele/Grant with our rd 2 pick and Browning with the trade down rd 2 pick

It's hard to project as we don't know who will be on the board when we are on the clock. Think corner in rd 1, considering the fa's in house and them hiring a new pass game coordinator. Rd 2 a NT, is highly unlikely, but all other defensive positions should be in consideration. Perhaps a high 2nd rd grade falls to them. Keep in mind, there usually are 15-18 1st rd grades in a given draft. When I say 2nd rd player, it could be a player falls in that 20-30 range.

 

[Cowboyny]

JOK,Notre Dame
Browning,Ohio St
Dylan Moses,Bama
Bolton,Mizzou

my 4 favs...i'd be happy with any of them.
i'm specially intrigued by JOK.
he might be in contention for us at 10.

I go back and forth with JOK, especially when they would have to use the 10th pick to get him. Bolton is my #1 guy, where Browning/Cox are my favorite second tier Linebackers. I wouldn't mind taking a hybrid like Nasirildeen or Deablo, either.

 

[cnuball21]

Parsons. Best linebacker prospect of the decade. Better than Devin White, Jaylon Smith, you name them. The off the field stuff is concerning, but on the field he is generational. If he played DE I would rank him as DE1, he is just that good.

Collins. Huge, mobile, good tackler, comfortable in coverage. His coaches used him super conservatively against the pass with lots of blitzes and short middle zones, and I'd really like to see how he would have fared in more risky and aggressive pro-style coverage calls. Still, the athleticism and production warrants a pick some time in round 1.

Bolton. Best tackler I've seen the class, but not as instinctive as I had heard. I am really interested in seeing his testing numbers, he moves with an easy gliding style that makes it tough to judge how fast/explosive he really is. Looks like a round 2 guy.

JOK. He's a safety.

Jabril Cox. This is my dude. Stud in coverage and regularly handled man-to-man assignments. I don't think the gap between him and JOK is that big, even if the big boards will tell you otherwise. I'd target him in the second round.

Browning: Looks like just a guy. Good athleticism but not much there as a player.

Surrat: Speed is all he's got going for him. He has an excuse for his lack of instincts since I think this is only his second year at LB. But an undersized project player at a low value position, that's a really hard sell.

"JOK. He's a safety." - This times a million...

 

[conner01]

Good, non-rush linebackers usually can be found outside rd 1. With already a ton of resources within the position, rather take one with one of our third round selections. Hoping one of Browning, Cox is there at 75. It could be a good position to double up if the board plays out that way on day 3.

Browning intrigues me

 

[conner01]

"JOK. He's a safety." - This times a million...

He’s built like a safety
But he very likely goes much earlier than a guy who really doesn’t have a position should go
If he was 20lbs heavier he might go in top 10
But he is pretty small

 

[cnuball21]

He’s built like a safety
But he very likely goes much earlier than a guy who really doesn’t have a position should go
If he was 20lbs heavier he might go in top 10
But he is pretty small

Probably so, but it makes no sense to me.

Even if he was heavier, I’d have concerns because he didn’t really play LBr in college.

I wouldn’t touch that dude in the first round. Depending on what our board looked like probably not even our 2nd round pick.

 

[conner01]

Probably so, but it makes no sense to me.

Even if he was heavier, I’d have concerns because he didn’t really play LBr in college.

I wouldn’t touch that dude in the first round. Depending on what our board looked like probably not even our 2nd round pick.

A athlete without a true position scares me
If he was 20lbs bigger he would have played more true LB
But they took a guy and used him for what he was capable of doing
And with a college sized roster you can do something like that
But CB’s are bigger than him in the nfl
I think some punters are bigger than him lol

 

[cnuball21]

A athlete without a true position scares me
If he was 20lbs bigger he would have played more true LB
But they took a guy and used him for what he was capable of doing
And with a college sized roster you can do something like that
But CB’s are bigger than him in the nfl
I think some punters are bigger than him lol

Agreed...I"m 100% on board for getting more athletic at the LBr position but give me an actual LBr who knows the position and has produced there.

 

[beware_d-ware]

I didn't see any LB type traits on JOK's tape. He gets locked up on blocks with WRs, he's not a good tackler... his big claim to fame is that he can walk out to the slot and play man coverage, but that's what safeties do. He's basically a Jamal Adams type box safety.

And he could have success playing that role, but I don't think it would be with Dallas. Everyone on the Dallas D in the last decade has seemed to have very textbook roles, we don't use guys creatively like that.

Jabril Cox is a little more credibly sized for an LB at 6'4" 230 and lined up as an LB in LSU's defense. He was given some tough NFL-style man to man assignments and handled them beautifully. Then he goes to the Senior Bowl and shows the exact same thing. Dude just gets it with man coverage.



I'm going to start banging the drum for him. If you want a Deion Jones type backer on our defense, Cox is your guy. If you're a JOK fan, this is a JOK that handles better with our inept coaches.

 

[Cowboyny]

I didn't see any LB type traits on JOK's tape. He gets locked up on blocks with WRs, he's not a good tackler... his big claim to fame is that he can walk out to the slot and play man coverage, but that's what safeties do. He's basically a Jamal Adams type box safety.

And he could have success playing that role, but I don't think it would be with Dallas. Everyone on the Dallas D in the last decade has seemed to have very textbook roles, we don't use guys creatively like that.

Jabril Cox is a little more credibly sized for an LB at 6'4" 230 and lined up as an LB in LSU's defense. He was given some tough NFL-style man to man assignments and handled them beautifully. Then he goes to the Senior Bowl and shows the exact same thing. Dude just gets it with man coverage.



I'm going to start banging the drum for him. If you want a Deion Jones type backer on our defense, Cox is your guy. If you're a JOK fan, this is a JOK that handles better with our inept coaches.

I think Cox would be an excellent get, much rather have him in the 2nd or 3rd rd, then taking JOK at 10.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Are you a scout?

 

[Hawkeye0202]

JOK could be the future prototype at weakside linebacker. I would not complain if we drafted him and then someone else in the 3rd or 4th round. I love Collins but it looks like we our not going to be multiple. He would have been perfect for Nolan’s defense.

If both CB's are gone and we CAN NOT trade down I would strongly consider JOK. Play him as a hybrid SS/LBer.....

 

[Chuck 54]

We either need a MLB so LVE can play weak and Jaylon strong, or move Jaylon back to middle with LVE at weak and draft a strong. Moving our current backers out of position this year was a huge mistake.

 

[Cowboyny]

We either need a MLB so LVE can play weak and Jaylon strong, or move Jaylon back to middle with LVE at weak and draft a strong. Moving our current backers out of position this year was a huge mistake.

I think the later, Jaylon moves back to the MLB and they look for a strong side fa starter.

 

[cnuball21]

I didn't see any LB type traits on JOK's tape. He gets locked up on blocks with WRs, he's not a good tackler... his big claim to fame is that he can walk out to the slot and play man coverage, but that's what safeties do. He's basically a Jamal Adams type box safety.

And he could have success playing that role, but I don't think it would be with Dallas. Everyone on the Dallas D in the last decade has seemed to have very textbook roles, we don't use guys creatively like that.

Jabril Cox is a little more credibly sized for an LB at 6'4" 230 and lined up as an LB in LSU's defense. He was given some tough NFL-style man to man assignments and handled them beautifully. Then he goes to the Senior Bowl and shows the exact same thing. Dude just gets it with man coverage.



I'm going to start banging the drum for him. If you want a Deion Jones type backer on our defense, Cox is your guy. If you're a JOK fan, this is a JOK that handles better with our inept coaches.

I love Cox’s coverage ability, and I want to love him, but I can’t get passed the knock on instincts and how he’s slow to diagnose in the run game.