Rank’Em: Best Inside Backers on 2019 Schedule

10. Zach Brown: Veteran player that's made four stops around the league. Was last with the Washington Redskins and now with the Philadelphia Eagles. Is understandable why he ended up with the Eagles. Had two of his best games against them during the 2018 season. Impressive size wise. Has the upper body power you'd like in your inside linebackers. Will take on blockers and then just discard them aside. Has that veteran ability to find the ball. Assignment sound and aware to where he needs to be in the scheme. Doesn't have many moves as a pass rusher/blitzer. Relies more on power/strength instead of those moves. Is not going to help much in pass coverage because he lacks the quickness or change of direction to drop and react. There are some snaps where he will labor in coverage. Where he's going to win is staying square and clogging up the middle.

9. Avery Williamson: Has shown the ability to play both inside/outside. Plays with some start/stop quickness. Can get full speed in a hurry. Used as a blitzer by the previous staff with some nice success. Ended the season with three sacks in 16 games. Needs to be careful not to lose the ball. There were snaps where he appeared a bit anxious and it hurt him. Has the speed to run himself out of trouble if he gets tied up on a blocker. Will flow to the ball and make the stop. Impressive the way that he's able to close on the ball. When he plays in control, he can make stops. It's when he's out of control and all over the place then he struggles the most. Gets to spot in a hurry. Can be all over the place in coverage. I had a hard time trying to understand his assignment. Will be interested to see how the new coaching staff at the Jets uses him because he flashes plenty of skill.

8. Eric Kendricks: Fast flow linebacker. Runs/moves well. Linemen have a hard time blocking him on the second level due to his movement skills. Impressive the way he plays in coverage. Effortless in his drops and reactions. No stress to his game when it comes to movement. Can be over powering as a blitzer. Have seen him take quality blocking running backs and drive them into the quarterback. Can push the pocket with power. Makes plays on the outside due to his ability to run. Can really scoot when it comes to chasing the ball. Eats up distance in a hurry. Can get in trouble when he's tick late reacting to the snap. There were a couple of times where he had to quickly rally to avoid being blocked due to being late. Will stand in there and go toe-to-toe with offensive linemen. Appreciate his toughness.

7. Cory Littleton: Doesn't have ideal weight for a linebacker but impressive athletic ability. Rams scheme wise play with lighter players and make it work. Would think that he would get bullied taking on blockers but it doesn't happen. Is quick to get to the flat in order to make a tackle. Does a good job of wrapping his man up. Doesn't miss many opportunities when he has the chance to finish. Plays with good instincts. Has to have those in order to play at his size. Good communicator. Can see him working with his teammates pre snap. Is a playmaker. Always around the ball. Not shy at all about winding up in the pile. Aware of the situation and acts accordingly. Not going to let the receiver cross his face and have a free run across the field. Is going to make it difficult to execute their routes.

6. Raekwon McMillan: Physically looks like an old school linebacker from the 1980's – big and square. Steps up to deliver a blow. Shows some upper/lower body power. Is not the most fluid moving player. Does whatever it takes to get to the ball. Will spin/twist on the blocker in order to free himself. Would rather run through a blocker than go around him. Does a good job of locating the ball. Patience in the way he plays. Not going to find him aggressive or over running plays. Will come off the field in passing situations. Is not really athletic enough to be relied on in coverage. Is the one delivering the blow to the blocker instead of the other way around. Not going to give any ground especially around the goal line. Is a straight ahead blitzer. Not much wiggle or pass rushing technique.

5. Mason Foster: Short, powerful player. Will step up and fill the hole. Plays downhill. Quick to read and adjust. Plays well on the move. Is a bully when playing off blocks. Uses his hands to push/shove blockers out of the way. Shows some pop in his hands. See blockers get knocked back when he strikes them. Aware to carry man across the field. Is always hunting for his man. Not fooled or confused with his assignment. Has been asked by the staff to cover some tough opponents. Trust him to get the job done. Wrap up tackler in space. Ball carrier doesn't get away from him when he's in position. Searches his way along the line until he finds the ball. Consistent effort/performance down after down.

4. Tremaine Edmunds: Plays with his head on a swivel. Outstanding range. Opponents have a hard time getting outside on him. Can really run. Super aggressive in the way he plays. Is always attacking the line of scrimmage. Will fight through blockers to get to the ball. His aggressive play will get him in trouble at times. Have seen him over run ball carriers. Needs to play under better control and body balance. Would like to see him play stronger. Needs to use his hands more. Length helps him play pass coverage especially in zone coverage. Can be a tough guy to throw the ball over the top of him. Young guy that has all the physical tools but just lacks a ton of experience. No question he'll improve with more games.

3. C.J. Mosley: Moved from the Baltimore Ravens to the New York Jets in the off season. Outstanding movement and awareness. Flows well to the ball. Is able to redirect easily. Not going to fool him on screens/draws. Sees the field well. Knows how to read blocks and work into position to make the tackle. Punishing tackler. Puts everything thing behind it. Good behind the line of scrimmage and just outside the tackle box. Plays with a burst when he has to capture the edge. Not afraid to give his body up in order to help his teammate make a tackle. Will take on blockers to free others up. Have seen him take on blockers and tackle ball carrier at the same time. Has a feel for how to cut receivers off from the underneath routes. Will step up to make them have to redirect. Rarely comes off the field.

2. Blake Martinez: Nice length to play off blocks. Good with his hand use. Reads the path of the running back well. Will stretch along the line then adjust back to the inside to fill the hole and make the tackle. Doesn't get knocked off his spot when defending the run. Reads the quarterback's eyes on his pass drop then puts himself in the throwing lane. Good form tackler in space. Has the burst to run down ball carriers to wrap them up. Has to be careful not to be too physical in coverage. There were snaps where the receiver went by him and he got away with a grab. Has a nice feel for how to rush the quarterback. Staff used him on blitzes with the line on some games and was able to pull some sacks off. Impressive player in that he never comes off the field.

1. Roquan Smith: Physically short/stocky. Outstanding lateral quickness and agility. Can change directions quickly. Will be in one spot then quickly adjust to another. Plays with incredible range. Sees the ball then is gone. Finishes well. Physical wrap up tackler. Stays square along the line of scrimmage. Doesn't get turned or knocked out of position. Can avoid blockers that attempt to trap him on the second level. Explosive blitzer when he has a free run at the quarterback. Slippery player. Hard guy to block especially on the move. Is not going to give the blocker a clean shot on him. Has a mismatch problem in coverage when he has to deal with height. There were several snaps where he had to deal with a tight end across the middle and it took all of his ability to make sure he had the cover.