Joe Schobert – Wisconsin Badgers

Position: Outside Linebacker

Height: 6’1’’

Weight: 244

Year: Senior

Hometown: Waukesha, WI

Experience: Sr. – 2 year starter

Measurables:

40 yard: 4.76

Broad jump: 111 inches

Vertical: 33.5 inches

3-cone: 7.11 seconds

20yd. Shuttle: 4.30 seconds

Bench Press: 22 reps

Career Notes:

In 41 games and 24 starts, Schobert finished a productive career at Wisconsin with 149 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 12 pass breakups. He had a breakout year in 2015 as a senior, when he led the Badgers in sacks with 9.5 and quarterback hurries with 14.

Considering he started his career in college as a walk-on wide receiver, the Wisconsin native came a long way in 2015, establishing himself as one of the best outside linebackers in college football, not to mention a two-time team captain.

Working his way up from the scout team, Schobert made the transition to linebacker in 2013 and then worked his way into the starting lineup the following year. Given he played running back and safety in high school, Schobert may be one of the more versatile linebackers in this draft class.

His position change at Wisconsin is also a testament to his incredible work ethic and ability to quickly learn the game of football. Many NFL teams project Schobert at inside linebacker in their defense, and considering Schobert’s past successes of learning a new position, this shouldn’t be a problem for the former Badger.

Injury Report:

*No significant injuries from college.

Career Stats:

Analysis:

Against the Run: 4.0/5.0

Schobert is a smart, instinctive player against the run. He’s patient with reading his run fits and does a nice job  on the edge reading and reacting to the run progression. He demonstrates good hand placement and leverage when holding the edge against offensive tackles, and then shows an ability to shed blocks to make a play on the ball.

Schobert also possesses an incredibly quick first step off the snap, which enables him to explode off the line and make plays in the backfield. Frequenlty, he’ll crash down on the edge, beat his man around the corner, and track the back down from behind in pursuit. He’s tremendous off the weakside as a run and chase linebacker.

He also demonstrates solid tackling technique, specifically out in space, which is why many believe he could hold up well at inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Schobert’s only knock against the run is his lack of length and strength at the point of attack can at times keep him from disengaging from blocks when teams run straight at him. He still does a nice job battling through his man, but at times, he’ll get swallowed up and wash out of the play against the elite right tackles in the game.

Pass Rush: 4.0/5.0

Schobert’s speed and burst off the edge are definitely his strengths as a pass rusher. He anticipates the snap well and does a nice job beating his man around the edge to bend the corner and generate pressure. Schobert also gives tremendous second effort if he doesn’t beat his man with his initial move, and his high motor enables him to chase quarterbacks outside of the pocket and still impact the play.

Schobert plays with good leverage and active hands, swatting lineman’s arms away, while dipping under their pads to collapse the pocket. Overall, Schobert still needs to add more pass rush moves to his arsenal. He tends to rely too much on speed, athleticism, and motor to beat his man. In the NFL, he’ll have to work on getting stronger and developing an effective bull rush as well.

Coverage: 4.0/5.0

Schobert only dropped in coverage occasionally in college. The Badgers primarily used him as a pass rusher on third downs. However, when he was asked to drop, he was effective and looked fluid moving in space. Schobert regularly demonstrates good lateral movement and change of direction ability. His short-area burst allows him to read and react to short and intermediate routes. His experience as a safety in high school also helps him in this area.

Agility: 4.0/5.0

Schobert shows good agility and movement in space. He backpedals well and changes direction fluidly. He possess the lateral agility to make plays sideline-to-sideline, while also being agile enough to contort his body in tight spaces to work around his blocker and make a play on the ball. Schobert may not have top-end speed, but his athleticism and quickness are good enough to allow him to play any linebacker spot in the NFL.

Impact Play Ability: 4.5/5.0

As a senior, Schobert consistently proved to be Wisconsin’s top player on defense. Not only did he generate pressure on a regular basis, he also forced five turnovers (4 fumbles and 1 INT) in 2015. At times, he completely took over the game, like his performance against Iowa. His ability to make plays on defense make him a very valuable player on defense.

Summary:

In college, Schobert was a tremendous edge rusher. However, his lack of length and power have many wondering if his best fit is at inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense or a weakside backer in a 4-3. Schobert’s athleticism and ability out in space would definitely allow him to be successful as an off-the-ball linebacker. However, he’s still a good enough pass rusher to see some time as an edge player at the next level. His versatility should be enticing to plenty of teams. Right now, he appears to be a third or fourth round prospect.

Overall Grade: 4.10/5.0

If drafted by the Packers:

The Packers could definitely use a player like Schobert on their defense. His ability to play both outside or inside in their defense is incredibly valuable, especially considering Green Bay would still like the freedom to utilize Clay Matthews in either role next season.

Immediately, Schobert would give the Packers an athletic linebacker who can compete with Jake Ryan and Sam Barrington at inside linebacker. He could even see more snaps than these two on third downs. He would also give their defense an additional pass rusher to rotate in at outside linebacker with Matthews and Julius Peppers.

Given Mike Neal and Nick Perry may leave in free agency, the Packers could use more depth at outside linebacker. Considering inside linebacker is also thin, the Packers might be wise to draft a player like Schobert who could play snaps at both positions.

As a Wisconsin native who prides himself on his incredible work ethic and underdog approach to the game, Schobert also seems like a natural fit in Green Bay. He seems appears to fit the mold Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy tend to value in players coming out of college—selfless, hard-working, and tough. Not to mention, Schobert can fulfill multiple roles on their team, whether it be at the various linebacker spots or as a special teams contributor.

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