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Jake Ryan
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds
40-Yard Dash: 4.65 (Combine)
Arm Length: 31 inches
Vertical: 34.5 inches
Hands: 9 and 3/8ths inches
Bench Press: 20 reps of 225 pounds
Strengths
Ryan moved from outside to inside linebacker at Michigan in his senior season and he fared pretty well for the most part, gathering 112 tackles (14 TFL) and two sacks, along with an interception. He has a nose for the football and shows good effort in bringing down ballcarriers. Has the speed to move sideline-to-sideline and that could allow him to play inside or outside in the NFL. Good leader and always well prepared in his time at Michigan.
Weaknesses
Ryan is an average athlete and needs to to improve his quickness and reaction time. His footwork and change of direction could use some work. Also can overpursue at times, causing him to be out of position to make plays. He suffered a torn ACL in 2013, so his durability will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Overview
Ryan has the raw tools to be a solid NFL linebacker, possibly even a starter in time, but he is going to have to improve his instincts. He is an incredibly hard worker, which should allow him to stick on an NFL team as a special teamer at the very least. Ryan should come off the board sometime in the fourth or fifth round, which would provide whoever drafts him with solid value.
His best fit would be with a team that runs a 4-3 defense. Wherever he lands, he will have the opportunity to crack the depth chart as either an inside or outside linebacker, depending on what the team sees him as.