2020 NFL Draft: Miami Hurricanes prospects to watch in Week 1

Michael Pinckney

While Quarterman gets a lot of the buzz, Michael Pinckney might be the best linebacker on the Hurricanes’ roster.

He’s a 6-foot-1, 220-pound WILL linebacker that sees plenty of time at MIKE as well.

Pinckney is a balanced, fluid athlete that has tremendous quickness when he comes downhill. He truly has a nose for the ball and seems to be involved in every play.

Pinckney has tremendous patience in pursuit and not only takes effective angles to the ball, but he works through trash well and can lay the wood when he gets to the ball carrier.

Pinckney breaks down quickly and wraps and drives through his target as a tackler. He has pretty impressive range and plays a lot bigger than his listed measurements.

For as good as he is stuffing the run, Pinckney is a key to the Hurricanes’ pass defense.

He’s called upon as the sub package linebacker and possesses the athletic traits and fluidity to match up with most tight ends and running backs in man coverage.

He processes information well and, when his assignment runs a check and release, Pinckney picks up on it in a hurry and does a nice job taking away the check down option.

Pinckney is one of the few linebackers you’ll see asked to drop 15+ yards down the middle of the field in coverage and he does a pretty nice job keeping the action in front of him downfield.

Pinckney will play part in one of Saturday’s more intriguing one-on-one matchups. He will likely draw a bulk of the coverage work against Gators back LaMichael Perine, which gives him the perfect chance to solidify himself as one of the top coverage linebackers in the nation early on.