Fabulous run-defender

Takes on blocks extremely well

Adept at shedding blocks

Excellent tackler

Physical

Play recognition

Plus instincts

Reads his keys well

Aggressive attitude

Blitzing ability

Good open-field tackling

Intelligent

Hard worker

Experienced

Good character

Intangibles

Special teams potential

Slower linebacker

Pass coverage

Lacks length

Limited athletically

Short arms (28 7/8")

Frame could be close to being maxed out

May not be fast enough for a 4-3 in the NFL

2014 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2014 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech Dion Bailey, S, USC Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri Dominique Easley, DE, Florida Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M David Fales, QB, San Jose State Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State A.J. Johnson, ILB, Tennessee Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU Christian Jones, ILB, Florida State Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama Ja'Wuan James, OT, Tennessee Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU Demarcus Lawrence, OLB, Boise State Marqise Lee, WR, USC Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan Craig Loston, S, LSU Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina Marcus Martin, C, USC Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame Tre Mason, RB, Auburn Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama Daniel McCullers, NT, Tennessee Keith McGill, CB, Utah Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee Cyril Richardson, G, Baylor Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville Xavier Su'a-Filo, G, UCLA Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame Kyle Van Noy, DE/OLB, BYU Jason Verrett, CB, TCU Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson David Yankey, G, Stanford

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If the NFL was the same style of game of the 1980s, 1990s and earlier, Borland could easily be a first- or second-round pick. However, the NFL has evolved away from rush-oriented offenses to being a passing-driven league. As a result, defenses are downgrading the linebacker position and linebackers are falling lower in the draft. Teams are putting more emphasis on defensive backs and the defensive line. The linebackers who are picked early tend to be very fast while also having height and length. Unfortunately for Borland, he doesn't fit that description.Borland was one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten the past few seasons and was a 4-year producer for the Badgers. The freshman had a solid debut in 2009 with 54 tackles and five forced fumbles. Borland had a breakout 2011 season with 143 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and five passes broken up. As a junior, he totaled 104 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss and six passes broken up. In 2013, Borland had 112 tackles with 8.5 tackles for a loss, two passes broken up, two forced fumbles and four sacks.In the NFL, Borland should be an excellent run-defender. He is physical in the tackle box and reads his keys well to get in position to make stops. Borland is tough and is able to shed blocks so he can get to the ball-carrier. Borland also is a sure-tackler who can put backs into the ground with force. Even though Borland isn't very fast, he uses his instincts and intelligence to get in on tackles on perimeter runs. That is going to be absolutely necessary for him considering the speed of the offense is about to increase significantly.Borland is also a good blitzer for pass defense. He does a nice job of timing blitzes and picking the gap to fire through. Borland closes on quarterbacks well and is adept at getting them to the ground. His biggest flaw for the next level could come in pass coverage. That wasn't a a big deal in the Big Ten, but Borland doesn't look like a linebacker who is capable of covering the NFL's elite receiving tight ends like New Orleans' Jimmy Graham or New England's Rob Gronkowski. That is teams want in a three-down linebacker.Borland doesn't perform poorly in zone coverage trying to defend underneath receivers, but he doesn't cover a lot of ground, so NFL backs could run away from him. The worst-case scenario is Borland is the linebacker who comes off the field when teams go to the nickel. That could be the case and push Borland to the third or fourth round, although some believe he'll go in Round 2.In college, Borland was a similar player to Fletcher. Both players are short, thick linebackers who are excellent run-defenders in the tackle box. Fletcher (5-10, 242) is almost identical in size to Borland. Fletcher was undrafted in 1998 but became a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro during a great career with the Rams, Bills and Redskins. For Borland to succeed in the NFL, he should use Fletcher as an example of how to develop his pass-coverage skills and overcome a lack of size and elite speed.Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Indianapolis, Green Bay, New OrleansThere aren't a lot of teams that are a great fit for Borland. In the passing-driven NFL, he doesn't have the height, length and speed for a middle linebacker spot in a 4-3 defense. However, that doesn't mean that Borland won't get drafted by a 4-3 team; all the teams listed above play a 3-4.The Browns could target a linebacker on Day 2 to pair with D'Qwell Jackson. The Redskins have to replace London Fletcher and could use a tough defender in the middle of their defense.Indianapolis could use a physical presence in the middle to help shut down other teams' ground games. Borland would be a nice fit for Chuck Pagano.The Packers cut Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk is aging. Borland would be a popular pick with the fans of Green Bay. He would help improve the physicality of the Packers' defense.New Orleans could use some youth on the inside of its 3-4. Borland would be a younger and cheaper option than David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton.Follow @walterfootball for updates.