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philibusters
The 1st Round Pick
My notes on the November 13th episode of Daft on Draft which focused on Linebackers
Arvell Reese feels like the tone-setter for the class. Cory prefers him as a true off-ball linebacker, though both agree the edge flashes are real. He’s built like a modern prototype at around 6’4, 235 with long arms and real speed, and the power-speed combo shows up immediately. As an edge, the sample size is small and there are legitimate concerns—against Purdue he struggled to win inside counters, and there’s a chance he levels off if tackles sit on his long arm. Still, the flashes are loud, including a clean long-arm win against Illinois and a cross-chop the following week. Off the ball is where he really separates. James described his hands as being like starting a lawnmower—violent, controlled torque—and Cory said you’d have to go back to Leo Chenal to find someone who sheds blocks like this, except Reese is far more athletic. Coverage is mixed, but the process is good: clean hook drops, functional man reps, and fast key reads for such an inexperienced player. He feels like a player who improves significantly with reps.
Sonny Styles is right there with Reese, just in a different way. A former safety in his first year at linebacker, you can see the transition early—Cory thought his keys were slow against Texas—but after that he really settled in. His coverage instincts stand out: sitting on digs, erasing crossers, and understanding spacing instead of simply chasing routes. At 6’4, 237 with long arms and big hands, he’s not a tweener. He’s an in-the-box linebacker who can also run. He takes on pullers, sets edges, and handles SAM responsibilities. Reese has heavier hands, but Styles’ are still solid, and James pushed back on the idea that they’re soft. The most striking stat is that he hasn’t missed a tackle all season, even though he plays a bit high at times. He’s comfortable in press-man situations and trail technique, and you can still see the safety background in how he manipulates routes to help teammates. He has fewer pass-rush reps than Reese, but there are flashes, and James’ pro comp to Jihad Campbell fits.
CJ Allen is where opinions really diverge. Cory wasn’t impressed with the Tennessee game, largely due to how Allen was used, then watched the Florida tape and completely flipped. His trigger in the run game is explosive—when he diagnoses, he fires like he’s been shot out of a cannon. He scrapes blocks well, meaning he can work laterally across the formation, avoid contact, and insert himself into gaps without getting swallowed. In the Florida game alone he ran the pole in Tampa-2, covered the flat on a running back, and manned up a tight end, showing real versatility. James is more cautious. He sees a good run defender with flexibility and impressive block avoidance, but thinks Allen’s lack of ideal length shows up when linemen get hands on him at the second level. In coverage, James believes Allen has the athleticism to run vertically but struggles with recognition—slow to the flat, inconsistent route responsibility, and too many chunk plays allowed on wheel routes. The flashes are there, but the consistency is not yet.
Josiah Trotter might be the most entertaining player in the group. The son of Jeremiah Trotter, he plays like it. He’s not as good as Reese at shedding blocks, but his hands are still violent—James said it’s like dynamite strapped to his wrists. He punches blockers and tackles the same way. What surprised both evaluators was his flexibility as a pass rusher; against Auburn he hurdled a running back in pass protection to get half a sack, which says a lot about his instincts and aggression. In coverage he’s limited, mostly working hook-curl zones and occasional spy duties, and he struggles not to vacate the middle by chasing drag routes. James noted he’d be better off covering grass rather than following receivers in some situations. Still, the instincts, physicality, and bloodlines are obvious. He carries a second-round grade with a real chance to sneak into the first.
Jake Golday is the cautionary tale of the class. James was very high on him early in the season, but the second half told a different story. Cory was blunt that he needs to stop being played outside the box. Against Utah, when aligned over the slot, he struggled even to disengage from wide receivers. He’s powerful but turns like a Mack truck, and his zone IQ declined as the year went on. He bites on play action, recovers, then gets steered by the quarterback’s eyes into the wrong area. As a straight-line athlete he’s outstanding, with elite speed and explosion metrics, but limited change of direction and poor man-coverage ability cap his role. Cory sees him as a base SAM only—useful, but situational.
Jacob Rodriguez is the classic instincts-over-traits linebacker. Cory likes him, and James loves his play recognition but doesn’t see much else. He’s not a high-end athlete, but his eyes are excellent, his angles are clean, and he’s consistently around the ball. He profiles as a strong early-down and special-teams contributor and a high-end Day 3 value.
Aiden Fisher’s tape dipped late because he’s been playing hurt, but the NFL traits still show. He’s another instincts-first linebacker with quick recognition, good positioning, and reliable tackling. He’s not flashy, but he looks like the kind of Day 3 pick who ends up starting games because coaches trust him.
Red Murdoch checked an important box by showing up against Minnesota, which matters for a MAC linebacker. He’s a little short and likely short-armed, but sturdy at around 240 pounds and reliable in the run game. His sideline-to-sideline speed is solid rather than special, and he profiles as an early Day 3 player.
Bryce Boettcher is more of a mid-to-late Day 3 prospect. James flagged the negative plays as a concern, noting that when he loses, he tends to lose badly and get physically dominated. Cory added that he lacks pop in his hands, which limits his ability to disengage.
Lander Barton is very much a traits bet. His early career was a roller coaster with flashes followed by regression, but he’s stabilized this year. The tape is now passable and sometimes solid, but his eyes remain scattered and he struggles navigating traffic. You’re drafting the athletic profile and hoping the instincts catch up.
Deonte Lawson quietly reinforces the theme of this class. After a slow start, his best football came in October. He’s a mid-sized linebacker with heavy hands and excellent block-shedding ability. Listed at 230 but verified closer to 218 coming off surgery, James believes the higher number is closer to his true playing weight. He’s not flashy, just effective.
The big takeaway is that this class is loaded with linebackers who can actually survive in the box. Reese, Styles, Trotter, and Lawson all bring physicality, hands, and functional instincts. If you value linebackers who can take on blocks and not get erased, this might be the best group we’ve seen in a decade.
Arvell Reese feels like the tone-setter for the class. Cory prefers him as a true off-ball linebacker, though both agree the edge flashes are real. He’s built like a modern prototype at around 6’4, 235 with long arms and real speed, and the power-speed combo shows up immediately. As an edge, the sample size is small and there are legitimate concerns—against Purdue he struggled to win inside counters, and there’s a chance he levels off if tackles sit on his long arm. Still, the flashes are loud, including a clean long-arm win against Illinois and a cross-chop the following week. Off the ball is where he really separates. James described his hands as being like starting a lawnmower—violent, controlled torque—and Cory said you’d have to go back to Leo Chenal to find someone who sheds blocks like this, except Reese is far more athletic. Coverage is mixed, but the process is good: clean hook drops, functional man reps, and fast key reads for such an inexperienced player. He feels like a player who improves significantly with reps.
Sonny Styles is right there with Reese, just in a different way. A former safety in his first year at linebacker, you can see the transition early—Cory thought his keys were slow against Texas—but after that he really settled in. His coverage instincts stand out: sitting on digs, erasing crossers, and understanding spacing instead of simply chasing routes. At 6’4, 237 with long arms and big hands, he’s not a tweener. He’s an in-the-box linebacker who can also run. He takes on pullers, sets edges, and handles SAM responsibilities. Reese has heavier hands, but Styles’ are still solid, and James pushed back on the idea that they’re soft. The most striking stat is that he hasn’t missed a tackle all season, even though he plays a bit high at times. He’s comfortable in press-man situations and trail technique, and you can still see the safety background in how he manipulates routes to help teammates. He has fewer pass-rush reps than Reese, but there are flashes, and James’ pro comp to Jihad Campbell fits.
CJ Allen is where opinions really diverge. Cory wasn’t impressed with the Tennessee game, largely due to how Allen was used, then watched the Florida tape and completely flipped. His trigger in the run game is explosive—when he diagnoses, he fires like he’s been shot out of a cannon. He scrapes blocks well, meaning he can work laterally across the formation, avoid contact, and insert himself into gaps without getting swallowed. In the Florida game alone he ran the pole in Tampa-2, covered the flat on a running back, and manned up a tight end, showing real versatility. James is more cautious. He sees a good run defender with flexibility and impressive block avoidance, but thinks Allen’s lack of ideal length shows up when linemen get hands on him at the second level. In coverage, James believes Allen has the athleticism to run vertically but struggles with recognition—slow to the flat, inconsistent route responsibility, and too many chunk plays allowed on wheel routes. The flashes are there, but the consistency is not yet.
Josiah Trotter might be the most entertaining player in the group. The son of Jeremiah Trotter, he plays like it. He’s not as good as Reese at shedding blocks, but his hands are still violent—James said it’s like dynamite strapped to his wrists. He punches blockers and tackles the same way. What surprised both evaluators was his flexibility as a pass rusher; against Auburn he hurdled a running back in pass protection to get half a sack, which says a lot about his instincts and aggression. In coverage he’s limited, mostly working hook-curl zones and occasional spy duties, and he struggles not to vacate the middle by chasing drag routes. James noted he’d be better off covering grass rather than following receivers in some situations. Still, the instincts, physicality, and bloodlines are obvious. He carries a second-round grade with a real chance to sneak into the first.
Jake Golday is the cautionary tale of the class. James was very high on him early in the season, but the second half told a different story. Cory was blunt that he needs to stop being played outside the box. Against Utah, when aligned over the slot, he struggled even to disengage from wide receivers. He’s powerful but turns like a Mack truck, and his zone IQ declined as the year went on. He bites on play action, recovers, then gets steered by the quarterback’s eyes into the wrong area. As a straight-line athlete he’s outstanding, with elite speed and explosion metrics, but limited change of direction and poor man-coverage ability cap his role. Cory sees him as a base SAM only—useful, but situational.
Jacob Rodriguez is the classic instincts-over-traits linebacker. Cory likes him, and James loves his play recognition but doesn’t see much else. He’s not a high-end athlete, but his eyes are excellent, his angles are clean, and he’s consistently around the ball. He profiles as a strong early-down and special-teams contributor and a high-end Day 3 value.
Aiden Fisher’s tape dipped late because he’s been playing hurt, but the NFL traits still show. He’s another instincts-first linebacker with quick recognition, good positioning, and reliable tackling. He’s not flashy, but he looks like the kind of Day 3 pick who ends up starting games because coaches trust him.
Red Murdoch checked an important box by showing up against Minnesota, which matters for a MAC linebacker. He’s a little short and likely short-armed, but sturdy at around 240 pounds and reliable in the run game. His sideline-to-sideline speed is solid rather than special, and he profiles as an early Day 3 player.
Bryce Boettcher is more of a mid-to-late Day 3 prospect. James flagged the negative plays as a concern, noting that when he loses, he tends to lose badly and get physically dominated. Cory added that he lacks pop in his hands, which limits his ability to disengage.
Lander Barton is very much a traits bet. His early career was a roller coaster with flashes followed by regression, but he’s stabilized this year. The tape is now passable and sometimes solid, but his eyes remain scattered and he struggles navigating traffic. You’re drafting the athletic profile and hoping the instincts catch up.
Deonte Lawson quietly reinforces the theme of this class. After a slow start, his best football came in October. He’s a mid-sized linebacker with heavy hands and excellent block-shedding ability. Listed at 230 but verified closer to 218 coming off surgery, James believes the higher number is closer to his true playing weight. He’s not flashy, just effective.
The big takeaway is that this class is loaded with linebackers who can actually survive in the box. Reese, Styles, Trotter, and Lawson all bring physicality, hands, and functional instincts. If you value linebackers who can take on blocks and not get erased, this might be the best group we’ve seen in a decade.
