Micah Baskerville, LB LSU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Baskerville was a four-star recruit from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. in the class of 2018

LSU linebacker Damone Clark heard his name called in the fifth round last year. With the 2023 NFL Draft quickly approaching, it’s Micah Baskerville’s turn to chase a draft pick. The fifth-year senior is undersized but possesses excellent agility and athleticism.

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Micah Baskerville, LB LSU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year senior inside linebacker from Shreveport, La.

Background: Baskerville was a four-star recruit from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 277 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 295 for On3.com. Baskerville was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He was a four-year starter in high school who led his team in tackles as a senior. Baskerville helped Evangel Christian Academy reach the Division I state semifinals in 2017. He finished his senior year with 80 tackles and four sacks. Baskerville earned invitations to the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Nike’s The Opening Finals in Oregon.

2022 Production: 14 games, 89 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 8 passes defensed, 1 defensive touchdown

2021 Production: 12 games, 83 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks,1 interception, 3 passes defensed

2020 Production: 8 games, 55 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble

2019 Production: 12 games, 15 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed

2018 Production: 8 games, 18 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a foot injury that required surgery in 2018, missed two games in 2020

Awards: N/A

Overview: Baskerville took official measurements at the NFLPA Bowl. He’s 6005 and weighs 221 lbs. He has 9 7/8-inch hands, 32-inch arms, and a 77 3/4-inch wingspan. Baskerville played more than 560 special teams snaps split across five different units at LSU, which provides him with an early opportunity to see playing time in the NFL. The Louisiana native has plus movement skills and quick feet, which makes him an asset in zone coverage. He’s able to cover ground quickly and gain necessary depth. Baskerville also displays the recovery speed and athleticism to cover some tight ends in man coverage. He has fluid lateral movement skills and light feet. Baskerville takes advantage of his speed and stature to shoot gaps and slip through small cracks in the offensive line. He frequently shows good patience with his run fits and tracks the ball in the backfield well. Baskerville is patient and poised approaching tackles and displays a hot motor in pursuit. As a fifth-year senior, he’s an older prospect. The former four-star recruit is undersized to play linebacker. He lacks true sideline-to-sideline range and struggles to deal with climbing linemen. Linemen absorb and push Baskerville around because of his lack of mass. He struggles to disengage from blocks. Baskerville can be sucked downhill prematurely by action in the backfield, which opens holes in coverage behind him. He doesn’t offer upside as a full-time slot defender. Baskerville prefers to drag down ball carriers instead of driving through them. He occasionally takes poor angles to the football and lacks the burst to cover for these mistakes against explosive ball carriers.

Overall, Baskerville has good movement skills for coverage and plenty of special teams experience, but he lacks the physical tools to be a high-volume player in the NFL. Baskerville’s profile should attract teams on the UDFA market looking for a niche player.

Role & Scheme Fit: Weakside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 02-16-23