Top 10 linebackers in the 2026 NFL Draft

By Owain Jones

The 2026 NFL Draft is exceptionally good. The class is loaded, with several prospects expected to go in the first round. The next wave of prospects on Day 2 also offer important value. It is full of linebackers with diverse skill sets and qualities, and they should be exciting additions to the NFL.

One important caveat before we get into our linebacker rankings: Arvell Reese isn’t included here because I have evaluated him as an edge rusher, not as an off-ball linebacker.

2026 NFL Draft linebacker Rankings

10. Deontae Lawson, Alabama​

An experienced defender, Deontae Lawson is an easy projection. The game slows down for him, where his instincts take over in coverage. His zone drops are balanced, his eyes stay disciplined, and he breaks on routes like he’s expecting them. You also see it in how he handles backs and tight ends on short patterns.  He stays composed and times his triggers instead of guessing.

The ceiling gets tested is when the play turns into a pure athletic race. It also shows up on pure take-on reps. He’s not a rare burst closer in space, and big interior bodies can make him work to disengage. Even so, he has a clear floor as an NFL starter with three-down reliability, steady tackling, and the kind of processing coordinators trust.

9. Jaishawn Barham, Michigan

Pressure from the second level is where Barham’s game comes alive. The Michigan linebacker carries a strong 6’3”, 240-pound frame and plays with the kind of downhill violence that changes protection calls for offensive lines when he’s sent as a pass rusher. When he blitzes, he accelerates through gaps with real burst, attacking the pocket like an edge rusher who happens to be aligned off the ball. That same urgency shows up against the run. Barham triggers quickly, plays through contact with heavy hands, and consistently looks to meet ball carriers behind the line rather than waiting for the play to develop.

The projection becomes more role-dependent in coverage. Barham isn’t a natural space mover, and when asked to carry routes vertically or operate in extended pursuit, the transitions can look heavy. His aggression can also be used against him by misdirection-heavy offenses. But defenses that lean into his strengths will see a disruptive second-level weapon. Let him attack forward, blitz, and play downhill, and Barham becomes the kind of linebacker who forces offenses to account for him on every snap.

8. Kyle Louis, Pitt

Kyle Louis is a unique linebacker with an impressive skill set, especially in coverage. The Pitt defender moves with safety-type comfort. He reads route distribution, breaks on the ball with confidence, and stays sticky in space. Louis had some of the most impressive plays at the 2026 Senior Bowl, and that ability to play from the slot is why he feels tailor-made for a defense that operates out of nickel at a high rate.

But at 6’1” and 220 pounds, the coverage backer needs to be squeaky clean on every down to overcome his size deficiencies. He’s going to have reps where linemen swallow him if he can’t stay tidy, and his block disengagement needs more answers. But if you build him into a defense as a matchup piece, you’re getting splash potential and a legitimate defensive weapon.

7. Keyshawn Elliott

Keyshawn Elliott plays like someone who expects the ball to come his way. The Arizona State linebacker brings a violent, downhill style that shows up the moment the ball is snapped, flying through traffic and arriving with real urgency at the point of contact. The 6’2”, 231-pound defender wins with play speed rather than raw long speed, slipping through congestion with quick feet and sharp processing. When he diagnoses run flow, he closes space quickly and looks to meet ball carriers behind the line rather than waiting for the play to spill toward him. The temperament runs hot, too. Elliott finishes tackles with force and plays with an edge that consistently shows up on early downs.

However, he isnt as natural in coverage. Elliott’s transitions can look stiff when asked to carry routes vertically, and his range is built more on urgency and angles than elite pursuit speed. That same aggression can occasionally open cutback lanes when he commits too early. But defenses looking for an active linebacker who values instincts, tempo, and the ability to disrupt the run game won’t go wrong. In the right structure.

6. Josiah Trotter, Missouri

If you want a linebacker who triggers downhill like he’s shot out of a cannon, Trotter is your guy. He closes quickly, fits gaps with conviction, and finishes with real intent. You also see playmaking flashes, especially when his coaches let him attack, where his timing creates negative plays before offenses can settle.

All of Trotter’s best work comes when he is moving forward. When he is going backwards his deficiencies show. He has the speed to run, but the lack of awareness can cause issues in coverage, and that can make him feel one-dimensional in certain matchups. Add in some strength questions, and the system and role he is drafted to is ultra-important. If a defense uses him as a run-and-chase hammer with defined responsibilities, he will be a problem, and that should get him on the field, especially on early downs.

5. Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Jacob Rodriquez is a fan favourite, and it is easy to see why. He is a thumping linebacker who is assured, controlled, but punishing. He stays square in his fits, takes smart pursuit paths, and tackles like a pro, wrapping and driving through contact instead of throwing shoulders. In zone, he slides with good awareness, reading patterns early, and staying connected to routes without drifting out of structure.

However, he has some questions to answer about his potential speed. He is by no means a great athlete; he’s more “tight and shifty” than explosive, and that lack of true burst shows up when you ask him to erase space quickly. But the upside is that Rodriguez is a “proper” football player. He is reliable, physical, and instinctual. If he can answer his speed-based concerns, expect him to go fairly early on Day 2.

4. Jake Golday, Cincinnati

Jake Golday can do it all, even if his tape at Cincinnati was frustrating in his usage. However, he’s comfortable flipping from run fit to coverage within the same series. He also looks natural matching routes in space, whether it’s a tight end working through the seam or a slot option settling underneath. His drops are smooth, and his timing on the ball feels studied. Golday is an intelligent football player who clearly studies the tape and finds ways to win in the week.

The Bearcats linebacker is also explosive going forward, but is more powerful than he is a natural thumper. A heavy gap look can expose him if he has to anchor and shed against stronger interior bodies. Blitzing is more instinct than a refined package right now, too, but there were flashes when he was allowed to move.

3. Anthony Hill, Texas

There is a lot of projection in Anthony Hill’s evaluation, but you can’t get away from his elite athleticism and violent play style working forward. Defenses struggle to keep Hill out of the backfield because his timing is violent. He shoots gaps like he’s reading the snap count, shows real blitz pop through A and B gaps, and turns routine runs into disruptions with split-second triggers. The range is obvious as well, chasing sideline-to-sideline with the kind of speed that changes plays.

However, he is still raw, and it means you do get some over-aggressive moments, the type that can open cutbacks if he’s not disciplined. Adding functional strength will matter at the next level, and his natural instincts and intelligence for reading routes in coverage need to be developed. Nevertheless, Hill has rare traits and the ability to be a true disruptor while he continues to adapt to his coverage assignments.

2. CJ Allen, Georgia

CJ Allen does everything right. He is a pure leader and captained the Bulldogs’ defense, regularly calling out plays and correcting his teammates right up until the snap. He processes quickly, stays aligned, and arrives with spotless tackling mechanics. His range plays in today’s NFL because he can mirror backs and tight ends, and his zone recognition shows up in how early he breaks on intermediate windows.

You get more than production with Allen. You get experience, you get accountability, and you get a three-down linebacker. At 6’1” and 235 pounds, he is slightly undersized, and against heavy gap teams, you’ll see him work to disengage when big bodies latch. But his projection is pristine as a three-down linebacker who can live in modern coverage rules, handle traffic, and stay dependable snap to snap. That’s first-round potential.

1. Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Sonny Styles is a top-five talent in this class. His evaluation as a former safety who has transitioned to linebacker is as good as any in recent memory. The intrinsic value he brings as a middle linebacker could land him a top 10 selection even at a position the NFL doesn’t regularly value that highly.

As a former safety, you feel his presence when the ball is in the air. Styles carries his background into everything he does, gliding in coverage, reading concepts early, and closing throwing windows with real confidence. He eats ground in space, and the tackling production matches the movement, including a 2025 season with zero missed tackles.

The improvement areas are limited. Being picky, he’s not a pure pass-rush artist, and the sack numbers don’t define his game. At around 243 pounds, the best version of Styles is a movement linebacker, not a classic downhill enforcer. But that’s exactly why he’s so valuable in 2026. He can stay on the field in any situation, cover like a big nickel, and still play fast in the run game.

OWAIN JONES

College football & NFL DRAFT ANALYST

OWAIN jones COVERS EVERYTHING college football & NFL DRAFT. COMING WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE, OWAIN was PREVIOUSLY a writer for pfsn and WAS THE NFL DRAFT EDITOR AT NINETY-NINE YARDS WHERE HE CREATED DRAFT TALK, YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @OwainJonesCFB_

Rated 5 out of 5