#5 – Iowa LB Josey Jewell
The Hawkeyes 6-foot-2, 236-pound linebacker is surely not flying under the radar, but is not receiving the same praise as other prospects at his position in this year’s class.
Through four seasons, Jewell amassed 433 tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 26 passes defended, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, and earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017.
Kiper lists Jewell as the third best inside linebacker prospect, and Miller ranks him as the seventh best player at his position. Bleacher Report’s lead draft analyst also labels Jewell the “biggest sleeper” among linebackers.
There are some concerns with Jewell’s size and speed at the next level, but anyone that has watched him play has likely seen first-hand the type of playmaker he can be. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz spoke about some of the question marks surrounding his star linebacker, via College Football 24/7.
"“Josey’s not what I would call a combine guy. He’s not 6-3, he’s not going to run a 4.4 (40-yard dash). But if you’re not careful, you’re going to miss a lot of good players that way. My advice is just watch the film.”"
Jewell has continually proved doubters wrong throughout his collegiate career and will likely make one NFL franchise very happy as a potential mid-round steal.