breadcrumb-navxt domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /hermes/bosnacweb01/bosnacweb01bb/b1012/ipg.opinionsthoughtscom/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /hermes/bosnacweb01/bosnacweb01bb/b1012/ipg.opinionsthoughtscom/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The inside linebacker prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the perspective of the Baltimore Ravens.\u00a0 Previous position analyses are listed below:<\/p>\n
Offensive Players<\/span><\/strong>: Defensive Players<\/span><\/strong>: The Ravens lost both Patrick Queen and Del\u2019Shawn Phillips from their 2023 inside linebacker room.\u00a0 Malik Harrison is always available if need be.\u00a0 They replaced Phillips with Chris Board.\u00a0 Trenton Simpson will get the opportunity to start in Queen\u2019s place.\u00a0 There is clearly at least one backup inside linebacker slot available, and that person should also play special teams.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to imagine the Ravens would spend draft capital before the fourth round on a backup linebacker\/special teams player.\u00a0 They have too many other significant, larger needs.\u00a0 After all, as we sit here the Ravens are not really looking for a starting-caliber player unless one fell to them.\u00a0 As a result, the list below does not include the top inside linebacker prospects in the 2024 draft.\u00a0 It excludes: Junior Colson, Trevin Wallace, Edgerrin Cooper, and Payton Wilson.<\/p>\n There are a handful of decent, day two\/three prospects.\u00a0 Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n Trotter is 21.4 years old, 6\u20190 and 228 pounds from Clemson.\u00a0 Trotter\u2019s father played 11 seasons in the NFL.\u00a0 His athletic testing was uninspiring.\u00a0 Although Trotter is a bit undersized, he has a thick frame and very good play strength.\u00a0 He has a very high understanding of the game and is quick to diagnose.\u00a0 He anticipates well.\u00a0 Trotter has very good footwork and can maneuver through to get to the football. \u00a0He has good short-area explosion and adequate speed (Trotter didn\u2019t run the 40 due to a hamstring injury).\u00a0 But his top end speed is not elite.\u00a0 Trotter brings very good lateral agility.\u00a0 He takes good tackling angles and wraps well.\u00a0 He can play sideline to sideline.\u00a0 With excellent footwork, he is a good blitzer (12 sacks in the last two seasons) and brings very good stop\/start quickness.\u00a0 He has outstanding pursuit range and gets to the edge on runs.<\/p>\n Trotter\u2019s smaller frame subjects him to being engulfed by bigger blockers.\u00a0 But his smarts and anticipation allow him to beat blockers before they get to where they are going.\u00a0 Trotter could use his hands better in freeing himself from blockers.<\/p>\n Trotter\u2019s flaws are mostly in the passing game.\u00a0 He needs more work in his zone coverage responsibilities.\u00a0 Trotter has struggled in man coverages and will be most hard-pressed trying to stay with running backs on third down man responsibilities.\u00a0 He will bring the wood tackling.<\/p>\n Trotter is not the most physical player.\u00a0 His hand usage could improve.\u00a0 And his ability to stack and shed blocks is not elite.<\/p>\n At this point I see Trotter as a very good backer against the run, but a player who will struggle with pass coverages.\u00a0 His smaller size is a bit of a red flag.\u00a0 But if the Ravens continue to structure their front the way they have in the past (focusing on keeping the linebackers clean), his size limitations will recede for them.\u00a0 He could be used as a blitzer.\u00a0 He should be excellent on special teams.\u00a0 Trotter has a lot (but not all) of the qualities Patrick Queen brought, but with a better understanding of the game.\u00a0 Round 3-4.\u00a0 Ravens: Yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Gray is 21.5 years old, 6\u20191 and 234 pounds from North Carolina.\u00a0 He\u2019s a decent but not great athlete, and ran a solid 4.64 forty.\u00a0 Although he put up incredibly gaudy tackling numbers over the past two seasons, Gray lacks the functional power to free himself from blockers.\u00a0 His tackling technique is not always perfect, and he\u2019s been spotty on the move.\u00a0 Gray has some difficulty covering runners on wheel routes, and is also a bit challenged when trying to take a receiver down the seam.<\/p>\n Gray brings good speed and will chase runners across the field.\u00a0 He\u2019s a fast processer and has the short-area burst you need to be a good tackler.\u00a0 When in proper form, he\u2019ll take you down.\u00a0 Gray is blessed with great natural agility, which allows him to play with great range.\u00a0 His blitzing ability is unrefined.<\/p>\n Gray is young, so presumably there\u2019s more upside to come.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not sure he can become a three down linebacker in the NFL.\u00a0 I rate him lower than Trotter, and if they were both on the board together I prefer Trotter.\u00a0 He should be a contributor on special teams.\u00a0 Round 4.\u00a0 Ravens: Yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Eichenberg is 23.3 years old, 6\u20192 and 233 pounds from Ohio State.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t test all that well athletically.\u00a0 He has comparatively short arms.\u00a0 Like some of the other inside linebackers in this draft, Eichenberg is fairly stout as a run defender; he\u2019s a sound tackler in open space.\u00a0 He\u2019s not great at shedding blockers.\u00a0 He\u2019s very physical and uses his hands well.\u00a0 Eichenberg brings good range across the field and will drive the carrier through contact.\u00a0 He flows well to the ball.\u00a0 But Eichenberg lacks the speed to be a sideline to sideline player, and his change of direction is slow.\u00a0 Eichenberg has some hip tightness and doesn\u2019t have elite agility.\u00a0 He\u2019s a very heady player who brings 100% effort all of the time.<\/p>\n Eichenberg lacks the reactive quickness to be effective in man coverages.\u00a0 He also has some issues in pass defense.\u00a0 His processing is a bit slow as a pass defender and as a result he is slower to react to what he sees.<\/p>\n Currently, I see him as a good run defender who probably can\u2019t stay on the field on third down.\u00a0 Round 5.\u00a0 Ravens: No<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Jacobs is 22 years old, 6\u20191 and 241 pounds from Penn State out of Baltimore (McDonogh).\u00a0 Jacobs is a bigger, more old-style type of linebacker.\u00a0 He had a great Combine.\u00a0 He is fast (ran a 4.58 forty).\u00a0 Although he lacked gaudy tackling numbers at Penn State, Jacobs had 16.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks over the last two seasons combined.\u00a0 That\u2019s pretty productive.\u00a0 Jacobs is decent at stacking and shedding blockers, but sometimes gets engulfed.\u00a0 He can get through traffic efficiently, has a downhill burst into the gap, and brings a good tackling technique.\u00a0 Jacobs sometimes loses technique and becomes an ineffective arm tackler.<\/p>\n Jacobs possesses good lateral mobility and plays across the field.\u00a0 He can chase down people.\u00a0 He knows how to get through gaps as a blitzer.\u00a0 Jacobs is ok in man coverage, but still has a learning curve in zone packages, as he doesn\u2019t process as quickly as you need.<\/p>\n Right now, Jacobs only presents as a two-down linebacker who can play a lot on special teams.\u00a0 There is upside to his game, but whether he can take it to the next level to reach his physical potential may well depend on him getting a much better grasp of pass defense concepts.\u00a0 He must become more instinctual in that regard.\u00a0 For the Ravens, he could play special teams immediately and serve as a backup weakside linebacker.\u00a0 Round 5.\u00a0 Ravens: Yes.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Magee is 23 years old, 6\u20191 and 228 pounds from Temple.\u00a0 He tested very well athletically and ran a fast 4.55 forty.\u00a0 Magee lacks the mass that others have at the position, leaving him with average to below average play strength.\u00a0 Too often he\u2019s receiving blocks instead of blasting and then shedding them.\u00a0 He\u2019s not going to drive through you and power you to the ground.\u00a0 He relies on his foot quickness and excellent speed to get to the spot first.\u00a0 Magee brings very good agility.\u00a0 He plays with a hot motor and is tough, though his hand usage needs more work to be consistently effective.<\/p>\n Magee is the type of player who zooms to the football.\u00a0 He was very productive at Temple, with 23 tackles for loss and eight sacks over the past two seasons.\u00a0 Magee brings an explosive force to his blitz capability, particularly coming off the edge.\u00a0 He has a similar play style to Queen.\u00a0 He has the ability to drop into passing lanes, and needs to further develop this and other aspects of his pass coverage ability.\u00a0 Magee has all of the natural ability to be a top force on special teams.\u00a0 Round 4-5.\u00a0 Ravens: Yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Others: No<\/strong><\/span> Others: Yes (6th<\/sup> round or lower, or undrafted free agent):<\/strong><\/span> \n
\nRunning backs are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nWide receivers are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nTackles are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nGuards are reviewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nDefensive linemen are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nEdge linebackers are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nCornerbacks are reviewed here<\/a>.
\nSafeties are reviewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\nRavens Current Inside Linebacker Situation and Need<\/h2>\n
Inside Linebacker Prospects<\/h2>\n
Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.<\/h3>\n
Cedric Gray<\/h3>\n
Tommy Eichenberg<\/h3>\n
Curtis Jacobs<\/h3>\n
Jordan Magee<\/h3>\n
\nEdefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
\nJD Bertrand, Notre Dame
\nJaylan Ford, Texas
\nTyrice Knight, UTEP
\nDarius Muasau, UCLA<\/p>\n
\nMarist Liufau \u2013 Notre Dame
\nTy\u2019ron Hopper \u2013 Missouri<\/p>\n