It's been over a month since my "too-early" Big Board for the 2016 NFL draft, a ranking that includes 2015 underclassmen. For this I'll go a little deeper into each position group, so you'll get an idea of more than 100 of the top NFL prospects for 2016. That said, these rankings are preliminary, as I have hundreds of hours of evaluation ahead for the 2016 class.
A couple of important notes about the rankings below:
• I've split them into seniors and underclassmen; it's important to have a baseline number of seniors because those players are certain to be a part of the 2016 NFL draft process (if they choose to be).
• I won't go too heavy into actual scouting reports, as those are still a work in progress.
With those parameters in mind, here's an early look at the top inside and outside linebacker prospects in the 2016 draft class. A reminder: Scheme dictates a lot when it comes to positional labels with these guys, so, for example, a player listed as an OLB could also become a defensive end at the next level. I'll try to point these out where I see them.
(** Denotes a player who is a redshirt sophomore)
Top 5 senior inside linebackers
1. Reggie Ragland, Alabama Crimson Tide: While he doesn't jump off the tape because of athletic ability, Ragland makes great reads and is always around the ball. He'll be challenged this year with the departure of Landon Collins, who did much of his best work near the line of scrimmage last year and was often an extra linebacker. But Ragland should be loving life behind Alabama's awesome D-tackle pairing.