Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis drew high praise from former Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, as well as several scouts at the NFL scouting combine this week.

“I think sometimes these guys that play four years and have great success as freshmen and sophomores and you sense a little decline there, sometimes overanalysis hurts these guys,” Gruden said during the NFL Network’s coverage this afternoon. “I would love to have Laurinaitis on my team. He’s going to be a factor for you.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer went on to compare 40-times for linebackers and noted how Laurinaitis ran a smidge faster than USC’s Rey Maualuga.

Laurinaitis ran a 4.80 and a 4.81. The fastest time for USC’s Maualuga’s was 4.83, according to the Network. Maualuga aggravated what he said had been a lingering hamstring injury running the 40. Those two are expected to be the first two inside linebackers taken, and they are very different animals than the outside linebacker prospects who put up faster times.

The problem Laurinaitis faces at the next level is that he often struggled with shedding blockers in college and he isn’t overly aggressive. For having decent size (6’3”, 240 pounds), he’s not that explosive of a hitter and some scouts actually feel that he doesn’t have much upside. But as Gruden points out, Laurinaitis is a blue collar-type of athlete, with excellent football instincts and does have the ability to work through traffic. Depending on what defensive scheme he’s drafted into, he could excel and the bottom line is that he’s a football player through and through.

As for Maualuga, forget the 40-time – this guy is an absolute beast. Most NFL teams want a middle linebacker that has the ability to meet a blocker head on, shed them quickly and get to the ball carrier. That’s Maualuga. He’s aggressive, explosive and he’s a big time hitter and that’s why he’ll be taken ahead of Laurinaitis. Maualuga just fits what most coaches look for in a middle linebacker at the pro level and outside of a lingering hamstring injury, there’s nothing but upside for the USC product.