Kiper: Arizona’s Wright, ASU’s Fiso among top 5 underclassmen LB prospects
Jul 7, 2015, 11:56 AM | Updated: 11:57 am
Arizona did not have a single player drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. ASU had four.
Those numbers could increase soon, as each has one of the top linebacker prospects in the country.
Arizona junior Scooby Wright and ASU redshirt junior Salamo Fiso were both included in ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s list of the top five underclassmen inside linebackers for the 2016 draft class.
Wright, a 6-foot-1, 246-pound middle linebacker for the Wildcats, won the Bronco Nagurski, Rotary Lombardi and Chuck Bednarik Awards after a standout 2014 season. He was ranked No. 1 in Kiper’s list after picking up 163 total tackles (29 for loss) with 14 sacks and six forced fumbles last season.
He led the nation last year with 29.0 tackles for loss, which would make you wonder if he’s truly an inside linebacker. But if you watch his 2014 tape, you’ll see him in the middle, dropping into space, splitting out wide to cover, lining up over the tackle to rush the passer, and attacking the backfield from the inside. So yes, the position is in question to some degree, but Scooby can play.
Fiso was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2014 after finishing with 83 total tackles with 11 tackles for a loss. He also added 3.5 sacks and an interception, earning the fourth spot on Kiper’s list.
A rising star for the Sun Devils, Fiso has really emerged over the last two seasons after using his redshirt year to get stronger. He arrived in Tempe at about 210 pounds but now moves really well sideline to sideline (and in coverage) at near 240.
ASU senior guard Christian Westerman also drew praise from Kiper, who listed him as the third-ranked senior guard for the 2016 NFL Draft Class.