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2011 NFL Draft Predictions – Inside Linebacker Rankings

The 2011 NFL Draft is rapidly coming up on us, and James Hayes brings you his projections. Read on for the top Inside Linebackers in the 2011 NFL Draft….

2011 NFL Draft Coverage – Inside Linebacker Preview

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The NFL draft moves to primetime for the second time in 2011. The first round will be in PRIMETIME, and is scheduled to take place Thursday, April 28, 2011; the second and third rounds on Friday, April 29; and the final four rounds on Saturday, April 30, 2011.

The Panthers with the worst record for 2010 have the right to the 1st pick in 2011.

Note: A provision in the current NFLPA-CBA ensures that this draft will still take place even with the current labor dispute.

ILB Rankings

MARTEZ WILSON, Illinois
6”4, 250 lbs

Wilson was regarded as an excellent pro prospect before the NFL Combine, where he simply wowed scouts. At 250 lbs, the athlete blazed a 4.44 forty dash and leaped 36 inches. The man is a physical marvel that could rip things up inside in the pros. He’s been mixed up a little nonsense – he got stabbed outside a bar in 2009 – but a player with that raw athleticism should be grabbed somewhere in Round 1 or the cusp of Round 2.

May remind you of: Derrick Johnson, Chiefs

QUAN STURDIVANT, North Carolina
6”1, 241 lbs

A more traditional NFL ILB size (not as lanky as Wilson), Sturdivant provides everything you look for in a classic middle ’backer: a hard nose, adequate range, strong instincts and a need to dole out punishment. Sturdivant did not participate in the Combine, though you could describe his speed as good though not spectacular. He registered 12 TFLs as a junior on a stacked UNC defense and I think he projects as a very respectable starter in the league. Sturdivant could go late in Round 2.

May remind you of: Jerod Mayo, Patriots

CASEY MATTHEWS, Oregon
6”1, 231 lbs

Matthews doesn’t have the eye-bulging measurables of a Martez Wilson, but he definitely has lineage in his corner. His brother Clay is ripping up the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and the contributions of the Matthews’ father and uncle in the league are well-documented. The latest Matthews doesn’t have great speed for a man his size (231 lbs is not all that big for a MLB) but he’s a heady player with a high motor; some team in the third or maybe the fourth round will not let him pass by.

May remind you of: Barrett Ruud, Buccaneers

GREG JONES, Michigan State
6”0, 242 lbs

Though Jones’s Combine forty time disappointed somewhat (4.75 seconds) he plays much faster than he clocks and is an excellent pursuit LB. He might fit better as a Will linebacker in the NFL given his love of tearing around and hitting people like a missile. No one could argue with Jones’s junior campaign for the Spartans: 154 tackles, 14 TFLs and nine sacks along with being the leader of the MSU unit. I feel Jones is one of those players that may not test well, but whose body of work simply cannot be ignored. He ought to be a productive NFL player on the weak side or in the middle. Jones should go somewhere around where Matthews gets snapped up.

May remind you of: London Fletcher, Redskins

Honorable Mention: MARK HERZLICH, Boston College This veteran is battling back from leg cancer; unfortunately it looks like he’s lost something (he was an absolute animal before the setback) but hopefully he gets selected in the mid-to-late rounds and continues to be that feel-good story all journalists – and those prone to hyperbole – love.

By James Hayes

James has been naming every player on the EA Sports video game rosters for half a decade now, he’s finally putting his knowledge to better use writing for us here at CappersPicks.com. Your comments are welcome below…Give Us Your Take!