Draft Talk: Ranking the linebackers in the 2024 NFL Draft

This linebacker class isn’t very good at the top of the class, but there’s plenty of players who can fill roles as rookies.

Draft Talk is back for another offseason and our first order of action is sorting out the off-ball linebacker position. With just Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie returning from the 53-man roster, assuming that De’Vondre Campbell becomes a cap casualty, the Green Bay Packers probably need four more players at the position — with at least one being a starter — this offseason. For reference, the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Houston Texans, three teams from the same defensive coaching tree that new Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley comes from, all carried at least six off-ball linebackers during the 2023 season.

Here’s the bad news: This draft class isn’t particularly strong at the position. Just one example of this is what is on display on the consensus draft board, which features the top off-ball linebacker in the class ranked 52nd overall in the class. Only two linebackers are ranked in the range of second-round picks.

After reviewing players’ college film, Acme Packing Company’s Tyler Brooke and Justis Mosqueda go prospect-by-prospect, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of these individual players, as our duo ranks the linebackers in the upcoming draft class. One, Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr., seems to notably be overranked at this point in the process.

Justis’ top LB rankings

1. Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
2. Cedric Gray, North Carolina
3. Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
4. Junior Colson, Michigan
5. Darius Muasau, UCLA
6. Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
7. Marist Liufau, Notre Dame
8. Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

Tyler’s top LB rankings

1. Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
2. Cedric Gray, North Carolina
3. Junior Colson, Michigan
4. Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
5. Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
6. Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
7. Darius Muasau, UCLA
8. Marist Liufau, Notre Dame

Timestamps

• 1:00: An overview of this linebacker crop
• 2:00: Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
• 6:45: Edgerrin Cooper
• 9:30: Why is linebacker a need for the Packers?
• 11:45: Cedric Gray
• 15:00: Edefuan Ulofoshio
• 18:45: Junior Colson
• 21:00: Michael Barrett
• 21:45: Darius Muasau
• 24:00: Payton Wilson
• 27:30: Tommy Eichenberg
• 28:45: Marist Liufau
• 30:45: Ty’Ron Hopper
• 33:30: Curtis Jacobs
• 35:45: Nathaniel Watson
• 36:30: Trevin Wallace

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