As one of the top linebackers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Michigan’s Devin Bush has a lot of exciting prospects to his game. Where will he come off the board?
There are two linebackers in this draft that stand out from the rest and both are named Devin. Devin White hails from LSU and Devin Bush is a Michigan Wolverine. While White may be the first off the board in terms of linebackers, but Bush won’t be far behind as his skill set stands out above the rest by leaps and bounds.
Bush finished his career as the Big Tenn Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year. He’s routinely been one of the scariest players to line up against in the entirety of his college football career, and not just from within the Big Ten.
In 2016, he didn’t have all that many accolades or any reason to jump off the page at anyone, putting together just 11 total tackles in seven games of action. It was 2017 in which he really made that leap into the world of elite players. He finished with 95 total tackles- ten for loss and 5.5 sacks and an interception. He wasn’t able to match that production in 2018, but still had a strong year. He finished with 66 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Strengths
Devin Bush is fast and that is one of his biggest strengths. His speed helps him get a good first jump on plays and during his pursuit of ball carriers. He showed great tackling ability, especially in his sophomore season at Michigan. His junior season wasn’t near as productive, but was still strong in terms of his talent and what draft scouts are looking for overall.
Bush has a high football IQ as well as in-game intelligence that will serve him well at the NFL level. He will be able to cover as what is considered a new age linebacker. He held his own throughout college being matched up to wide receivers, tight ends and running backs at Michigan. That speed we mentioned earlier allows him to keep up with anyone and everyone.
Weaknesses
His biggest weakness is his lack of length, size and strength. When offensive lineman get their hands on Bush, things tend to go south for him. It helps that he has spent his career surrounded by other great defenders and that hasn’t been a big issue, but moving on up and into the league that will create an issue that he will have to fix by adding strength to his frame.
Draft Expectations
While Bush may not be the top linebacker in this draft, he is up there among the top group and as a result, will likely find his way into the beginning of the first round- maybe within the first 20 picks. His speed and agility allow him to be a versatile defender and that is what NFL teams are looking for these days.