Chris Cole
Georgia#48 overallDraft Movement
Up 68 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
Chris Cole is the modern coverage linebacker NFL defenses keep hunting for. A five-star out of Salem, Virginia, he was the top-rated player in his state and a top-35 national prospect, and he picked Georgia over Miami, Penn State and Tennessee after a junior year of 76 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He played all 14 games as a true freshman in 2024 with 16 tackles and two fumble recoveries, earning SEC All-Freshman honors. The role expanded as a sophomore: 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups and 18 pressures across 14 games, with 23 run stops mixed in. What separates him is coverage. He is track-fast for the position, carries seams, matches backs and tight ends in space, and lines up off the ball, in the slot and on the edge. He sacked Alabama in both meetings, turned in a near-flawless game against Charlotte with a sack, three stops and a pass breakup, and finished tackles cleanly with only four misses all year. The thumper traits lag the cover ones. His pass-rush production is modest despite blitz snaps, his take-on strength gets tested by climbing guards at the second level, and his run defense trails his coverage, marking him as a cover backer rather than a downhill enforcer. At 235 pounds he wins with speed rather than point-of-attack power, which shapes the kind of defense that maximizes him.
The Tape
Strengths
- Covers as well as any linebacker in the class, rare for an off-ball backer
- track speed for the position, carries seams and matches in space
- versatile hybrid who lines up off the ball, in the slot and on the edge
- sacked Alabama in both meetings
- reliable tackle finish, charged with only four misses all year
- 23 run stops and 18 pressures as a sophomore
- reroutes tight ends and backs at the line with physical hands
- ranges sideline to sideline chasing plays to the perimeter
Weaknesses
- Pass-rush production is modest despite the blitz snaps
- block-shedding gets tested by climbing guards at the second level
- run defense trails the coverage, more cover backer than thumper
- 235 pounds means he wins with speed rather than point-of-attack power
- 38 tackles is a modest total for 14 games
- production is still shared inside a loaded Georgia rotation, which muddies the tape
- needs to prove he can hold up on early downs against power run games
NFL Comparison
Jamin Davis speed-and-cover hybrid; Payton Wilson sideline range with coverage as the calling card; Jalon Walker positional versatility, though Cole is the better cover man than rusher
College Stats
2024 (Fr): 14 G, 16 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, SEC All-Freshman; 2025 (So): 14 G, 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 PBU, 18 pressures, 23 run stops, 4 missed tackles; sacks vs Alabama in both meetings; sack, 3 stops and a PBU vs Charlotte
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $604K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Georgia's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
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Measurables
Awards & Honors
2024 SEC All-Freshman team; five-star recruit, top-rated player in Virginia and a top-35 national prospect in the 2024 class