Ranking The Best Linebackers in 2026 NFL Draft
- Zak Drapeau
- 24 minutes ago
- 5 min read
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 4/7/2026
1. Sonny Styles
6'5" - 244 lbs
Ohio State
Big Board Rank: 5
Pro Comparison: Kyle Hamilton
Sonny Styles may be the best off-ball Linebacker I've ever scouted and that comes mainly down to his background as a Safety. At 6'5" and 244 pounds, Styles blew away EVERYONE at the NFL Combine and declared himself the biggest "freak" of his class by a longshot.
Styles still has some kinks to iron out, mainly in his rigid man coverage or sometimes being to high up on tackles. Other than that, he has a perfect frame, great zone coverage ability and speed to chase ball carries in the backfield or to either sideline. Styles may very well become the highest LB drafted since Devin White in 2019 or even LaVar Arrington in 2000.
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2. Anthony Hill Jr
6'2" - 238 lbs
Clemson
Big Board Rank: 30
Pro Comparison: Kenneth Murray
Hill Jr. was the top LB heading into the class but had a down year in 2025 especially when it came to play action when Hill's aggressive downhill tendencies became exaggerated. While his nose helps him stuff ball carriers early, it can also severely hurt him in man coverage when he loses against RBs or Tight Ends quickly.
Hill has great size and speed with very good tackling though. His IQ is good not great but can easily be sharpened by not biting early. He has a long-term MLB feel to him in the league even if he tends to be better against the run than in coverage.
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3. CJ Allen
6'1" - 230 lbs
Georgia
Big Board Rank: 34
Pro Comparison: Zaire Franklin
Allen actually seems to have more potential than Hill and possibly as much as Styles. His speed and IQ at only 21-years old is elite already and his best trait. At 6'1" and 230 pounds, he is a bit undersized but isn't too small to make it as we've seen players like Roquan Smith prove.
Allen isn't refined in coverage yet and will need to work on his hip shuffle and reading running backs routes out of the backfield. He has the athleticism to stay with them so it shouldn't take him too long to get there. His very good pre-play IQ should also help him distinguish the plays and cheat a little when it helps him.
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4. Jacob Rodriguez
6'1" - 231 lbs
Texas Tech
Big Board Rank: 52
Pro Comparison: Barrett Carter
When it comes to the 2025 NCAA season, Rodriguez was by far the best Linebacker, winning all 4 awards possible to him. As a run stuffer he may be the best in the class when it comes to instincts and fearlessness when crashing the line.
On the down side, Rodriguez isn't yet big enough to be a consistent run stuffer at the next level even though I wouldn't consider him too small either. His rigidness in the receiving game is also documented and will need to be touched but if he gets put into a position where he can man the defense pre-play and only focus on the RBs he'll have no problem succeeding from the jump.
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5. Deontae Lawson
6'3" - 226 lbs
Alabama
Big Board Rank: 70
Pro Comparison: Upside of Shaq Thompson
Lawson has so many highs and traits that could really make him standout at the next level but is also consistently making some concentration mistakes not to mention his size and injury history.
Call him a HUGE boom-or-bust guy, he will need to add some weight to play every down and hopefully help with his durability. He flashes speed and sniffs out plays quickly but will also miss an easy assignment or come way too high on Tackles. Consistency will be Lawson's biggest focus in the league and will determine if he becomes a standout or someone out of the league in 3 or 4 years.
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6. Josiah Trotter
6'2" - 237 lbs
Missouri
Big Board Rank: 99
Pro Comparison: Jack Kiser
Trotter is an interesting prospect in that he is already solid in run defense and even pass rush which is uncommon for a prospect of his size. He is fearless and refined in downhill play but that is sort of where his strengths stop.
He is not and may never be a good coverage backer but that's okay. He could carve out a nice role as a Sam backer especially in a Multiple defense where he can line up on the line. Trotter is a low ceiling guy who's floor isn't easily visible right now but should be at least a good backup for a while in the league.
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7. Jack Golday
6'5" - 239 lbs
Cincinnati
Big Board Rank: 120
Pro Comparison:
Golday has a decent pre-play IQ and a strong size-speed combination that could make him a reliable Sam backer in the league but his processing speed his a little behind where I;d like to see it.
Not a great cover backer and often getting lost to the offensive line, Golday has a good ceiling if he can learn to read offenses on the move, but a low ceiling if he doesn't get the playing time to do so rather quickly.
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8. Kyle Louis
6'0" - 220 lbs
Pittsburgh
Big Board Rank: 123
Pro Comparison:
Louis is on this list for the sole reason that I believe he can be a decent Safety in the NFL. As a backer, he was very good in college in a Notre Dame system built to help linebackers but in the league, his great speed but lackluster size and strength won't get him anywhere.
He has the hip fluidity and fearlessness to be a downhill Strong Safety and could really carve himself a role even as a on-line Nickelback. All depends on his willingness to learn the position and the patience for whatever team drafts him and ability to caoch him.
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Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the NFL Draft every Tuesday and Thursday. Cornerback rankings on Thursday 4/9.
-Z.D. (@DrapeauZak)