• Why Trevin Wallace is the best athlete in the class: At 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds, this former high school track and field star brings top-tier athleticism to the position, even for NFL standards. His 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump all ranked in the 80th or 90th percentile among off-ball LBs in PFF's database.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is already playing like an NFL veteran: While Trotter Jr. is limited physically and athletically, his field vision more than makes up for it. He recognizes things pre-snap and can communicate that with the rest of the defense. He is also rarely out of position.
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Our superlative series rolls on with the off-ball linebackers. Now, that title is important, as we didn’t consider edge rushers for any of these honors, even if they are labeled outside linebackers. This list is reserved for the true second-level defenders.
Best Athlete: Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
There are a handful of great athletes at the off-ball linebacker position in this year’s class. Edgerrin Cooper has some of the fastest trigger/downhill speed you’ll find, which makes him very productive. In a straight-line race, Payton Wilson can absolutely fly. However, the best overall athlete, in my opinion, is Trevin Wallace. At 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds, this former high school track and field star brings top-tier athleticism to the position, even for NFL standards. His 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump all ranked in the 80th or 90th percentile among off-ball LBs in PFF's database.
Best Field General: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
You knew who was going to win this award just by the last name. Trotter plays the game with the veteran savviness that his All-Pro father did. While Trotter Jr. is limited physically and athletically, his field vision more than makes up for it. He recognizes things pre-snap and can communicate that with the rest of the defense. He is also rarely out of position. Despite not being the biggest or the fastest, he still grabbed four interceptions over the last two seasons. His anticipation is top-notch and the best of the bunch for the 2024 draft class.
Best Pass-Rusher: Michael Barrett, Michigan
Barrett deserves a shoutout as the top pass-rushing off-ball linebacker in this class due to his 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade this past season. As a blitzer, Barrett times the snap well to generate enough momentum to shoot gaps and get into the backfield. He also has a decent ability to corner once he gets even with an offensive lineman’s shoulder. He lacks length and overall size, so he’s not a great pass-rusher off the edge. Nonetheless, he can attack up the middle in any gap and has good recognition of where he can most easily make an impact in the backfield. Over the last two seasons, he has earned a 20.7% pass rush win percentage.
Best Tackler: Junior Colson, Michigan
Barrett’s teammate, Junior Colson, takes the honor as the class' best tackler. Over the last two seasons, Colson has just a 6% missed tackle percentage, which is tied for the best amongst the draft-eligible linebackers with Payton Wilson. Colson gets the nod despite the tie due to Wilson’s 30.5-inch arm length ranking inside the 10th percentile for the position, whereas Colson’s 32.5-inch arm length is 57th percentile. This helps settle the tie because shorter arms certainly make it more difficult to wrap up. Colson also brings good size and power to wrap up, which is what aids him in being the most reliable linebacker in the class when it comes to bringing ball carriers down.
Best In Coverage: Payton Wilson, N.C. State
I didn’t feel too bad about giving the tie for best tackler to Colson because I knew I’d be able to highlight Wilson in this category. Over the last two seasons, Wilson has earned a 90.3 PFF coverage grade on the back of four interceptions, two dropped interceptions and seven forced incompletions. Unlike most linebackers, Wilson is very fluid. He isn’t just a straight-line athlete, as he can flip his hips and change direction to cover spot drop zones instead of just “covering” shallow zones and throws to the flat. His coverage ability is part of what put him at the top of PFF’s linebacker rankings for the 2024 class.
Hardest Hitter: Marist Liufau, Notre Dame
There are plenty of linebackers who have more forced fumbles over the last two years than Liufau, but on a tackle-by-tackle basis, I am not sure there is a linebacker who hits with more power in this class. When I watched Liufau’s tape, one of the first notes I wrote down was that he “comes downhill with bad intentions.” That’s not to say he is a dirty play, but he likes the physical part of playing the position, and that shows. He consistently showed the most power at contact of the linebacker we have ranked.
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