LB Devin Bush Jr., Michigan*

5’11” – 234 lbs. – 4.43
Son of former pro safety Devin Bush, who was a member of Michigan’s coaching staff during Bush Jr.’s time with the Wolverines. Appeared in seven games as a freshman, then stepped into the starting lineup in 2017 and posted 95-10.0-5.5, following that up with a 66-8.5-4.5 year that earned him a spot on the Consensus All-American team. A little teapot: short and stout. Played in the middle with the Wolverines but could just as easily be asked to line up on the weakside given his combination of physical and athletic attributes. Has impressive wheels, getting up to speed quickly and covering a lot of ground. Speed and excellent motor allow him to cover plenty of ground, either in coverage or when defending the run; a true sideline-to-sideline player. Likes to play downhill and thump between the tackles in the run game; good tone-setter because of his energy and physicality. Aggression can sometimes be used against him, causing him to overpursue and run himself past gaps; would like to see more gap discipline. Needs to square up opponents because of the way his lack of length constrains his tackling radius. Absorbs contact well when working through trash but relies on the initial pop he can generate because of those length limitations; struggles to disengage when blockers are able to successfully line him up. Capable of making short or deep zone drops, or carrying running backs out of the backfield and into the flat or down the field; size limitations might prevent him from matching up on most tight ends. Loose hips allow him to turn and run with opponents. Effective plant-and-drive skills to intimidate receivers and enforce his will over the middle of the field. Frequently used as a blitzer; because of his leverage and speed, can create a surprising amount of push with his bull-rush against interior linemen, something which has allowed him to record ten sacks over the past two years. Does a good job of finding open lanes and has the fluidity to bend back to the quarterback when coming from the edge. Heat-seeking missile who may lack prototypical height and length and who can play a little bit out of control at times but who flies around the field and can do a little bit of everything, whether it’s helping to set the tone in the run game, dropping into man or zone coverage, or rushing the passer. Those traits make him a potential every-down linebacker and should earn him a spot within the first two rounds of the draft.