2010 NFL Draft: Outside Linebacker Rankings

The top 2010 outside linebacker prospects available for the 2010 NFL Draft in the order in which I believe they will be drafted. * – denotes 2011 prospect. ** – denotes 2012 prospect.

This page was last updated April 12, 2010.

1. Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri – Scouting Report
   Height: 6-1. Weight: 239.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.54.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.57.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.52.
   Benchx225: 35. Vertical: 40.
   Projected Round (2010): Top 25 Pick.
   3/2/10: Wearing white spandex pants, Sean Weatherspoon ran a 4.57 at the Combine. He also notched a 40-inch vertical and 34 reps of 225. He’s a virtual lock to go in Round 1.
   
   1/31/10: Sean Weatherspoon led the cheer for the North team before the game. But he was more than just a cheerleader; he nearly intercepted a pass in coverage against Dexter McCluster and later picked off a pass in the fourth quarter. Weatherspoon is unquestionably the top linebacker in this class after Rolando McClain.
   
   1/8/10: A Second-Team All-American, Sean Weatherspoon had 111 tackles, 15 TFL and 4.5 sacks as a senior. He’ll be the top outside linebacker chosen if Travis Lewis doesn’t declare.
   
   1/10/09: Announced he’ll be returning for his senior season.
   
   12/6/08: Sean Weatherspoon was Missouri’s tackling machine this season. Going into the Big XII Championship, Weatherspoon has 126 tackles, 16 TFL, 4.5 sacks and three interceptions. Besides that, he didn’t do much.
   
   5/16/08: One of the top tacklers in the Big XII as a sophomore, Sean Weatherspoon qualified for the conference’s All-Second Team. GMs will love that 40 time.
   
   
   
   
2. Daryl Washington, TCU – Scouting Report
   Height: 6-2. Weight: 229.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.59.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.57.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.54.
   Benchx225: 17. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 2.
   3/2/10: Daryl Washington looked good at the Combine, running a 4.57 in the 40. He told Charles Davis that he would prefer to play weakside linebacker in the NFL.
   
   1/31/10: Daryl Washington had a very solid Senior Bowl. He wrapped up Tim Tebow on a key third-down stop, forcing the South into a field goal.
   
   1/8/10: Daryl Washington had a great senior season for a TCU team that lost in the national championship to Boise State. Washington had 99 tackles and 7.5 TFL.
   
   5/21/09: Daryl Washington fits into a 4-3, so look for Josh McDaniels to draft him into his 3-4. Washington had 63 tackles, 5.5 TFL and three sacks in 2008.
   
   
3. Navorro Bowman, Penn State
   Height: 6-0. Weight: 242.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.72.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.61.
   Benchx225: 26. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 2-3.
   3/18/10: Like every Penn State player at their Pro Day, Navorro Bowman ran a great 40.
   
   1/5/10: Navorro Bowman has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Bowman has legal issues in his past, and being strictly a 4-3 linebacker, the lack of demand for that position could force him into Round 3.
   
   5/20/09: Sentenced to probation a second time in April. The first was for disorderly conduct. The second for marijuana. Brad Childress is already interested.
   
   2/16/09: Arguably the best player on Penn State’s defense Navorro Bowman had 106 tackles, 16.5 TFL, four sacks and five passes broken up.
   
   
   
   
4. Dekoda Watson, Florida State
   Height: 6-1. Weight: 226.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.53.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.40.
   Benchx225: 24. Vertical: 40.
   Projected Round (2010): 3-4.
   3/2/10: Dekoda Watson made some money at the Combine. Despite weighing 240 pounds, Watson had the second-fastest 40 of all the linebackers, running it in 4.53 seconds. He also had 24 reps and 40 inches on the vertical jump.
   
   1/8/10: An undersized weakside linebacker, but that hasn’t hurt other players of that ilk coming out of Florida State in the past (Derrick Brooks, Ernie Sims). Dekoda Watson, an All-ACC Second Team member, recorded 65 tackles, 13 TFL and 6.5 sacks.
   
   
5. A.J. Edds, Iowa
   Height: 6-3. Weight: 247.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.72.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.67.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.67.
   Benchx225: 16. Vertical: 35.5.
   Projected Round (2010): 3-4.
   1/8/10: Perhaps the top pure strongside linebacker in the 2010 NFL Draft, A.J. Edds notched 72 tackles and four TFL as a senior.
   
   2/16/09: An All-Big Ten honorable mention, A.J. Edds had 59 tackles, 4.5 TFL, two sacks and five passes broken up.
   
   8/2/08: In his first season as a full-time starter, A.J. Edds recorded 80 tackles (3.5 for loss) and four pass break-ups.
   
   
6. Perry Riley, LSU
   Height: 6-1. Weight: 239.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.64.
   Pro Day 40 Time: DNP.
   Benchx225: 17. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 4-5.
   1/8/10: Perry Riley had 97 tackles, 4.5 TFL and five passes broken up in his second year as a starter.
   
   2/16/09: Perry Riley had a great year replacing all of those NFL-bound linebackers that LSU lost, compiling 60 tackles, seven TFL, 1.5 sacks and three passes broken up.
   
   
7. Rennie Curran, Georgia
   Height: 5-11. Weight: 235.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.59.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.72.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.67.
   Benchx225: 25. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 4-5.
   1/11/10: Rennie Curran has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Curran is 4-3 only, so he could slip this April. He just turned 21, so I don’t see what the rush is. Curran would have been better off going back to school.
   
   1/8/10: Led the SEC with 131 tackles. Rennie Curran also had 5.5 TFL and three passes broken up. He’s expected to declare for the 2010 NFL Draft along with teammate Reshad Jones.
   
   2/16/09: Although he was just a sophomore in 2008, Rennie Curran was one of the few bright spots for the Bulldogs; the 220-pound linebacker garnered 115 tackles, 10 TFL and three sacks. Like all of the other sophomore linebackers on this list, Curran will need to add about 10 pounds of bulk.
   
   8/2/08: Despite being a true freshman last year, Rennie Curran started five games. He had 53 tackles (nine for loss). He was a member of the Freshman All-America first team.
   
   
8. Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas
   Height: 6-2. Weight: 246.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.73.
   Pro Day 40 Time: 4.73.
   Benchx225: 19. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 4-5.
   1/8/10: Roddrick Muckelroy qualified for the All-Big XII Second Team with 78 tackles, a whopping nine TFL, four passes broken up and two sacks.
   
   2/16/09: An All-Big XII honorable mention, Roddrick Muckelroy had 102 tackles, 3.5 TFL and three passes broken up as a junior.
   
   8/2/08: Roddrick Muckelroy started just one game as a sophomore, but he was productive coming off the bench. He had 67 tackles (six for loss) and three sacks.
   
   MISSING
   
9. Kavell Conner, Clemson
   Height: 6-0. Weight: 242.
   Projected 40 Time: 4.67.
   Combine 40 Time: 4.58.
   Benchx225: 24. Vertical: .
   Projected Round (2010): 5-6.
   1/8/10: Didn’t start every game for Clemson, but still managed 103 tackles, seven TFL and two sacks as a senior.
   
   
10. Stevenson Sylvester, Utah
    Height: 6-2. Weight: 232.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.75.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.63.
    Benchx225: 23. Vertical: 30.5.
    Projected Round (2010): 5-6.
    1/8/10: Had 81 tackles, five TFL and two sacks in 2009.
    
    2/16/09: A major defensive force for the 2008 national champions. Stevenson Sylvester, an All-Mountain West second-teamer, notched 73 tackles, eight TFL, 3.5 sacks and four passes broken up.
    
    8/2/08: Stevenson Sylvester started eight games, and recorded 86 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five pass break-ups, earning himself an All-Mountain West honorable mention. Sylvester also started three games as a freshman.
    
    
    
    
11. Simoni Lawrence, Minnesota
    Height: 6-0. Weight: 229.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.68.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.60.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.55.
    Benchx225: 21. Vertical: 40.
    Projected Round (2010): 6-7.
    
    
    
12. Keaton Kristick, Oregon State
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 232.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.74.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.64.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.74.
    Benchx225: 18. Vertical: 33.
    Projected Round (2010): 6-7.
    1/8/10: Named to the All-Pac 10 First Team, Keaton Kristick had 95 tackles, 7.5 TFL and a sack in 2009.
    
    
13. Kyle Bosworth, UCLA
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 236.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.74.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.69.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.58.
    Benchx225: 25. Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 6-7.
    1/8/10: Nephew of Brian Bosworth, Kyle had 77 tackles and 7.5 TFL in 2009.
    
    
14. Rico McCoy, Tennessee
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 222.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.56.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Rico McCoy had a stellar senior year with 119 tackles and three TFL, qualifying for the All-SEC Second Team. At 220 pounds, McCoy might have difficult finding a home in the NFL. 2/16/09: Rico McCoy hasn’t filled out yet. He’ll need to if he wants to be drafted on Day 1. McCoy had 87 tackles, 3.5 TFL, one sack and three passes broken up as a junior.
    
    8/2/08: Like Gerald McRath, Rico McCoy needs to put on about 10 more pounds of bulk, which he should be able to do in two years. McCoy, a member of the All-SEC second team, started 13 games as a sophomore and recorded 106 tackles (4.5 for loss).
    
    
15. Sam Maxwell, Kentucky
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 244.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.98.
    Benchx225: . Vertical: 31.
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Sam Maxwell collected 81 tackles and six TFL before suffering a shoulder injury.
    
    
16. Patrick Trahan, Ole Miss
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 230.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Notched 68 tackles, a whopping 11 TFL and four sacks in his first year as a full-time starter.
    
    5/20/09: Managed 29 tackles, 4.5 TFL and two sacks in 2008.
    
    
17. Ryan Stamper, Florida
    Height: 6-2. Weight: 235.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.74.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: A member of the All-SEC Second Team, Ryan Stamper had 77 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks.
    
    2/16/09: Battled through an ankle injury in 2008; still managed 45 tackles, three TFL and a sack.
    
    8/2/08: Ryan Stamper, whose 40 will get him noticed, started just one game in 2007. He had 21 tackles.
    
    
18. Patrick Benoist, Vanderbilt
    Height: 6-0. Weight: 222.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Light in the pants, but had 85 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks as a senior.
    
    2/16/09: Though undersized, Patrick Benoist managed 109 tackles, 6.5 TFL, two sacks and five passes broken up.
    
    
19. Patrick Lavine, Oklahoma State
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 226.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.64.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Recorded 79 tackles, nine TFL and 2.5 sacks in 2010.
    
    2/16/09: Garnered 70 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks and three passes broken up as a junior.
    
    8/2/08: As a sophomore, Patrick Lavine recorded 81 tackles. He had 70 his freshman year.
    
    
20. Keenan Clayton, Oklahoma
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 229.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.62.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.59.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.57.
    Broad: 10-7.
    Benchx225: 27. Vertical: 41.5.
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Notched 72 tackles and 5.5 TFL in his second year at outside linebacker.
    
    2/16/09: Successfully made the transition from strong safety to outside linebacker in his second season. An All-Big XII honorable mention, Keenan Clayton had 84 tackles, 10 TFL, 4.5 sacks, nine passes broken up and six forced fumbles.
    
    8/2/08: An outside linebacker-strong safety tweener, Keenan Clayton didn’t make a single start in 2007.
    
    
21. Will Patterson, Indiana
    Height: 6-1. Weight: 235.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.63.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.63.
    Benchx225: 32. Vertical: 34.5.
    Projected Round (2010): 7-FA.
    1/8/10: Played in 11 games, collecting 67 tackles, four TFL and 1.5 sacks.
    
    2/16/09: Will Patterson missed some time with a knee injury, but the Indiana co-captain still collected 55 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks and three passes broken up in 2008. 8/2/08: Will Patterson put up some great numbers as a sophomore, including 104 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two sacks.
    
    
22. Nathan Triplett, Minnesota
    Height: 6-3. Weight: 250.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.68.
    Combine 40 Time: 4.74.
    Pro Day 40 Time: 4.65.
    Benchx225: 20. Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): FA.
    
    
    
23. E.J. Savannah, Washington
    Height: 6-2. Weight: 226.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): FA.
    1/8/10: Missed the final three games of the year with a thumb injury.
    
    2/16/09: Pop quizzes and oral reports have proven to be too much for E.J. Savannah, who was academically ineligible this season. He’ll be back in 2009 unless his homework continues to debacle him.
    
    8/2/08: E.J. Savannah started 10 games as a sophomore. He had 111 tackles (14 for loss). There are some concerns about mental lapses in his game. Savannah also needs to put on some bulk.
    
    
24. Dustin Doe, Florida
    Height: 6-0. Weight: 230.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): FA.
    1/8/10: Dustin Doe was suspended earlier this season for two misdemeanor driving charges. This was not the only time he’s gotten into trouble. Doe, a deer, had 51 tackles in 2009.
    
    2/16/09: He may not have an identity, but Dustin Doe managed 30 tackles and 2.5 TFL in 2008. Still, last year’s arrest looms large.
    
    8/2/08: Dustin Doe started all but one game as a sophomore for Florida’s young defense. He recorded 85 tackles. Unfortunately, Doe was arrested for fighting in a parking lot in April.
    
    
25. Luthur Brown, USC
    Height: 6-2. Weight: 234.
    Projected 40 Time: 4.63.
    Combine 40 Time: .
    Benchx225: . Vertical: .
    Projected Round (2010): FA.
    1/8/10: Has barely played with the new influx of talent.
    
    2/16/09: It’s tough to get playing time at linebacker when Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews are on the roster. Luthur Brown will have only one chance to prove himself.
    
    8/2/08: Luthur Brown didn’t start as a sophomore, but that’s understandable, as Keith Rivers and Brian Cushing were ahead of him on the depth chart. In limited action, Brown notched 25 tackles.
    
    

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