The Packers should be looking to draft an outside linebacker in this draft as Nick Perry and Julius Peppers will both be free agents at the end of this year. There are a few guys who I believe could be good fits in the early to mid-rounds. I’ve only ranked players I feel comfortable enough to form a solid opinion/analysis on. It would be disingenuous to rank players I don’t have a strong opinion on.

Previous positional rankings:

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-quarterbacks

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-running-backs

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-wide-receivers

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-tight-ends

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-offensive-tackles

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-interior-offensive-lineman

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-nose-tacklesdefensive-ends

3-4 Outside Linebackers

1.       Joey Bosa, Edge, Ohio St. - Bosa isn’t an ideal fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker at 6’5” 269lbs. He doesn’t have the ability to “run the arc” or bend the edge as other premier pass rusher do. He however plays with great power, and is quick enough to win with some inside moves as well as with his hands. Bosa also plays the run incredibly well and can set the edge. He’s better fit as a strong side defensive end in a 4-3 but ultimately any team who drafts him will be getting a player who can get after the quarterback.

2.       Shaq Lawson, Edge, Clemson- At 6’3” 269lbs Lawson is thickly built with a strong upper and lower body. He has great athleticism to turn the corner and can use his hands to get by offensive tackles. Lawson is very good against the run, he can controls lineman well and can shed blocks to make plays off his frame. He plays with good energy and is seemingly always around the ball.

3.       Leonard Floyd, Edge, Georgia- Floyd is a thin built linebacker at 6’6” 244lbs who plays both outside and inside linebacker. Floyd is extremely explosive with a great first step and great run and chase ability. He has a hard time fighting off of blocks and doesn’t have a go-to counter move. If Floyd gets a step on an offensive lineman as a pass rusher it’s usually trouble. The team who drafts him will have to be creative to get the most out of him.

4.       Noah Spence, Edge, Eastern Kentucky- Spence is a bit of a one trick pony, but he’s damn good at it. He is the most consistent edge rusher in the draft at turning the corner and threatening offensive tackles outside shoulder. He’s a little undersized at 6’2” 251lbs and really needs to work on other pass rush moves other than speed but he could come in and immediately be a rotational pass rusher. Spence also has some off the field concerns teams need to dig into.

5.       Emmanuel Ogbah, Edge, Oklahoma St. - Ogbah is a linear athlete who has a strong upper body and broad shoulders but is a bit top heavy. He’s 6’4” 273lbs but doesn’t have the hip or ankle flexation to consistently get round offensive tackles in the NFL. He’s has had incredible success rushing the passer at Oklahoma St. and is said to take well to coaching but Ogbah is a bit of a developmental prospect who has a high ceiling.

6.       Kevin Dodd, Edge, Clemson- Dodd was the other defensive tackle who made life hell for opposing offensive lineman. At 6’5” 277lbs Dodd is a bit big for a 3-4 outside linebacker but he has a lot of the physical tools teams want in a pass rusher. Although he is a bit older Dodd is an improving player who shows a lot of promise.

7.       Kyler Fackrell, Edge, Utah St- Fackrell is an extremely versatile prospect who was asked to do a lot at Utah St. The 6’5” 245lb linebacker has experience dropping into coverage as well as rushing the passer and has done both at a high level. He has great quickness and athleticism to challenge tackles off the edge and the length to keep himself clean to play the run. Fackrell will be a 25 year old rookie which hurts his value a bit.

8.       Kamalei Correa, Edge, Boise St. - Correa is a bit like Fackrell in that he did a lot of different things and lined up in a lot of different spots for Boise St. The 6’3” 243lb prospect plays with high intensity and a motor that allows him to get to plays that other linebackers aren’t able to. As a pass rusher he needs to improve his hands but is athletic enough to beat tackles around the corner.

9.       Shalique Calhoun, Edge, Michigan St- Calhoun is a prospect who is solid at everything but doesn’t really excel at anything. The 6’4” 251lb prospect has a prototypical build for a 3-4 outside linebacker but plays much tighter than he tested. He also doesn’t consistently play as strong as you’d like but he has been very productive. Some team is going to think they can get more out of him because the potential is there.

10.   Jordan Jenkins, Edge, Georgia- Jenkins is more of the unheralded linebacker from Georgia but the 6’3” 259lb Jenkins is a more polished pass rusher than his teammate Leonard Floyd. Jenkins can win with power and with quickness. While he has long arms and big hands he has a tendency to struggle to get off of blocks which limits him some.

11.   Charles Tapper, Edge, Oklahoma- Tapper was miscast in his time at Oklahoma. The 6’3 271lb prospect was often asked to two gap and control offensive lineman to free up linebackers behind him which took away from Tapper’s strengths. He is extremely athletic and has flashed some as a pass rusher. There would be a learning curve but Tapper has the ability to become a very good outside linebacker.

12.   Yannick Ngakoue, Edge, Maryland- The 6’2” 252lb outside linebacker is a natural pass rusher. He does a good job staying low off the edge and has good hip flexibility. Ngakoue isn’t great vs the run at this point as he needs to work on disengaging from blockers better but as a pass rusher he should see the field early.