2021 NFL Draft Prospects: 3-4 Outside Linebacker

4/26/21: Paye had an excellent start to the 2020 season with a multi-sack game against Minnesota. Over the year, he showed improved pass-rushing moves and the versatility to line up on the inside at tackle in the sub package. With Paye's size, speed, athleticism, and improving technique, he looks like a potential first-round pick with big upside for the 2021 NFL Draft. He could be the first edge rusher drafted and has a shot of being a top-20 selection.

9/5/20: Paye had an impressive junior year, as he was a well-balanced defender at the point of attack. Paye's developed strength helps him set the edge and hold his ground. He also showed pass-rush ability with upside and he could improve with more experience. Paye has the upside to be a riser.

4/26/21: Phillips helped himself with a phenomenal pro-day workout. He showed size, speed, athleticism, explosion, and a ton of athletic upside. During the early years of his collegiate career, Phillips had some personal issues, and some teams like how he was able to overcome those problems and get focused on football. Others are worried about those issues becoming a problem again, so if Phillips slides in the 2021 NFL Draft, that will be the reason.

The Hurricanes were dealt a blow when defensive end Gregory Rousseau decided to skip the 2020 season. Miami gave Rousseau's number to UCLA transfer Jaelan Phillips, who did a nice job of continuing the disruptive presence coming from No. 15. Team sources said Phillips really impressed them and they see a lot of athletic upside with the junior. He has quality size, speed, athleticism, and strength. In 2020, Phillips totaled 45 tackles, eight sacks, an interception and three passes defended.

Phillips has a good skill set with strength to shed blocks and hold his ground in run defense. The 6-foot-5, 266-pounder really improved as a pass rusher over the course of the 2020 season, and he has quality speed to go with length and strength. Phillips could continue to grow as he gains experience.

4/26/21: Rousseau had been the consensus top defensive end prospect for most of the 2021 NFL Draft process, but team sources from across the league felt Rousseau was vastly overrated by the media and had other prospects graded higher than him him. Multiple team sources say Rousseau is not a fast, explosive pass rusher and is also not physical. Some think he will need a year or two to develop into a power player at the NFL level and question if he ever will be able to do that. Rousseau had a disappointing pro-day performance that just reinforced the concerns about him lacking speed and explosion.

9/5/20: Rousseau was one of the best edge defenders in college football during 2019. Despite being a redshirt freshman, he collected 15.5 sacks with two forced fumbles and 54 tackles on the year. Rousseau has an excellent skill set with upside to develop.

His development could be slowed down by his decision to opt out of the 2020 season. There is no substitute for experience and a year of refining pass-rushing moves, getting off blocks, taking on double teams, and improving technique. Thus, Rousseau will enter the NFL as a 1-year wonder who could require more developmental time. He might be a top-10 pick, but he will be more raw and underdeveloped compared to other recent high first-round defensive ends like Jadeveon Clowney, Myles Garrett, Bradley Chubb, and the Bosa brothers.

4/26/21: To open the 2020 season, Collins was very good against Oklahoma State, recording three sacks and six tackles. That set the tone for him to produce a phenomenal 2020 season that featured a ton of splash plays, including an overtime pick-six walk-off winner against Tulane. Collins is big, quick, and a versatile athlete who displays some ability to drop into coverage, makes tackles in the run game, and rush the passer.

After some skepticism from NFL scouts at the start of the fall, many were raving about Collins by the end of the season. They feel he could be a 4-3 Sam linebacker or Mike - middle - linebacker while also being a great fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Collins has explosive speed, athleticism, the ability to cover, and the ability to play in space. Some teams don't like that Collins is not a linebacker who takes on a lot of blocks and believe he is not very physical, but others feel his strengths are rare and special. In the 2021 NFL Draft, Collins should go no lower than the second round.

9/5/20: Collins has good height, weight and length to be an outside linebacker in the NFL. He was a solid run defender for Tulsa during the past two seasons. The senior needs to improve his pass-coverage ability and production for his draft stock to rise.

4/26/21: Oweh flashed some edge-rush potential for Penn State, but he was not consistently productive, notching just four sacks over his last 18 games. In 2019, he totaled five sacks and 21 tackles. Oweh made 38 tackles in 2020, but he didn't notch a sack. Oweh is a workout warrior with shocking speed, but he needs development as a football player.

Team sources say Oweh's track record and college tape are that of a second-day pick, but because he is a workout warrior, they think a team could fall in love from his pro day workout, which was phenomenal. Oweh had a shocking 40 time with huge jumps that illustrated his explosive athleticism.

4/26/21: Tryon did not opt back in for the Pac-12's pandemic-shortened season. Some teams have Tryon graded in the second round and some have him in the third round, but there media projections of him being a first-round pick.

9/5/20: After serving as a backup during his freshman season, Tryon broke out in 2019 as one of the top pass-rushers in the Pac-12. He totaled eight sacks with 41 tackles and one pass batted on the year.

Tryon has a lot of upside, but needs refinement in run defense and to develop his pass-rushing moves. The selfish and foolish Pac-12 presidents and commissioner Larry Scott made the decision to cancel the 2020 season though, protecting their job security over considering the science that football players are more likely to die in a car accident driving to practice than from covid-19. Tryon is one of the players who is really hurt by this decision, as he opted to make the jump to the NFL even though he needed more developmental snaps.

4/26/21: Ossai was a real presence for the Texas defense in 2020. He was all over the field to help lead his team to an overtime win over Oklahoma State, but Ossai did not produce as well in other contests. Ossai has pass-rush upside with speed and a good motor, but he has issues with stiffness. Team sources say they see Ossai as a fit for 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.

9/5/20: Ossai earned a starting spot for the Longhorns in 2019 and had a breakout sophomore year. He made some big plays in pass defense, getting after the quarterback and creating a number of splash plays. If Ossai can build on his sophomore season, he has the potential to be a riser as an upperclassman.

4/26/21: Browning was quiet in the early going of 2020 before finishing the season well. He made some nice plays in the playoff against Clemson and Alabama. Browning has a quality skill set and some upside to develop. Some teams feel he is not instinctive enough for middle linebacker and should be a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.

9/5/20: Browning rotated with Tuf Borland at middle linebacker in the Buckeyes' 4-3 defense in 2019. Browning put together respectable production for a part-time player. He needed the opportunity to show more pass-coverage ability in 2020.

4/26/21: Jones enjoyed a strong 2020 season and led the nation in sacks for a time. He needs to get stronger and fill out his frame for the NFL, but he has good speed and length off the edge. His best fit as a pro could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Some teams have Jones graded as high as Round 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, while some others like him less and have him in the early fourth round.

9/5/20: Jones had a very good 2019 season and was one of the best edge defenders in the ACC. He was solid in the ground game and productive in the pass rush. It wasn't his first year of solid tape, as he was productive in a backup rotational role as a sophomore. If Jones can get stronger and continues to improve his pass rush, he could rise as a senior.

4/26/21: Rashed made some stops in the ground game in 2020, but did not record a sack. He could have used a big performance at the Senior Bowl to help himself, but he did not create a buzz in Mobile.

9/5/20: Rashed was a dangerous edge rusher and one of the most prolific quarterback hunters in college football during the 2019 season. As a run defender, he showed improvement on the edge. Rashed should add weight to his frame to fit as a 3-4 edge rusher in the NFL. He is too undersized to play 4-3 defensive end, so he would have to be a Sam - strong side - linebacker who helps in passing situations.

4/26/21: Roche was solid for Miami in 2020. He has the look of a 3-4 outside linebacker for the NFL, provided he isn't too stiff.

9/5/20: Roche decided to transfer from Temple following the 2019 season and landed at Miami. Over three seasons in Philadelphia, he totaled 26 sacks.

Roche has created a buzz in the scouting community, and scouts feel he will get bigger. Team evaluators really like his initial explosion off the snap and how he closes on the quarterback. They feel he will get develop as he ages and grows in a pro strength and conditioning program.

One team source said they had graded Roche as a fourth- to fifth-rounder, but three others said Round 3 and one said third- to fourth-rounder. However, Roche could rise if he works out well. There are a few issues that keep teams from grading him in the early rounds, and the most cited one is lower body stiffness. Source feel there is a lack of lower body strength and believe he doesn't play hard all the time. Thus, Roche could improve his grade if he gets stronger in the lower body while also showing an improved motor in 2020.

4/26/21: Malone turned in a good 2020 season for Western Kentucky.

9/5/20: Malone provided a lot of big plays in the backfield during the 2019 season with a tremendous 21 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks. It was a big jump over his sophomore year, and Malone needs to stay consistent with splash plays to rise as a senior. Considering his size, Malone will have to be a more traditional linebacker in the NFL and not a full-time edge rusher, so showing pass-coverage ability would help his stock for the 2021 NFL Draft.

4/26/21: Smith declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and participated in the Senior Bowl.

9/5/20: Smith put together good sack production in 2018, but then he exploded as a junior with the third-most sacks in the FCS. Smith has good length and it would help him to have a good showing at an all-star game. For the NFL, it would help Smith to gain some weight and fill out his frame.

4/26/21: Robinson was solid in 2020, putting up better production as a rusher. The Florida State defensive line disappointed, but Robinson looked better than his teammates.

9/5/20: Robinson was a rotational backup before breaking into the staring lineup as a junior. He showed some ability to defend the run, but he needs to improve his edge-pressure and pass-rush production as a senior.

4/26/21: Dimukeje had an excellent game against Boston College in Week 2 of 2020, and he kept up his strong play after that, showing a nice ability to get after the quarterback.

9/5/20: Dimukeje is a short edge defender, but he showed good pass-rush ability as a junior and really got after the quarterback. Even though he lacks length, Dimukeje has been a solid run defender for the Blue Devils over the past three seasons.

4/26/21: Ogundeji got off to a slow start in 2020, but he played well over the back half of the season, showing more pass-rush ability.

9/5/20: Ogundeji had a fast start to the 2019 season and looked like he was poised for a big year, but then his production fell off. Notre Dame was deep with a lot of edge-rushing talent, so it was difficult for Ogundeji to get playing time with Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem ahead of him on the depth chart. Ogundeji is capable of producing a good senior year and rising. He should get stronger for the NFL.

4/26/21: Hayes started out the 2020 season quietly for Notre Dame before starting to play better. He looks like a rotational designated pass rusher for the NFL, and he may not have the skill set to be a three-down starter.

9/5/20: Hayes had six tackles and a sack in 2019 before a torn labrum ended his season early. He decided to take a medical redshirt and return to Notre Dame for 2020, which was a wise decision.

Hayes totaled 31 tackles with five tackles for a loss, one pass batted and two sacks in 2018. He flashed some serious speed and edge-rushing ability, and he was excellent in the 2018 season opener against Michigan, putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. After that though, Hayes had a lot of quiet games.

According to NFL teams' 2018 preseason data provided by team sources, Hayes checked in at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds with 32.5-inch arms, 9.5-inch hands and a 78.38-inch wingspan. They had him running the 40-yard dash in 4.70 seconds. Hayes totaled 30 tackles with three sacks as a sophomore. He has upside to do more as a senior.

4/26/21: Jackson played well for Coastal Carolina in 2020 and was tough in both phases. His steady play earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

9/5/20: Jackson lacks length for the NFL, but he has a stout build and a nose for the quarterback. He broke out in 2019 with double-digit sacks. Jackson needs to stay consistent in 2020 with his sack production and perform well at an all-star game to rise.

4/26/21: Bradley-King was solid for the Bears in 2020 and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl. He needs to gain weight and grow stronger as a run defender for the NFL.

9/5/20: Bradley-King is a graduate transfer who previous played at Arkansas State. He had two straight solid seasons for the Red Wolves, showing an ability to get after the passer. As a junior, his run defense was improved as well. For the NFL, he needs to get stronger.

4/26/21: Hubert got after the quarterback in 2020. There is no doubt Hubert was a good college player, but he could have physical limitations for the next level.

9/5/20: Hubert showed improved pass-rush ability as a junior and did a solid job of pressuring the quarterback for Kansas State. He needs to continue that trend in 2020 to move up draft boards.

4/26/21: Hines put up solid production in Toledo's six-game 2020 season.

9/5/20: Hines does not have big production, but NFL advance scouts put him on their preseason watch list. Hines needed to increase his pass-rush production and grow stronger. Going to an all-star game and playing well there would help Hines' stock for the 2021 NFL Draft.

4/26/21: Manac was a good defender for La.-Lafayette in 2020.

9/5/20: Manac put together modest production over the past two seasons, but he also showed enough of a skill set that the NFL advance scouts put him on their preseason watch list. Manac needs to improve his production as a senior, plus it would help him to impress at an all-star game or the combine.