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Louis Riddick says Devin Bush is the best player in the NFL Draft

Bush’s stock is at cream of the crop level

Michigan v Wisconsin Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick was asked who he thinks is the best player in the NFL Draft, and Riddick gave an answer he said may surprise some people.

“For my money, pound for pound, the best player in this draft is Devin Bush from Michigan, inside linebacker,” Riddick said. “If you can tell me exactly what his weakness is I can show you a play that tells it’s not a weakness.”

Riddick played with Bush’s father, Devin Bush Sr for the Atlanta Falcons in the mid-90’s. “This kid has all of his father’s tenacity, speed, striking ability. He has better football instincts, his football smarts are off the charts,” Riddick said.

Riddick went on to say that the NFL needs linebackers that can neutralize tight ends and running backs in the middle of the field, and for those reasons Bush will be selected in the first ten picks.

Mel Kiper is high on Bush as well, calling him “one of the best football players in this draft” and that he can’t see Bush falling past pick No. 11 on Thursday.

The scouts and analyst are high on Bush for reasons Michigan fans know well. Bush is a max-effort player that can fly sideline to sideline and is a student of the game. He’s as well rounded of a player as they come heading into draft day. In the always evolving NFL, Bush could become one of the prototypes that teams search for at his position. Teams absolutely need inside backers who can cover running backs and tight ends while also being able to hit hard in the middle of the field.

Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots are going to continue to have their way with defenses if opposing teams don’t draft or sign players like Bush. While Bush has yet to play a down in the NFL, or even be drafted by a team, I strongly agree with what Louis Riddick is saying. While I won’t go so far as to say Bush is the best player in the draft, he very well could be. As it stands now, I do believe Bush will have a very good professional career and be a difference maker on D.

As Riddick noted, it’s hard to find weaknesses in Bush’s game. You can pick a play here where Bush didn’t do his job, but that wasn’t the norm, he rarely made mistakes, and soon he will be rewarded for his efforts when he becomes a first round selection on Thursday.