How Patriots Can Fill Linebacker Need In Each Round Of 2020 NFL Draft

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, we’ll find fits at every position and in every round for the New England Patriots. Next, we’ll take a deep dive on linebackers.

If linebacker isn’t the Patriots’ biggest need in the 2020 NFL Draft, then it’s definitely No. 2 of the list of positions New England must address next week.

The Patriots’ top two needs are at linebacker, where they lost Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts in free agency — and only gained Brandon Copeland — and tight end.

The Patriots typically like a bigger linebacker with decent speed. They want a player who can eat up blocks and is willing to thump and cause damage at the line of scrimmage.

Here is the full list of Patriots linebackers drafted by Bill Belichick:

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Only four players weighed under 240 pounds on that list. And Lua, Wells and Grugier-Hill never wound up playing a regular-season game with the Patriots. Roberts had a nice four-year run with the Patriots, but he’s also a unique undersized linebacker in that he’s one of the hardest hitters in the NFL. (Just ask Joe Thomas.)

Here’s this year’s crop of linebackers who were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and how their measurables compare with the average Patriots drafted linebacker. This seems like a really good year for the Patriots to need a linebacker. There are several players who check the Patriots’ typical boxes at the position.

(Click graph for a link to the full version.)

The Patriots could be interested in a safety/linebacker hybrid box defender like Jeremy Chinn or Tanner Muse. We’ll include those players in our safety preview, however.

Here’s who the Patriots could draft at linebacker in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft:

FIRST ROUND: Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Out of all players under the linebacker umbrella, Wisconsin’s Zack Baun is the best fit in the first round. But we already used Baun in our edge defender preview, so we’ll go with Murray here.

Murray has near prototypical size for a Patriots linebacker at 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, and he moves extremely well for a defender his size. He’s more of an east-west linebacker than a north-south player, but the Patriots could think they can mold him into a thumper given his size and athleticism.

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SECOND ROUND: Malik Harrison, Ohio State
Harrison, on the other hand, is exactly what the Patriots typically look for in a linebacker, and he’s our best overall fit in this class. He’s 6-foot-3, 247 pounds and impressed with a 6.83-second three-cone drill. He’ll get dirty between the tackles and can blitz on third down. He had 38 run stops and missed just seven tackles on 299 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

We also like Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks, who had PFF’s highest run-stop rate in 2019, in the second round.

THIRD ROUND: Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Wilson is another player with good size at 6-foot-2, 241 pounds. He also tested well with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 7.07-second three-cone and 4.27-second short shuttle.

He’ll clang and bang at the line of scrimmage and can get after the passer on third down.

Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither is another third-round option if the Patriots are looking for a smaller, more athletic player.

FOURTH ROUND: Evan Weaver, California
He’s not a fantastic athlete at 6-foot-2, 237 pounds, but he’s physical and a sure-tackler. He won’t contribute much in coverage or on third down, but he could be helpful on special teams.

He registered 48 run stops on 372 snaps, per PFF.

Penn State’s Cameron Brown has great length at 6-foot-5, 233 pounds with 34-inch arms. He also could be taken in the fourth round.

FIFTH ROUND: Carter Coughlin, Minnesota
Coughlin played as an edge defender in college, but he projects as a hybrid player in the NFL as an off-the-ball linebacker or 3-4 outside backer. He compares physically with Kyle Van Noy. The hope is that he can bulk up his 236-pound frame in the NFL.

He had PFF’s fourth-best run-stop rate among all college edge defenders with 27 stops and just five missed tackles on 252 snaps. He had the 16th best pass-rush productivity with 52 total pressures on 322 snaps. He’s being underrated by his small frame and relatively short arms.

SIXTH ROUND: Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State
Gay had “several” team suspensions and injuries in 2019, per Pro Football Focus’ draft guide. He’d be worth the risk late thanks to his size (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) and athleticism (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical leap, 11-feet, 4-inch broad jump).

Note: The draft rankings we reference for these posts had Gay listed as a sixth-round projection while we put together this preview. They’ve since been updated to project Gay as a third- or fourth-round pick. Given Gay’s character issues, the Patriots might not take a risk on him until the sixth round anyway. Minnesota’s Kamal Martin could be another late-round flier in the sixth round. He began his career as an edge defender but showed more potential off-the-ball in 2019.

SEVENTH ROUND: Daniel Bituli, Tennessee
Bituli, like Harrison, Wilson and Weaver, is an old-school linebacker fitting what the Patriots usually desire at the position. He’s 6-foot-2, 246 pounds and won’t wow with his athleticism, but he had one of PFF’s highest run-stop rates and impressed with 12 pass-rush pressures in limited opportunities.

More Patriots positional previews: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, interior offensive line, edge defender, defensive tackle

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