The Observer ranks the top 10 linebackers in the NFL draft

The Observer’s top 10 linebackers available in the 2016 NFL draft:

1. OLB Myles Jack

College: UCLA.

Ht.: 6-foot-1. Wt.: 245.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Jack is everything you want in a player. He can do it all from the outside linebacker position, but his injury history could scare a top-five team. He should be off the board by No. 10.

2. LB Jaylon Smith

College: Notre Dame.

Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 223.

Projected round: ?.

Comment: Smith tore his ACL in a meaningless bowl game and probably has nerve damage. He’s as talented as any player in the draft, but this top-10 talent may not be drafted until the third day with word that he probably won’t even play in 2016.

3. OLB Leonard Floyd

College: Georgia.

Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 244.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: His length is ideal for a pass-rushing outside linebacker who can use his 4.60 speed and length to get around defenders.

4. ILB Reggie Ragland

College: Alabama.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 247.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: He racked up 102 tackles for the national champions last year and knows how to play the game after years under Nick Saban’s tutelage.

5. OLB Darron Lee

College: Ohio State.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 232.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: He replaced former first-round pick Ryan Shazier at Ohio State and the Buckeyes hardly missed a beat. He’s a speedster with a 4.47 40 time.

6. OLB Su’a Cravens

College: Southern California.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 226.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: The former national high school defensive player of the year, Cravens has been bred for this moment. He plays much bigger than his size indicates.

7. OLB Kamalei Correa

College: Boise State.

Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 243.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: A bloodhound for the football, Correa wrecked the Mountain West for 12 sacks last season.

8. LB Kentrell Brothers

College: Missouri.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 245.

Projected round: 2nd-3rd.

Comment: His lack of size pushes him down in the draft, but Brothers showed great versatility on the field as a linebacker and special teamer.

9. OLB Deion Jones

College: Louisiana State.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 219.

Projected round: 2nd-3rd.

Comment: Of his 100 tackles for the Tigers last season, 13 1/2 went for a loss. Jones knows how to snuff out a play.

10. OLB Yannick Ngakoue

College: Maryland.

Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 252.

Projected round: 3rd.

Comment: Some teams may see Ngakoue as a 3-4 defensive end but right now he’s at the size of an ideal outside linebacker.

Panthers’ perspective

The Panthers are basically set at linebacker. Luke Kuechly should recover well from his shoulder surgery, Thomas Davis seems to get even better with age and Shaq Thompson will enter his second season looking for more opportunities. Carolina also wants to get more out of A.J. Klein on the defensive side rather than him being solely a special teamer. By adding David Mayo in last year’s draft, the Panthers positioned themselves nicely at linebacker. Could they take one? Sure. But not until day three.

Local connection

Zeek Bigger earned a scholarship to East Carolina after a strong finish at Gastonia Ashbrook. He was a second-team all-conference player last season and had two interceptions and four pass breakups for the Pirates.

Sleeper

Maybe it’s because of his name, but Arizona’s Scooby Wright had a lot of draft buzz before the season. Actually it’s because of his 163 tackles and 14 1/2 sacks in his sophomore season. But Wright tore his meniscus and played in just three games last season. If he’s healthy, can he reclaim the magic from two seasons ago and translate it to NFL success?

Worth noting

Clemson’s B.J. Goodson will make some team very happy if they pick him in a middle round. He’s an agile defender who racked up 5 1/2 sacks for the Tigers last season. ... Auburn inside linebacker Cassanova McKinzy is worth noting here for his name alone. Sure, he had 74 tackles and 10 for a loss, and those are good for maybe a fifth-round selection. But that name is day one material.

This story was originally published April 24, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "The Observer ranks the top 10 linebackers in the NFL draft."