Justin London LB 6'1 234 UCLA
By: Robert Davis
London teamed with Spencer Havner to form one of the best linebacker tandems in the country, as long as he was healthy. Injuries have slowed him down, but he has still been productive during his career. His sophomore season was his best collegiate campaign. He finished the year with 98 tackles, 8.5 for loss, to go with three interceptions. As a junior, big things were expected, but an ankle injury slowed him down. He had 57 tackles, seven for loss, with two sacks on the season. London moved on as a senior hoping to regain his sophomore years success, but the ankle again bothered him, and held him to career lows as a starter, finishing with just 43 tackles, five for loss.
London is a true linebacker. He has that toughness and intelligence that a coach wants all linebackers to have. He will stick his nose in anywhere to make a play, and is always around the action. London is at his best reacting and moving towards plays at the line of scrimmage. He can slip through blockers and bring down the ball carrier. He shows the athleticism and sideline to sideline speed to make plays up and down the line, or to drop back into coverage.
Durability has been one of the reasons London isn't as big a name as he should be. Injuries have really slowed him down the past two seasons. His right ankle will be checked out heavily. On the field, he lacks ideal size and strength to play inside. He's more suited to play on the perimeter. If he stays inside, he will need people to keep the lineman away from him on a consistent basis.
Without the injuries, London checks out well as a potential second round pick. But his durability concerns will push him to Day Two. He has the heart and talent to be a starter in the NFL if he can stay healthy, so he will be a player that teams look at on Day Two. He could end up being one of the steals of the draft because of where he will likely go.
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