For every NFL rookie, there is plenty to learn and plenty of coaching necessary to make an instant impact at the pro level. But some positions, more than others, require a natural instinct for knowing where to be, what to do, and how to react. Without question, linebacker is one of those spots where coaching can only take a player so far, and the rest has to be innate. Here are five of the most instinctive linebackers available in the 2015 NFL Draft:
1. Paul Dawson, TCU
Draft experts continue to sing the same refrain on the former Horned Frogs star, even in the face of his disappointing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine last month: "The tape doesn't lie." Dawson simply finds the football like no other inside linebacker in the draft. He averaged more than 10 tackles per game last year, with an outstanding solo-to-assist ratio of 81-55, and showed a knack for big plays on both running and passing plays.
NFL fit:Kansas City Chiefs. Questions about Dawson's maturity and attitude make it imperative that a veteran linebacker who can be the right mentor be awaiting him in the locker room. NFL Media's Lance Zierlein has suggestedChiefs LB Derrick Johnson could be just the guy.
2. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Kendricks won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and finished his college career with more tackles than anyone in UCLA history. He made the pre-snap reads for the Bruins' front seven as the middle linebacker, and showed the recognition skills to read keys and diagnose plays quickly. Throw in his understanding of pass defense, which will help make him a three-down linebacker in the NFL, and Kendricks is an easy choice here.
NFL fit:Arizona Cardinals. Few NFL teams need more help at the linebacker position, both inside and outside, than does Arizona. Kendricks has the ability to play at multiple spots and would be a can't-go-wrong choice for Steve Keim.
3. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)
Perryman not only finds the hole, he fills it with bad intentions. Pound for pound, this was one of the hardest-hitting defenders in the college game last year and finished the season with 110 tackles, including 79 solo stops. As a tackler, Perryman combines a sell-out mentality with near-flawless form. He's more of a downhill player than a chaser, but he sees things between the tackles quickly and is a natural inside 'backer.
NFL fit:San Francisco 49ers. With the sudden losses of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, it's hard to imagine the 49ers wouldn't address inside linebacker early in the draft.
4. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
There's a reason why SEC coaches voted McKinney as a first-team All-SEC linebacker even though he wasn't anywhere near the top of the league in tackles: they couldn't get him blocked, and their offensive coordinators had to account for him every week. He's not the quickest of linebackers and doesn't play the pass especially well, but at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he finds the football on the early downs.
NFL fit:Dallas Cowboys. There is more than enough uncertainty about Rolando McClain's future in Dallas for the Cowboys to make a draft-day investment in an inside linebacker.
5. Hayes Pullard, USC
Pullard is a very different linebacker from most of those listed here, thriving more in space than between the tackles, and showed 4.7 speed at his pro day. But instincts aren't reserved for run stuffers, and Pullard's recognition skills are very strong. He could end up playing an outside linebacker role in the NFL, but not as a pass rusher. Pullard led the Trojans with 94 tackles last season and got plenty of experience defending the perimeter and quick passes while playing in the Pac-12.
NFL fit:Washington Redskins. Pullard isn't a first- or second-round talent, and the Redskins should have bigger priorities than linebacker that early in the draft, anyway.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
