AP

STRENGTHS



An athletic, NFL-ready linebacker with the versatility to play inside linebacker or outside linebacker, Jordan Hicks is turning heads now that he's healthy. Hicks thrived under Charlie Strong's watch in 2014 and became a three-down star. He shows good burst and straight-line speed and can run laterally to make plays outside the box.

His football IQ is very high and shows in his ability to read and react against the run and pass equally. As a pure tackler, Hicks gets the job done and can bring down ball-carriers in traffic or in space.

WEAKNESSES



Hicks missed major time in 2012 and 2013 with hip and Achilles injuries, so teams will have to dig in to his health history. Hicks will get stood up taking on blocks and has to be able to slip contact instead of shedding hands. He may also be too limited to his scheme—something he did answer at the Senior Bowl but nevertheless shows up on film. Drafting Hicks is betting on his upside, so there is a risk involved with drafting him too early.

2014 STATISTICS



Tackles: 113

Sacks: 3.5

Tackles for Loss: 11.0





PRO COMPARISON: Mychal Kendricks, Philadelphia Eagles



An explosive, athletic linebacker with three-down skills, Hicks and Mychal Kendricks are carbon copies of each other.





FINAL GRADE: 5.75/9.00 (Future Starter)