As the NFL Draft stands grows closer, Devils Digest's Joe Healey nears the finish line of his breakdown of how Arizona State has fared in sending its players to the professional ranks, focusing specifically on linebackers.

Note: This analysis reflects the position played in the NFL.

History in the NFL Draft: The first notable player to play at a high level at linebacker in the NFL was one that starred at tight end for the Sun Devils in the 1950s in Clancy Osborne, one of the top offensive players of his era for Arizona State.

Taken in the 27th round (315th overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, Osborne played from 1959-64 with the 49ers, Vikings and Raiders, appearing in 72 total games.

The first true linebacker drafted into the NFL from ASU was perhaps the best ever to play for the Sun Devils in College Football Hall of Famer Ron Pritchard.

A Consensus All-American his senior season at ASU, Pritchard became the 15th overall selection by the Houston Oilers in 1969. After three seasons with the Oilers, Pritchard joined the Cincinnati Bengals midway through the 1972 season, where he would play through the duration of his career which ended after the 1977 campaign. In total, Pritchard appeared in 106 NFL games from 1969-77.

Next up to be drafted at the position was yet another linebacker who ultimately would end up in the College Football Hall of Fame in Bob Breunig , who will be inducted later this year. After a stellar three-year career in Tempe, the Phoenix native was picked in the third round (70th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1975 NFL Draft.

One of the very best defenders in school history, Breunig played his entire 10-year NFL career in Dallas, starting 125 of 135 games played from 1975-84 and helping the Cowboys win the Super Bowl as a starter his third year in the league.

The next year, Breunig's running mate at linebacker at ASU, Larry Gordon, was selected 17th overall by the Miami Dolphins. A First-Team All-American for ASU's undefeated 1975 team, Gordon started all but two of the 100 games he played for the Dolphins from 1976-82, however he died suddenly just months before the 1983 season.

Drafted in the sixth round (141st overall) in 1979 by Denver, Jeff McIntyre played 24 games with five starts over the 1979 and '80 seasons with San Francisco and St. Louis, respectively.

The 1980 NFL Draft would produce a trio of linebackers to the NFL in Bob Kohrs, Ben Apuna and Gary Padjen.

Kohrs, a local product from Phoenix's Brophy Prep, was a standout defensive end for the Sun Devils but saw action at linebacker in the pros, a la Terrell Suggs. Picked in the second round (35th overall) by Pittsburgh, Kohrs appeared in 55 games with six starts from 1981-85 for the Steelers.

Chosen in the seventh round (171st overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals, Apuna appeared in 10 games with three starts for the New York Giants in 1980. Padjen was taken in the 11th round (300th overall) by Dallas and played in 41 games with three starts with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts.

Despite not being picked in the NFL Draft, Darren Comeaux, Joey Lumpkin and Mark Hicks all made their way to the pro level in the early 1980s.

One of the top linebackers ever to play for Arizona State and an ASU Sports Hall of Fame member, Vernon Maxwell earned multiple All-America honors with the Sun Devils before being chosen in the second round (29th overall) by the Baltimore Colts in the 1983 NFL Draft.

Maxwell enjoyed immediate professional success as he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1983 after posting 11.0 sacks for Baltimore. After two seasons with the Colts, Maxwell played three with the Lions and his final season with the Seahawks. In total, he appeared in 77 career games with 56 starts.

Chosen in the fifth round (125th overall) by Green Bay in 1985, Brian Noble would go on to carve out a length career as he started 110 of 117 games played with the Packers from 1985-93.

A standout defender on ASU's 1987 Rose Bowl champion squad, Scott Stephen was the first Sun Devil chosen in the draft that spring as he was taken in the third round (69th overall) by Green Bay. After three years as a reserve, Stephen would join Noble in the starting lineup with the Packers in 1990 and '91 before playing his final NFL season with the Rams. In total, Stephen appeared in 88 games with 34 starts from 1987-92.

A tremendously productive defender for the Devils, Greg Clark was picked in the 12th round (329th overall) by Chicago in the 1988 NFL Draft. Clark was a much-traveled pro, playing 70 total games with four starts from 1988-92 with the Bears, Dolphins, Rams, Chargers, Packers and Seahawks.

Also that year, Stacey Harvey entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent and saw action in nine games with Kansas City in 1989.

A gritty tackle machine for Arizona State, Brett Wallerstedt began his pro career continuing to play in Sun Devil Stadium when he was picked in the sixth round (143rd overall) by the Cardinals. After playing seven games for the Cardinals in 1993, Wallerstedt spent the next two seasons in Cincinnati, appearing in 21 games with two starts in 1994 and '95. Wallerstedt returned to the league in 1997, playing in two games for the St. Louis Rams.

Also that season, though he was a defensive lineman at ASU, Israel Stanley transitioned to linebacker after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent and he appeared in 14 games for New Orleans in 1995.

Three defensive stalwarts of ASU's legendary 1996 team - all of which game to Arizona State from the junior college level - were taken in the 1997 NFL Draft.

First off the board was Derek Smith, chosen in the third round (80th overall) by the Washington Redskins. By the time his playing days concluded, Smith put together what was at the time the longest pro career by a former Sun Devil linebacker, as he played 12 seasons and 174 games with 167 starts for the Redskins, 49ers, Chargers and Dolphins before retiring after the 2008 season.

One of the most memorable one-year wonders in Sun Devil football history, Derrick Rodgers was a beastly defensive end his lone season in Tempe by moved to outside linebacker after being taken in the third round (92nd overall) by the Miami Dolphins. Despite only playing the one season of major college football, Rodgers put together a solid eight-year NFL career with six seasons with the Dolphins and two with the Saints. In all, Rodgers played in 116 pro games with 111 starts.

Wrapping up the trio was Scott Von der Ahe, picked in the sixth round (182nd overall) by the Indianapolis Colts. Von der Ahe's NFL career was limited to his rookie season of 1997 in which he played nine games with two starts for the Colts.

Following the 2002 season, three Sun Devils made their way into the NFL to play linebacker, headlined by the most intimidating defender ever to play for ASU in Terrell Suggs. One of the most fearsome rush ends in the history of college football, Suggs was picked 10th overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2003 NFL Draft, where he would convert to a rush outside linebacker.

After setting an NCAA record with 24.0 sacks in 2002, the Chandler native naturally entered the NFL Draft a year early, where was taken by Baltimore to join Ray Lewis and company on one of the NFL's most feared defenses.

The AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after registering 12.0 sacks in 2003, Suggs became a full-time starter his second season in 2004 and quickly became one of the best pro defenders in the game. Through the 2014 season, the Hamilton High school graduate has appeared in 181 games with 165 starts, posting 106.5 sacks, good enough for 24th in the history of the NFL.

Solomon Bates was taken in the fourth round (135th overall) by Seattle, where he played 17 games with three starts over two seasons. Though he did not have his name called on draft weekend, Mason Unck signed with the Cleveland Browns and played four professional seasons including 44 total games.

A freshman on that 2002 team, Jamar Williams would be the next Sun Devil linebacker drafted after his senior season when he was taken in the fourth round (120th overall) by the Chicago Bears in the 2006 NFL Draft. Williams spent the 2006-10 seasons in the NFL, playing his first four seasons in Chicago before his fifth season played in Carolina. Altogether, he played in 58 professional games with five starts.

Following a stellar senior season in which he earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors, Robert James was picked in the fifth round (138th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 NFL Draft. James was a member of the Falcons from 2009-12, appearing in 18 total games before playing one game with the Chiefs in 2013.

Two years later, Travis Goethel was chosen in the sixth round (190th overall) by the Oakland Raiders. Goethel played in 16 total games over the 2010-12 seasons with the Raiders, but claimed a bit of infamy for a game in which he botched multiple snaps when he filled in for the Raiders' long snapper.

In one of the more memorable rollercoasters in recent Sun Devil memory, Vontaze Burfict bypassed his senior season at ASU - only to fall undrafted in 2012. However, Burfict ultimate landed with the Cincinnati Bengals where he quickly became a high level contributor and a Pro Bowler his second season in the league.

As a rookie in 2012, Burfict started 14 of 16 games played and totaled 127 tackles, and followed that with 171 tackles as a starter in all 16 games in 2013. Last season, however, he only appeared in five games due to a knee injury with 29 tackles.

Burfict's high school teammate, Brandon Magee, also fell undrafted in 2013 but was able to work his way into active NFL duty. Magee appeared in eight games with the Browns in 2013 and posted five tackles and then played in nine games with Tampa Bay last season with seven total stops.

A standout pass rusher from the "Devilbacker" position for Todd Graham, Carl Bradford was drafted in the fourth round (121st overall) in 2014 by Green Bay but did not see regular season action with the Packers last year.

Top NFL Players: With Suggs considered a linebacker and not a defensive lineman as he was at ASU, he stands alone atop this list.

Within the coming decade or so it is highly likely that Suggs will join Mike Haynes and Randall McDaniel as the only Sun Devils to be inducted in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame as he has reached elite levels in both arenas.

A six-time Pro Bowler, Suggs was the 2011 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and remains one of the most intimidating defenders in the NFL.

Other than Suggs, Bob Breunig was a three-time Pro Bowler during his days with the Cowboys, while Derek Smith put together a lengthy career as a solid pro linebacker.

Best Not to Make It: Tim Peterson collected First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1977 and was drafted but according to records did not appear in NFL action.

Greg Battle remains ASU's career leader in tackles with 425 and played for more than a decade in Canada but never appeared in NFL regular season action.

Justin Burks put together two solid seasons as a starter after transferring from the junior college level, as did Dale Robinson, the 2005 Pac-10 Conference Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year.

A heady, efficient team leader, Mike Nixon was one of the most valuable members of the Sun Devil roster from 2006-09.

Most recently, Chris Young enjoyed a stellar senior season under Todd Graham in 2013 and has had camp opportunities with NFL clubs but has yet to see game action.

Current NFL Players: In 2014, only Burfict, Magee and Suggs were on active NFL rosters. Magee was released by Tampa Bay in March and might pursue baseball or return to the gridiron this fall.

2015 NFL Draft Prospects: No position provides fewer options than linebacker, as only reserve Marcus Washington , who missed most of the 2014 season due to injury after switching from offense, graduates. That is good news, of course, for ASU's 2015 lineup as the Sun Devils return tremendous depth and talent.

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