Scouting Report: Junior Colson (LB) - Michigan
Sales Pitch: “Well rounded linebacker with true three down ability. Lacks the elite traits to be a star but possesses the requisite toughness, football IQ and tackling ability to be a quality starter at either MIKE or WILL.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 2 1/4”
Weight: 238 lbs
Arm Length: 32 1/2”
Hand Size: 10”
40 Yard Dash: N/A
10 Yard Split: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 21
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Statistics
Career: 114 TKL - 8.5 TFL - 2.5 SK - 0 INT - 5 PBU
2023: 44 TKL - 2 TFL - 0 SK - 0 INT - 2 PBU
Strengths
Good size and athleticism for the position
Experienced player with consistent high level play over multiple seasons
Displays effort and toughness as a run defender
Capable of fitting the run vs gap and zone schemes
Diagnoses the run well
Adept at tracking ball carriers through traffic
Sound tackler with a sub 7% career missed tackle rate
Disciplined run defender that does not overrun his responsibilities
Strong zone coverage instincts
Does an excellent job roboting to find crossers off PA fakes
Size and physicality to cover TEs in man coverage
Plus blitzer due to size and quickness
Weaknesses
Limited flexibility in his hips hurts his change of direction ability
Lack of elite traits limits his overall ceiling
Can struggle to disengage from blockers at the 2nd level
QBs are able to manipulate him with their eyes in zone
Lacks redirect ability to stick in man coverage w/ quicker player
Poor ball production in college
Summary
Junior Colson is a well rounded and technically sound linebacker who has was a mainstay on the Michigan defense for the better for of three seasons. The former 4-Star from Tennessee was the #5 LB in the 2020 class and went on to be a 2x All-Big 10 player and National Champion for the Wolverines. At just over 6’ 2” 340 lbs Colson has the size and strength to take on blockers at the point of attack. He does an excellent diagnosing the run and reducing his depth as he fits his gap. While he can struggle to disengage from blocks at times, he shows the physicality and intelligence to take on blocks in the hole and spill ball carriers to his help. Colson is an above average athlete for the position. He lacks elite traits but he has plus speed and quickness that gives him decent range as a sideline to sideline player. He is also very disciplined as a backside run defender, rarely overrunning plays when he is the trail backer. Colson is an exceptional tackler with a career missed tackle rate of 6%, a number that improved each year, culmination in a career best 4.7% in 2023. He is also a positive player when in coverage which gives him strong three down versatility at the next level. Colson has good zone instincts and does an excellent job altering his drop angles to take away easy throws. He has a good feel for routes crossing behind him and angles himself to take away throwing lanes. He also does a nice job turning and finding crossers off of play action fakes. As a man coverage player he lacks the quickness to guard smaller backs but has the size and physicality to guard TEs one on one. Michigan used Colson effectively as a blitzer taking advantage of his first step quickness and ability to time snap counts to create disruption as a pass rusher. The one flaw in Colson’s third down impact is his lack of ball production. He had 0 interceptions and only 5 pass breakups in his career often opting to secure a tackle over attempting to make a play on the ball. Colson projects as a starting MIKE or WILL back in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. He lacks the elite tools that would indicate an All-Pro caliber ceiling but his combination of intelligence, experience and toughness indicates the high floor needed to be a quality starter and Day 2 pick.