Markus Bailey 2020 NFL Draft Profile

After turning into in all-star senior at Hilliard Davidson High School in Columbus, Ohio, the assumption was that Markus Bailey would get an offer from Ohio State – it never came. Thus, Bailey ended up taking an offer from Purdue, absorbing himself into their defense. After an ACL tear his true freshman season, he was redshirted. He jumped back into the fray with a team-leading 97 tackles and another 89 tackles as a sophomore.

Bailey’s senior season was even better, excelling with 13 starts, 115 tackles He would excel the year after, starting 13 games as a junior, landing 115 tackles, and 5.5 sacks. After being slotted for a powerful senior season, another knee injury knocked him out after the fourth game, the Senior Bowl, and parts of the NFL Combine.

Strengths

Productive linebacker who has a nose for finding the football;

Great tackler with the ability to blitz and wrap up quarterbacks;

Strong frame and body should fit into the NFL in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme;

Has the athleticism to line up in an OLB position;

Smart, aggressive, and intrinsic football skills with incredible work ethic.

Weaknesses

Knee injuries are a major concern;

Lag step on recognizing running lanes;

Struggles to recover after overcommitting on runs or in passes;

Not always able to throw off blockers; needs to work on hand fighting;

Not a bull-rushing linebacker – relies on athleticism in blitzing

NFL Comparison: Malcolm Smith

Projection: Fifth Round

Bottom Line on Markus Bailey

Markus Bailey is an NFL linebacker with all of the aggressiveness, intelligence, and strength needed to win at the next level. However, his health and knees are a massive concern that will undoubtedly drop him in the draft. If Bailey stays healthy, he is at worst, a special teams’ player with a high motor who can work into rotational packages. At best, he can learn higher-level traits and become an every-down starter.

Bailey does not have the traits that make him an instant pro-bowl linebacker, but with health and time, he can become a staple linebacker who constantly slots 100 tackles a season. He has all of the fundamentals needed to fit into any system, which will make him an even better pick. A team that needs reliability should not pick him up, but a team that already has a roster who can take a gamble on a high-ceiling player should absolutely land Bailey.

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