Josh Uche leads 10 LA Rams Big-10 2020 NFL Draft targets

Purdue linebacker Bailey

Once more, the LA Rams have huge voids to fill in the ranks of the linebackers. The Big Ten football conference is bursting with talent at the position.  Purdue Boilermaker’s linebacker Markus Bailey is another excellent prospect for the Rams.

Bailey has some medical flags. He tore his ACL at a September 2019 practice which sidelined him for all but two games. That was the same knee and ACL he injured in 2015 as an incoming freshman. Thankfully, his surgery was a success and he opted for the NFL Draft instead of returning to Purdue for another year of NCAA eligibility.

As a projected day three linebacker with significant upside, it’s less a question of will he is drafted, but rather a question of when will he be drafted. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 240 pounds. He has played outside linebacker for the Boilermakers and done very well in his college career.  When healthy, he can get to the quarterback. What he lacks in a pure burst of power, he makes up for with persistence.

He is a tackling maniac. in three healthy seasons, he’s averaged just over 100 tackles and 4.5 sacks, plus eight tackles for a loss. He can play pass coverage as well, having pulled in six interceptions plus accounted for six passes defended.

He’ll likely fall to day three due to medical concerns over his twice reconstructed knee. While he has some pass coverage skills, he’s not ready for man coverage against NFL elite tight ends or running backs. But that can be said of many NFL veterans as well.  Bailey will arrive to join the NFL Scouting Combine Group 3 on Tuesday, February 25th.

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