Jerome Baker, linebacker, Ohio State
Last season, despite Baker emerging as a rock-solid starter early in the year, he didn’t get much recognition nationally. Of course, the big reason for this is that there were just so many other star defenders on the defensive side of the ball for the Buckeyes, including fellow linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
This is Baker’s year to become a nationally recognized college superstar. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker can straight up fly from sideline to sideline and attacks the line of scrimmage with tremendous instincts and fervor. He racked up 83 tackles (9.5 for a loss) and 3.5 sacks last season and figures to improve those totals dramatically as he enters his second season as a starter.
Baker also showed up big in the passing game, intercepting two passes and taking one of them back for six against Oklahoma.
“He’s not a traditional linebacker,” ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. wrote of Baker recently. “But he’s fast, can cover pass-catchers, rush the passer and is always in the middle of the action.”
The Buckeyes should feature Baker’s speed in blitz packages to make the most use of his considerable talents. If he stays healthy and continues to ascend as a playmaker this season, then it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear Baker’s name called on Day 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft.