2018 NFL Draft – Outside Linebacker

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – OLB:

You are currently viewing the 168 best outside linebackers in the 2018 NFL Draft. Our top outside linebacker prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best edge rushing linebackers in college football. Even though only about 20 will get selected in the draft, dozens more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2018 outside linebacker prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 26, 2018)

2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Tremaine Edmunds is powerful, fast, and very young. Edmunds can play any linebacker position, is improving in pass coverage, and is a natural pass rusher and run stopper. He lacks the instincts of some of the other top tier linebackers, but that should be improved with experience. His length and quickness is incredible, and he can still put more healthy weight onto his frame to make him even more imposing. He is a pure athlete that can be molded into an all-pro, do-it-all linebacker. Edmunds is one of the few raw talents who is already an NFL caliber player despite being far from a finished product.

2017 Stats

13 games played, 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 passes defended.

Harold Landry will be undergoing the sometimes difficult transition of moving from defensive end to linebacker. It should be easier for him than some others, as he has experience dropping into space and playing pass coverage. Landry probably isn’t big enough to play on the end at just 6’2" 252, but is great size for a linebacker and has enough athleticism for it. He battled injuries senior year and his production dwindled a bit because of it. He has quick, sharp cuts that are best with a hand in the dirt. He plays fast and is very quick laterally. The key for Landry will be finding the right system.

2017 Stats

9 games played, 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 passes defended.

Uchenna Nwosu is a unique linebacker. He has the size and athletic ability to be a productive edge rusher, measuring in at 6’2" 251 pounds and running a 4.65. Despite these traits, his effort is inconsistent and he doesn’t separate well from blocks. Instead, Nwosu is a top prospect because of his ability to drop back in pass protection. He led all OLB’s in passes defended by a landslide with 14 this past season. His instincts in zone and man are good, and he has the size and physicality to guard tight ends effectively. If he’s able to refine his pass rushing ability and not take plays off, he could have a very unique assortment of skills for a defense.

2017 Stats

14 games played, 75 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 14 passes defended, 1 interception.

Rashaan Evans is a perfect fit in the modern NFL, as he can play any linebacker position in basically any scheme. He is very extremely athletic, hardworking, and began to diagnose plays very quickly later in the season. He has shown an innate ability to shed blocks without giving up his gap responsibility, and he has a good spin counter to get around blockers. His pass coverage is decent, but he has the athletic ability to improve greatly in coverage. The biggest concern for Evans is a few nagging injuries.

2017 Stats

12 games played, 74 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 3 passes defended.

Arden Key had a great end to his true freshman season which continued into an incredible sophomore campaign. At the start of this past draft cycle, Key was a no-brainer 1st round pick. A poor junior campaign plagued with injuries and poor conditioning killed that, however. He weighed as heavy as 270 pounds at one point, and measured 6’5" 238 at the combine. It is difficult to scout when you don’t know how much speed and power someone has. If Key gets in the right system, he has such great speed and balance that he can be a menace on the edge. He has great change of direction and agility that is difficult to stop. All you need is A LOT more consistency.

2017 Stats

8 games played, 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks.

Complete draft rankings for 2018 – Outside Linebacker

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2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |