Top performing LBs at NFL Combine

The linebacker position group went through the measurement and athletic testing portion of the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday. Here were the top performers by Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which will be of major interest to the Green Bay Packers.

After safety, linebacker may be the biggest positional need on the Packers’ roster—both in terms of depth, and also equipping new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley with the right type of players to run his 4-3 defense.

During Brian Gutekunst’s time as general manager, there has been a strong connection between his selections and those players posting elite Relative Athletic Scores. You can read more about that here.

In short, 74 percent of Gutekunst’s draft picks have scored 8.0 or higher on the RAS scale, including nearly 50 percent above the 9.0 mark. The linebacker position, in particular, is one where Gutekunst has primarily selected the best of the best when it comes to pure athleticism.

Of the four linebacker draft picks made by Gutekunst, three – Quay Walker, Ty Summers, and Oren Burks – all registered an elite RAS of at least 9.63 out of 10. The only linebacker pick to score below 8.0 was Isaiah McDuffie at 7.32.

Below is the list of linebackers that posted a RAS of at least 8.0, but given Gutekunst’s history drafting this position group, pay close attention to those at the top of the list.

Payton Wilson, North Carolina State: 9.81
Trevin Wallace, Kentucky: 9.65
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington: 9.55
Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M: 9.34
Jordan Magee, Temple: 9.29
Curtis Jacobs, Penn State: 9.17
Cedric Gray, North Carolina: 8.92

As the Packers transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense, personnel-wise, Gutekunst doesn’t see there being a major shift in how the Packers build the linebacker position. But where there will be a difference is in the number of linebackers they roster, both on the 90-man and throughout the season on the active roster and practice squad.

“It’s a little thin right now,” Gutekunst said via Packer Central. “There’s some guys that we’d like to get back. We’re going to have to add. There’s not a lot of personnel changes we’re going to have to make with the scheme change, but we’ll probably have to carry a couple more linebackers into training camp and maybe one or two more through the 53- and 69-man roster as we go through. We’ll be a little bit more heavy there, so we’re going to have to add some numbers.”

That need for additional defenders at this…