[sherck]

Now that Ballard has confirmed that John Simon is a DE in the new scheme, we have ZERO viable starting calibre LBs on the roster.

4th year player / 01 NFL games started / 37 NFL games played in / 5th round draft pick / Jeremiah George
3rd year player / 19 NFL games started / 31 NFL games played in / 4th round draft pick / Antonio Morrison
2nd year player / 00 NFL games started / 06 NFL games played in / Undrafted into NFL../ Darnell Sankey
2nd year player / 02 NFL games started / 10 NFL games played in / 5th round draft pick / Anthony Walker Jr
2nd year player / 00 NFL games started / 11 NFL games played in / Undrafted into NFL../ Jermaine Grace

I know that 40 yard dash times are not football; however with Ballard beating the drum of getting "faster" on defense:

40 times from Combine or Pro Day of current LBs:

4.55 = Darnell Sankey
4.57 = Jermaine Grace
4.65 = Anthony Walker Jr
4.91 = Jeremiah George
5.16 = Antonio Morrison

Our two guys with 2 or 3 years NFL experience are also our slowest LBs. They were also brought in by Grigson and all the newer guys brought in last year by Ballard are much faster.

40 times from Combine or Pro Day of draftee LBs:

4.38 = Shaquem Griffin, Central Florida * (WSLB)
4.51 = Roquan Smith, Georgia * (MLB)
4.52 = Malik Jefferson, Texas * (WSLB)
4.53 = Jerone Baker, Ohio State
4.54 = Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech * (MLB)
4.59 = Genard Avery, Memphis
4.59 = Oren Burks, Vanderbilt
4.61 = Dorian O'Daniel, Clemson
4.63 = Andre Smith, North Carolina
4.64 = Fred Warner, BYU
4.65 = Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State * (WSLB)
4.66 = Micah Kiser, Virginia

==== Speed Break ? ====

4.70 = Darius Leonard, South Carolina
4.75 = Rashaan Evans, Alabama (Did not run at Combine or Pro Day. This numbers is from an Alabama football fan website from "team" numbers" from the 2017 season. His 2016 time was 4.65 and his 2015 time was 4.60)
4.75 = Christian Sam, Arizona State
4.76 = Mike McCray, Michigan
4.77 = Tegray Scales, Indiana
4.82 = Josey Jewell, Iowa

* = Guys I like as probably starters on a Colts 4-3 defense in 2018.

My guess is that we will get a max of two LBs drafted and then either have to produce a SSLB from our internal guys or potential veteran free agents still on the market like Kevin Minter or Gerald Hodges.

I really think that we need to come out of this draft with two LBs picked in the first 3 rounds of the draft. We really have no one on the roster currently who inspires confidence at the positions.

Walk Worthy,