Cleveland Browns draft: Shop for corners early, DTs and LBs later
Linebackers can be excellent late-round bargains
Linebackers are similar to defensive tackles but even more diverse. They don’t have to come from the first round.
In fact, the data suggest that it could be a much better investment to draft a few linebackers in about Round 3 or Round 4. Here again, if you do not get any of your guys during the draft, there’s an excellent chance that you can find some good players among UDFAs.
Remember James Harrison, the Browns tormentor from Pittsburgh? He went undrafted but he made the Pro Bowl five times and was a hero of Super Bowl XLIII for Steelers versus Arizona. So it is possible to find good linebackers outside of the draft, but only if there are roster spots to keep them on the team.
@dawgpounddaily 2021 Top 20 NFL Linebacker salaries versus original draft position. They are found in all rounds including UDFA (Round 8). Salaries show much less variation from round to round compared to other positions. pic.twitter.com/NywzaIVhDE
— The Village Elliot (@ebkennel) April 23, 2021
The numbers show more linebackers in the top 20 came from the second round rather than the first round, 40% versus 25%.
Round 3 accounted for 5%, Round 4 for 15%, Round 5 for 5%, Round 6 5% and UDFA (=Round 8 in the graphic, 5%). The salary drop-off is only $421k per round, less than a third of the drop-off seen for cornerbacks.
Hence there is a very good chance of finding an undrafted free agent linebacker, or drafting one in a late-round.
dark. Next. Browns RB tandem tabbed as NFL’s best
This does not have to be an early-round pick, unless there is a player that the scouting staff really believes in.