With The First Pick
Fansided

2020 NFL Draft: Updated mid-season positional rankings and big board

By Nicholas Perlich

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 21: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws a pass in the first quarter against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 21: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws a pass in the first quarter against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 02: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers runs with the ball after an interception against the Wofford Terriers during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 02: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers runs with the ball after an interception against the Wofford Terriers during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Linebackers

  1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
  2. Dylan Moses, Alabama
  3. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
  4. Troy Dye, Oregon
  5. Monty Rice, Georgia

Injuries to other top linebackers, like Moses, may have helped Simmons get the top ranking here, but that certainly is not to say he doesn’t deserve it. Simmons is perfectly suited for today’s NFL. He is arguably the best coverage linebacker to come through the draft in quite some time and is also an excellent tackler in space. Moses would probably be the top linebacker had he not torn his ACL before the season. As it is, he still has the athleticism and sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability from the middle to be taken in the first round in April.

Kenneth Murray is probably the most improved defensive player in college football this season. He has always had elite athleticism for the position, but now he has made great strides at reading and diagnosing plays and getting to the ball. He may also be the best blitzer of the true linebackers in this draft class. Dye is an excellent athlete who can cover in space, but can be slow to diagnose plays. Rice is the typical downhill middle linebacker who, while not necessarily a liability, is underwhelming in coverage.

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