Top 10 linebackers in the 2019 NFL Draft

#9 Khalil Hodge, Buffalo

Another former two-star recruit, Hodge has been the heartbeat and an absolute tackling machine for the Bulls as a three-year starter. He amassed 419 total tackles during that stretch, while also collected 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles. After a one-point loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game, Hodge has entered the draft as one of the most productive linebackers in college football during his collegiate career.

This guy is a smashmouth football player who brings a ton of energy to the field. He knifes through traffic to arrive at the guy with the ball and makes that collision count. At 6’1”, 235 pounds, Hodge is violent with his hands, stabbing and pulling cloth against blockers, while also having the quick motion to arm-over a blocker and completely avoid him or shoot through the opposite shoulder flowing with a zone play. He stands up running backs when he meets them head-on in the hole and stops any forward momentum.

Hodge also has a good enough top gear to go scrape over the top or go underneath a blocker and chase a ball-carrier down towards the sideline. His best skill, however, is the way he finishes, barely missing any tackles even if he doesn’t have a clear shot at the opponent (five misses in 2018). It’s like he snatches running backs before they can even get going.

In the passing game, Hodge jumps on hook or choice routes and puts his hand in front of the ball to knock it down by reaching around the body of the intended target. If he can’t quite get there he explodes through the contact and knocks it out that way. Hodge takes away a lot of easy seam routes against split-safety looks by sinking deep in that Tampa-2. He made a sweet leaping interception versus Western Michigan in 2017 and had another pick to seal a win over Ohio that year.

He shows tremendous effort when he comes into the picture even though passes are completed 20+ yards downfield and surrendered the second-lowest passer rating of any linebacker in the country last season at an abysmal 39.4. As a blitzer, Hodge lets the protection get set up for one beat and then initiates his rush to defeat it, as nobody can quite get him squared up anymore.

As good as Hodge is in tight spaces, he doesn’t look quite as comfortable in the open. At times he is content with ankle tackles when he has to bring somebody down in space when that guy can go any direction. I don’t think his coverage responsibilities would ever ask him to run with somebody more than ten yards downfield in man-coverage and I wouldn’t expect him to excel in that role either, seeing how grabby he can get when he can’t just drive on routes. It will be interesting to see if his style of play will leave him a step short versus NFL speed in general.

This dude simply has a nose for the ball with an intensity that is only matched by very few. I think he could fit at MIKE in a 4-3 as well as a 3-4 and has already proven himself as a quarterback of his defense. He might not be the most dynamic player in space, but he is easily good enough in all areas to be a three- or even four-down contributor.