Position	OLB	Height	6’0
School	Utah State	Weight	241
Class	Senior	40 Time	4.60
Grade	3rd Round

Athleticism:

An athletic linebacker that looks smaller on the field than his listed size. Bulked up to 241 for the Senior Bowl. Has the speed and range to make plays all over the field. However, a bit top heavy and has some stiffness. Has a nice burst but lacks great lateral agility. Could still stand to add some strength, specifically through the lower body.

Grade: 3.0

Instincts:

Wagner possess great instincts. He reads plays almost instantly off the snap and is always in good position to make a play. Rarely takes false steps and when he does he has the speed to recover and still make the play. Does a good job of staying at home on play action fakes as well as on reverses and keeps contain. Not as instinctual in coverage and can get lost at times.

Grade: 4.0

Point of Attack:

Solid at the point of attack but still needs to get better. Flashes the ability to stack and shed but has to use his hands better to get off blocks. Is better at running around blocks than going through them, although he does have a pretty good feel for it. Flows down the line fairly well and usually keeps himself clean but has trouble avoiding cut blocks. Will occasionally take on a block and get knocked off balance and can be driven out of the play. Hand usage and pad level is key for him in the future.

Grade: 2.5

Coverage:

Has the skill set to be a decent cover linebacker. Has great speed and range although a little tight. Capable of running with backs and tight ends in man coverage. Shows some poor awareness in zone at times. Will get caught in no mans land too often. Can be a little slow to read the quarterbacks eyes and results in him being a step to late to the play. Is usually blitzed on passing downs.

Grade: 2.5

Pass Rush:

Used as a pass-rusher quite a bit. Has nice speed around the edge and a solid get off. However, is too stiff to consistently bend around tackles on the edge. Lacks the strength and technique to disengage quickly and lacks a variety of pass rush moves. Has a tremendous motor and gets most of his sacks on hustle plays where he never stops working. Gets his hands up to try and disrupt passing lanes.

Grade: 2.5

Tackling:

A solid wrap-up tackler who is more of a drag-down type of guy. Good at making tackles inside and is helped out by his impressive reach. Might have some difficulty with quicker backs in space. Stiff and lacks the lateral agility to be able to mirror a backs moves. Will come in uncontrolled and miss tackles at times.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 4 year starter who has had a very productive career at Utah State. Finished with at least 114 tackles in 3 seasons, including 147 as a senior. A fiery player who gets pumped up on the field. Credit must be given to his work ethic both in the film room and the weight room. Has great instincts and has bulked up from 210 pounds as a freshman (likely inflated since they also listed him at 6’3) to his current weight of 241 pounds. Is best suited as a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 and I think he would be miscast in a 3-4 on the outside. Lost his mother after his freshman season and has only worked harder since. No major injury concerns and no known off-field issues.

Grade: 4.0

Outlook:

Bobby Wagner is an athletic linebacker with good instincts. He showed off his skills at the Senior Bowl and was one of the top performers. While he still has to work on some things, notably his ability to get off blocks more consistently and his general awareness in zone coverage, its his instincts that leads me to believe he can be a starter at the next level. He’d be best off starting as a Will and perhaps being able to play the Sam if he improves his ability to stack and shed, however he’s at his best in space right now. He reminds me a lot of Michael Boley who has developed into a solid all-around linebacker in the NFL.