Being a linebacker from Penn State carries a certain cache. Penn State has a reputation of being “Linebacker U”, and some of the best linebackers in the NFL have been Nittany Lions.
Junior linebacker Brandon Smith is looking to be the next in that line of players to take the NFL by storm. Smith was considered one of the draft’s top prospects at the start of the 2021 season, but his draft stock has fallen off after a disappointing season for both himself and Penn State as a whole.
Smith is still one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft, and will be one of the most athletic linebackers in the whole NFL.