NFL Draft linebackers

April 15, 2026

by Alex Zeese

Top 5 prospects:
Players and 2025 stats:

Arvell Reese- Ohio State 6’4″ 241 4.46, 69 tackles 10, 6.5 sacks
Sonny Styles- Ohio State 6’5″ 244 4.56, 82 tackles 1 sack, 1 int
David Bailey- Texas Tech, 6’4″ 251 4.5, 52 Tackles, 19.5 sacks

This draft has a lot of elite talent in the top five.  Each of the three players listed above will probably be blue-chip day one starters, and should seriously be considered if they are still there when Washington picks at 7, despite anything that they’ve done in free agency so far. Each one brings a bit of a different skill set.

Styles is an elite athletic middle linebacker with impressive skills when it comes to reading defenses and in coverage. He would be great in any kind of zone defense, and reminds me of the kind of linebackers you used to see in the old Kiffin Tampa-2, playing shallow center. His size and athleticism could be huge for the defense.  When in the redzone, he would be able to neutralize bigger targets down there of these three, he’s the most likely to still be there at 7.

The next two are pass-rushing linebackers. Bailey is an edge rusher with impressive speed.  He has some moves, but mostly can beat guys around the edges.  He looks to me like a guy who could stand to add some size to be a true pass-rushing edge in the NFL.  While Reese is a pass rushing linebacker with great game speed who can bring pressure from the inside and the outside, he would be the player who moves to a different spot on the field every down.  This is the kind of rusher who will need to be accounted for on every snap.

While the odds are more likely that none of these three will be there at seven, if, hypothetically, all three were there, Reese would be my target.  While his sack numbers aren’t as high as Bailey’s, I think he would be a nightmare to deal with defensively because he’s so versatile.

You will notice that I haven’t mentioned Rueben Bain at all in this column.  That’s because I think his size better fits as a defensive end in a 4-3 defense rather than an outside linebacker or edge rusher in a 3-4.

Other 1st round Prospects:

CJ Allen- Georgia, 6’1″ 230, 88 Tackles, 3.5 Sacks
Cashius Howell- Texas A&M, 6’3″ 253, 31 tackles, 11.5 sacks.
Akheem Mesidor- Miami, 6’2″ 259, 63 tackles, 12.5 sacks

Similar to the top prospects, there are several linebackers here with different skillsets. Allen is a tenacious linebacker and very athletic.  I think he could be great in the NFL when it comes to containing speedy, athletic quarterbacks.  Meanwhile, Howell is another solid edge rusher from Texas with a tendency to try and go around the offensive tackle more than simply using brute strength.  While he won’t be highly touted as Bain, Mesidor is an equally capable pass rusher.  Miami’s defense wreaked havoc in the pass rush last season due to that duo, and I think Mesidor may be a better fit for the Washington scheme.

Day 2 Prospects:

Zion Young- Missouri, 6’6″ 262, 42 tackles, 6.5 sacks
Anthony Hill- Texas 6’2″ 238 4.51, 69 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 ints
R Mason Thomas- Oklahoma 6’2″ 241, 26 tackles 6.5 sacks
Jake Golday- Cincinnati 6’4″ 239, 105 tackles, 6.5 sacks
Jacob Rodriguez- Texas Tech 6’1 231, 128 tackles, 1 sack
Gabe Jacas- Illinois, 6’4″ 260,43 tackles, 11 sacks
TJ Parker- Clemson 6’3″ 265, 37 tackles, 5 sacks
Josiah Trotter- Missouri, 6’2″ 237, 84 tackles, 2 sacks
Kyle Louis- Pitt 6’0 220, 81 tackles, 3 sacks
Dani Dennis-Sutton- Penn State, 6’6″ 256, 42 tackles, 8.5 sacks

Those who said this is a deep class at linebacker were not kidding.  By my count, there could be 16 guys here who end up going in the top 100 picks, and you have a few guys here like Young and Hill who could go in the end of the 1st round.

I think that Young is a player who will need a year to get stronger in the NFL, and honestly, he always looked a step slow to me in his highlights.  He had lots of “almost tackles.”  The same could probably be said about Rodriguez, who put up bigger numbers, but I think he needs to develop.  Hill could be a good pass-defending inside linebacker.  He’s got good 4.51 speed and multiple interceptions last year. Josiah Trotter plays just like his dad.  He is a plus-level run stopper who gets into the backfield and makes tackles for losses but won’t give you much in pass coverage.  If a team wants to find a good edge rusher in day two, I’d hope that Jacas is there.  He has a decent swim move and some ability to get past the edge.

Some Day 3 prospects:

Deontae Lawson- Alabama 6’3″ 226, 89 tackles, 4.5 sacks
Jaishawn Barham- Michigan, 6’3″ 248, 32 tackles 4 sacks
Harold Perkins- LSU 6’1 220, 56 tackles 4 sacks
Lander Barton- Utah, 6’5″ 233, 55 tackles 1.5 sacks
Taurean York- Texas A&M 5’11” 226 4.58, 73 tackles, 1 sack
Keyshaun Elliott- Arizona State, 6’2″, 235, 98 tackles 7 sacks
Mason Reiger- Wisconsin, 6’5”, 251, 33 tackles 5 sacks
Bryce Boettcher- Oregon 6’1, 233, 136 tackles 1 sack
Tre Moore- Texas, 6’2” 243, 35 tackles, 3 sacks
Kaleb Elarms-Orr- TCU, 6’2” 234, 130 tackles, 4 sacks
Red Murdock- Buffalo, 6’2” 232, 142 tackles 5 sacks
Xavian Sorely, Arkansas 6’2″ 228, 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks

There are clearly several guys in this group who put up some big numbers in college, though I am not sure if they will be much more than contributors at the next level.  I do really like Barham from Michigan – I think that he will be a solid edge rusher, and both Luis from Pitt, and Perkins from LSU are probably a bit small for the NFL. However, if a team picked up either one in a later round, he could be good as a backup/team player.  Finally, there are a lot of guys with triple-digit tackles who could still be there in the later rounds, and there’s always a place in the NFL for high-volume tacklers, even if they aren’t making big plays.