Willis is one of the surest things in this draft. He lives up to the "sideline to sideline" label better than any LB in this class. Concerns about his ability in coverage are overblown. Willis plays with the intensity and passion of the classic great MLBs such as Lewis, Urlacher, and Singletary. He will not get past Carolina's pick and could get in the top 10.

Harris has as much buzz around him as anyone in the draft as of late, and it all circulates around the Patriots, who are holding two first round picks. Harris does not offer the game changing plays and outstanding athleticism of Willis, but he's a fierce tackler with a "QB of the defense" approach to the game. He will rack up tackles, but have to be replaced on 3rd down.

Like Harris, Siler will do most of his damage on 1st and 2nd down. He's stout against the run and leads the defense with his intensity and smarts. Siler looks very stiff dropping back into coverage and doesn't have great lateral agility.

Durant has been getting a lot of attention since January because he's exactly the kind of athletic LB cover 2 teams are looking for to play MLB. His speed gives him tremendous range in pass coverage. Durant plays with a mean streak, but needs to play in a cover 2 because he can get washed out by big blockers at the second level.

The cautionary story of Lance Mitchell looms, but if teams were worried about Waters health, his recent 4.69 only 7 months removed from an ACL tear should put those doubts to rest. Waters seemed like a clear first day pick going into this season with his fiery leadership and legit NFL size to play inside in any scheme. He's not an outstanding athlete, but Waters production and reputation speaks for itself.

Davis is the classic overachieving undersized MLB who probably carries a picture of Sam Mills around for inspiration. He does have the heart and passion for the game to overcome his height disadvantage, but he'll need some effective DT play in front of him to make a difference in the NFL.

Okwo can play inside and outside and loves to hit. He will get eaten up at the second level by NFL big uglies, so WLB might be his eventual home. He's extremely intelligent and will contribute on special teams from day one.

Blades scouting report is eerily similar to Buster Davis, with better bloodlines (Dad Bennie, Uncles Al and Brian all played in the NFL). Blades is undersized and lacking top notch athleticism, but he always plays with a lot of heart and intensity.

The third undersized overachiever in this class - not a great athlete, but a smart, intense leader who is always around the play... getting sick of that scouting report? Abbate has endured a postseason that saw him unable torun a 40 under 5.00 because of hamstring pull he suffered two days before the combine, so he could be a late round steal.

DeOssie is worth drafting as a special teams demon alone, but his size, speed, motor, and versatility fits very well in the 3-4 scheme that is continuing to spread through the NFL. His father Steve played for the Giants, Jets, Patriots, and Cowboys. He might be a candidate to switch to DE if he can put on 20 pounds. He doesn't battle blockers at the point of attack as well as his size suggests, partially because of his height and lack of naturally playing low with good knee bend.

Worth Mentioning

Desmond Bishop, Cal, 6'2" 239

Matt Muncy, Ohio, 6'1" 242

Kelvin Smith, Syracuse, 6'2" 230

Oscar Lua, USC, 6'1" 236

Zach Latimer, Oklahoma, 6'2" 237

Justin Warren, Texas A&M, 6'3" 245

Marvin Mitchell, Tennessee, 6'3" 249