The 2025 linebacker class has widely been regarded as a weak spot for the draft. While I do agree that there isn’t as much of a commodity at the position as teams and fans may be looking for, I believe there are some very under the radar players that could be great pickups. Here I go over my personal rankings of the top linebacker prospects in the draft class.
1. Jalon Walker – Georgia
Age: 21 | Height/Weight: 6’1″, 245 lbs
2024 Stats: 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11 TFL
Value: Round 1
A hybrid backer with edge traits and middle-of-the-field instincts, Jalon Walker is the most dynamic linebacker in this class. Georgia used him as a true chess piece—off-ball, off the edge, even occasionally aligned over slot receivers. That versatility is dangerous, and defensive coordinators will love scheming him up.
Walker is electric when triggering downhill. His acceleration out of a read step is elite, and he closes space in a flash. He’s a natural finisher with legit pop on contact, whether he’s knifing through a crease or wrapping up a quarterback in space. His pass-rush repertoire is ahead of the curve for a linebacker—he understands leverage, uses his hands well, and can flatten to the QB like an edge.
His coverage game is functional but not yet refined. He has the tools you look for with burst, length, movement skills but needs to sharpen his eyes in zone and improve route recognition in man. Still, the instincts are promising, and the effort is always maxed out.
Walker is a true defensive weapon—he changes the math pre-snap and demands gameplan attention. He may not fit into a traditional linebacker archetype, but in the modern NFL that might be a feature, not a flaw.
2. Jihaad Campbell – Alabama
Age: 21 | Height/Weight: 6’3″, 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 117 tackles, 5 sacks, 12 TFL
Value: Round 1
Campbell is the definition of sideline-to-sideline. He’s a rangy, explosive athlete who covers ground effortlessly and plays with infectious urgency. His stat sheet reflects what the tape shows: a consistent playmaker who lives around the football.
What sets Campbell apart is his spatial awareness. He plays fast but not reckless, with an innate feel for angles and flow. His footwork is smooth in space, and he transitions naturally from shuffle to sprint, allowing him to mirror ball carriers or match tight ends in coverage. He’s an amazingly smart player.
As a blitzer, Campbell times snaps well and shows surprising pop through contact. He’s not overly creative with his rush, but his length and bend allow him to dip and win. In run support, he’s aggressive without being out of control, and his strike zone tackling is clinic-worthy.
There’s still polish needed—his eyes occasionally lie to him on play-action, and he can be late disengaging from climbing linemen. But the movement skills, motor, and intelligence give him three-down upside from day one. He fits in any scheme and could develop into a perennial Pro Bowler.
3. Carson Schwesinger – UCLA
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 240 lbs
2024 Stats: 138 tackles, 4 sacks, 9 TFL
Value: Round 2
Schwesinger is the heartbeat linebacker—the guy who wears the dot, sets the front, and lives in the film room. He’s not the flashiest mover, but his tape is a masterclass in anticipation, leverage, and execution. There’s a reason he led all top prospects in tackles—he’s always in the right place.
His processing speed is elite. He diagnoses run schemes with ease and rarely bites on eye candy. In the box, he’s a wall—square, strong, and rarely moved off his spot. His tackling form is textbook, and he does a great job finishing through contact.
In coverage, Schwesinger is more reactive than fluid. He can be a half-step late in man situations, especially against sudden backs or tight ends. But he understands depth and spacing in zone and takes away throwing windows with savvy positioning.
His pass-rush impact is more effort than explosion, but he’s relentless. He’s a guy who profiles as a long-term starter and potential defensive captain and signal caller at the next level.
4. Danny Stutsman – Oklahoma
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’3″, 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 109 tackles, 1 sack, 8 TFL
Value: Round 2–3
Stutsman is a tone-setter with a linebacker’s mentality and the range to match. His game is built on length, speed, and aggression. He’s a punishing tackler with a nose for the ball and thrives in the chaos between the tackles.
What stands out about Stutsman is how much ground he covers with minimal wasted motion. His pursuit angles are sharp, and he’s a terror chasing plays from the backside. He also communicates like a vet, often seen adjusting teammates and pointing out keys pre-snap.
Coverage is the big question. He’s fluid enough to carry backs and tight ends up the seam, but his hips are a bit tight, and he can struggle against quicker route runners in space. Still, he makes up for it with effort and length.
As a run defender, he occasionally takes on blocks too high, and his pad level can get him in trouble against downhill runners. But his motor, frame, and physical style give him a clear role as an early starter with upside in the right structure.
5. Demitrius Knight Jr. – South Carolina
Age: 25 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 82 tackles, 2 sacks, 8 TFL
Value: Round 3
Knight is an older prospect with a unique path, but his maturity and instincts pop on film. He’s a composed, downhill striker with clean mechanics and a sturdy build. What he lacks in high-end burst, he makes up for with technique and game IQ.
He’s particularly strong against the run. Knight takes on blocks with square shoulders, stacks well, and doesn’t lose his gap. He’s a low-risk, high-floor player who doesn’t freelance and plays within the system.
Coverage is where he’ll need to prove himself. His short-area quickness is average, and he doesn’t have the turn-and-run ability to match vertical threats. That said, he’s dependable in short zones and reacts quickly when the ball is out.
Knight may not become a superstar talent, but he’s a high floor player that will be a plug-and-play piece and instant contributor.
6. Smael Mondon Jr. – Georgia
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 225 lbs
2024 Stats: 57 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 TFL
Value: Round 3
Mondon is one of the most explosive athletes in this class. His first-step quickness and closing burst are rare, and when he’s right, he looks like a future star. The problem is consistency—his play recognition and angles still need refinement.
When playing fast and free, Mondon flashes top-tier potential. He gets sideline to sideline with ease and finishes with force. His athleticism translates well to coverage, where he can match backs and run with tight ends. In zone, he’s fluid and light on his feet.
But Mondon can get caught peeking in the backfield, and he occasionally overcommits or misjudges blocking schemes. He’s a projection pick—but one with elite physical tools. In the right system, he could thrive as a WILL linebacker in sub-packages early.
7. Chris Paul Jr. – Ole Miss
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’1″, 220 lbs
2024 Stats: 88 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 TFL
Value: Round 3
Paul plays like he’s shot out of a cannon. He’s compact, twitchy, and brings edge-like energy to the linebacker spot. His ability to time blitzes and knife through protection is special—he’s disruptive in ways that don’t always show on the stat sheet.
He thrives in chaos—stunts, delayed blitzes, backside pursuit—but struggles when asked to stack and read. His play strength is average, and when linemen get clean hands on him, he can disappear. That said, he’s slippery and scrappy enough to make a living off movement.
Coverage is a mixed bag. He has the speed to stay attached but needs to clean up footwork and route awareness. Still, as a modern sub-package linebacker, Paul is intriguing. There’s a role for him as a pressure-package specialist with starter potential if developed.
8. Barrett Carter – Clemson
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’0″, 230 lbs
2024 Stats: 82 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 TFL
Value: Round 4
Carter is a smooth mover with a safety’s pedigree and a linebacker’s toughness. He flows well in space and plays with his hair on fire. His explosiveness shows up in his tackling, and he’s at his best when kept clean and allowed to chase.
He’s excellent in coverage—quick feet, good anticipation, and the fluidity to run with tight ends. His instincts in zone are solid, and he closes fast once the ball is out. Carter projects as a nickel linebacker who can thrive in passing situations early in his career.
What holds him back is his size against the run. He gets swallowed by climbing linemen and can get pushed off his spot in short yardage. He’ll need to prove he can handle a full-time workload—but as a passing-down weapon, he’s ready.
9. Cody Simon – Ohio State
Age: 23 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 230 lbs
2024 Stats: 112 tackles, 7 sacks, 13 TFL
Value: Round 4
Simon is one of the most productive blitzers among this group. His timing, acceleration, and fearlessness make him a headache for protection schemes. He doesn’t just beat backs—he beats linemen to the spot.
He’s a good run defender, playing low and square with excellent effort. Simon works hard to scrape and flow and delivers firm contact. His frame is solid, and he rarely misses tackles when squared up.
His main limitation is lateral agility—he’s not the most fluid mover in coverage and can struggle flipping hips or changing direction against complex route concepts. But as a pressure linebacker or SAM in an aggressive front, Simon has clear value.
10. Jeffrey Bassa – Oregon
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’1″, 230 lbs
2024 Stats: 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 TFL
Value: Day 3
Bassa is a converted safety who still moves like one. He’s comfortable in space and does his best work in coverage, particularly in zone drops and when carrying verticals. His transitions are smooth, and he breaks with confidence on short throws.
As a run defender, he’s more finesse than force. He’s not going to stack and shed consistently, and he’ll need to prove he can hang with NFL linemen at the point of attack. That said, as a sub-package defender or hybrid WILL, Bassa offers enough athleticism to earn a roster spot.
11. Shemar James – Florida
Age: 20 | Height/Weight: 6’1″, 220 lbs
2024 Stats: 64 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFL
Value: Day 3
Young, athletic, and still developing, James has upside as a rangy coverage linebacker but lacks the refinement to contribute right away.
12. Teddye Buchanan – California
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 114 tackles, 5 sacks, 12 TFL
Value: Day 3
Highly productive and instinctual, Buchanan is a high-motor defender with good athleticism that I could see being developed into a starter, but will likely be a high end special teams option.
13. Jack Kiser – Notre Dame
Age: 24 | Height/Weight: 6’2″, 230 lbs
2024 Stats: 90 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFL
Value: Day 3
Smart and experienced with solid tape, Kiser may not have elite traits but brings leadership and consistent tackling to a depth role and premier special teams ability.
14. Kobe King – Penn State
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 6’1″, 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 97 tackles, 3 sacks, 9 TFL
Value: Day 3
A tough, downhill thumper who thrives in the box, King’s limited range will cap his role, but he fits as an early-down run stopper.
15. Jay Higgins – Iowa
Age: 23 | Height/Weight: 6’0″, 225 lbs
2024 Stats: 124 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL
Value: Day 3
One of the most productive tacklers in the country. Higgins is reliable, smart, and physical, but with a limited athletic ceiling.
Check out my interior defensive line rankings here!
Photo Credits: Fantasy Pros, Bleacher Report, UCLA Athletics, ESPN, Orlando Sentinel, On3, Ole Miss Athletics, Greenville Online, Land Grant Holy-Land, The Draft Network, The 33rd Team.
