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Will the Vikings draft Greenway's Successor?

PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 12: Jayon Brown #12 of the UCLA Bruins reacts after a tackle during the first half of a game against the Oregon State Beavers at The Rose Bowl on November 12, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

  • After ten seasons, Chad Greenway retired leaving a starting linebacker spot and 399 snaps to be filled. In 2015, Greenway led the league in Run Tackle Efficiency – the number of tackles on average a player makes compared to how many he misses – with 31. However, in 2016 his Combined Tackle Efficiency fell to 6.3, ranking him 29th of 38 outside linebackers.
  • Second-year player Kentrell Brothers didn’t beat out Greenway in training camp last offseason and played just one snap in 2016. However in 2015 as the Missouri Tigers starting weakside linebacker,  Brothers was PFF's second highest graded 4-3 outside linebacker and was drafted 160th by Minnesota.
  • In 2015, Brothers was on the field for 406 running plays, making 111 total tackles for a tackling efficiency of 12.1, fifth best of linebackers with more than 400 snaps in run defense. His combined tackling efficiency of 9.9 ranked him 30th overall in the country. He was listed as having missed 16 tackles.
  • UCLA LB Jayon Brown, could be a potential replacement for Greenway as he ranked 158 on PFF's latest Draft Board. On 440 run plays for the Bruins in 2016, Brown registered 88 total tackles with a run tackling efficiency of 30.3, 8th in the country. His overall tackling efficiency of 21.0 was good enough to rank him 21st best.
  • Brown started at right inside linebacker for UCLA and could potentially make the transition outside as his numbers show he has the talent to tackle well enough to be a great find later in the draft.

 

Kentrell Brothers and Jayon Brown Tackle Efficiency

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