NFL draft profile: Ohio State LB Darron Lee, super-athletic playmaker

Shutdown Corner is counting down the top 50 prospects in the 2016 NFL draft with a scouting report, quotes from NFL evaluators and a projection where they might be drafted.

15. Ohio State LB Darron Lee
6-foot-1, 233 pounds

Key stat: Turned in top testing numbers at his position at the NFL scouting combine in the 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds, with a 10-yard split of 1,54), vertical jump (35.5 inches), broad jump (133 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.20 seconds).

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The skinny: One of the most athletic linebackers in a draft class that’s full of impressive specimens, Lee is also a versatile playmaker. The third-year sophomore played cornerback and quarterback in high school and showed his ability to cover (even in the slot), stop the run and blitz from his outside linebacker position. Turn on the tape of the national semifinal playoff game in 2014 against Alabama and you see a game-changing force.

Although Lee might not have been quite as dominant in 2015 as expected, he still made a ton of plays in the backfield, saved the Buckeyes’ bacon against Northern Illinois (an incredible pick-6 that showed both his anticipation and athleticism) and tested well enough athletically at the combine and in drills at his pro day to open up the possibilities of what he can do on the NFL level. Holding up at 230-ish pounds might be a slight concern, but Lee played a high volume of snaps the past two seasons and never missed a game.

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Best-suited destination: It’s possible to find a home in almost any defensive scheme for Lee’s skill set, but there are some in which he might be more ideally pegged. Lee probably projects best as a weak side linebacker in a 4-3 “over” scheme like the one he played with the Buckeyes, but he also could play inside in the right system, if he’s protected up front. This is not a stack-and-shed linebacker we’re talking about here. Lee could be a “Jack” linebacker in a 3-4, but he also has fascinating sub-package possibilities, too: He can stay on the field on third downs as a blitzer or even as a nickel safety, a la the Arizona Cardinals’ Deone Bucannon. The Los Angeles Rams turned Mark Barron from a safety into a linebacker, and Lee can be used in that regard also.

Reason he’ll rise in draft: The combination of athleticism and versatility makes Lee very attractive. Most off-the-ball linebackers are not considered great pass rushers, but he has 12 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in his 28 starts and can be used regularly in that role, the way the Carolina Panthers use Thomas Davis or the Jacksonville Jaguars use Telvin Smith. Lee turns 22 in October and is considered a young player on the rise. He could be a future Pro Bowl playmaker of all trades for a fast-flow defense.

Reason he’ll fall in draft: There’s still considerable risk in taking a small-framed, finesse player in Round 1 of the draft, where those type of players often do not go unless they possess rare traits. There are several quality middle and weak-side linebacker options in this class, and Lee could get a bit lost in the shuffle and slide a bit. Could Lee play for, say, Bill Parcells? His old scouting corollary was that a player who is on the ground a lot is of little use to him, and Lee does get knocked off his feet a bit too much for the liking.

Scouting hot take: “He’s a bit out of control sometimes, but I saw the same thing with [Ryan] Shazier. I think Lee finds a way to avoid contact better. He stays pretty healthy, which I like. He’s a slippery player, gets in those cracks and makes plays. There’s a lot to like.” — AFC area scout

Player comp: Lavonte David

Expected draft range: Mid-first to early second round

Previous profiles

50. Ohio State WR Braxton Miller
49. Indiana OT Jason Spriggs
48. Florida DL Jonathan Bullard
47. Texas Tech OT Le’Raven Clark
46. Arkansas TE Hunter Henry
45. Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard
44. Michigan State QB Connor Cook
43. West Virginia S Karl Joseph
42. Michigan State DE-OLB Shilique Calhoun
41. Notre Dame WR Will Fuller
40. Pitt WR Tyler Boyd
39. Oklahoma State DE Emmanuel Ogbah
38. Alabama DE-DT A’Shawn Robinson
37. Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
36. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch
35. Alabama C Ryan Kelly
34. Louisiana Tech DT Vernon Butler
33. Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche
32. Georgia DE-OLB Leonard Floyd
31. USC S-LB Su’a Cravens
30. Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
29. Mississippi State DT-DE Chris Jones
28. Baylor NT Andrew Billings
27. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith
26. Houston CB William Jackson III
25. Alabama RB Derrick Henry
24. Ohio State CB Eli Apple
23. Eastern Kentucky DE-OLB Noah Spence
22. Baylor WR Corey Coleman
21. Ohio State OT Taylor Decker
20. Kansas State OG Cody Whitehair
19. Michigan State OT Jack Conklin
18. Alabama DE-DT Jarran Reed
17. TCU WR Josh Doctson
16. Clemson CB Mackensie Alexander