The 2025 NFL Draft Linebacker Tiers

Below are my tiered rankings of linebacker prospects in the 2025 class. This covers my top 10 LBs in the draft class.

Tier 1 - The Pro Bowlers

The top two LBs in this class have very different strengths and weaknesses, but both project as long-term starters and have some elite traits that will bring immediate value to their teams. I'd feel comfortable taking either player in the first round.

Jihaad Campbell - Alabama

Scouting Report Summary: Special movement skills in space and range in man and zone coverage. Can become an elite linebacker, and is already there in coverage, but needs to improve his play recognition and play strength in the run game. Has blitzing upside with speed and bend as well.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: ANOTHER man coverage rep on a TE - so athletic and smooth.

Favorite Game: vs. South Carolina 2024

Jalon Walker - Georgia

Scouting Report Summary: A lot of people are scouting Walker as an Edge Defender, where he has a lot of experience for Georgia and some translatable tape, but I see him more as an inside linebacker. He is a physically imposing force in the middle of the field. Has excellent closing burst in the open field and plays extremely physical at the point of attack in the run game. Not a ton of experience in zone drops and almost none in man coverage but shows the traits necessary to do it. I just love his physicality in the run game and his willingness and ability to take on lineman. He can also be used as a pass rush weapon on passing downs.

Best Role: Mike Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Immensely physical tackler. Shocks people on impact, kills momentum and slams people into the ground.

Favorite Game: vs. Tennessee 2024

Tier 2 - Quality Starters

My next tier of linebackers consists of four players that I think can provide early value to the teams that select them. These players have solid all around games, but have some more clear weaknesses than the two linebackers in the tier above them. I would be looking to target these players at some point on day 2, probably in the second round.

Demetrius Knight Jr.

Scouting Report Summary: Big as heck. Strong player in the run game, patient seeing it out, size to play through blocks, solid movement skills in coverage. Has legit pop as a tackler. Solid sideline to sideline range and closing speed and flashes some coverage traits. A little unsure of himself at times keying and triggering. Explodes and finishes when he sees it though. Discount Jalon Walker.

Best Role: Mike Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Stones the RB one on one in the hole, great leverage.

Favorite Game: vs. Missouri 2024

Smael Mondon Jr.

Scouting Report Summary: Supreme athlete, adequately sized, plus physicality, experience playing off-LB and dropping. A bit slow to key play-action and option. Versatile, physical, athletic. Man coverage ability with hip mobility and speed.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Loose hips on a coverage rep matching to an in breaker with his back turned to the QB.

Favorite Game: vs. Notre Dame 2024

Carson Schwesinger - UCLA

Scouting Report Summary: Rangy, coverage first LB. A little light in the ass but good movement and ball skills. He has good feel in zone relating to routes and understanding concepts, but lacks straight line explosiveness and pop.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Nice hips dropping in zone and good feel reacting to a second level route.

Favorite Game: vs. Oregon 2024

Teddye Buchanon - Cal

Scouting Report Summary: Rangy, physical, smart off ball linebacker. Plays with physicality in the box and has good feel relating to concepts behind him in zone coverage. Has starter traits and reliable diagnosing ability. Plays with great sideline to sideline pursuit effort and range.

Best Role: Mike Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Awesome play filling against power, stones and drops pulling guard and gets in on the tackle in the hole.

Favorite Game: vs. Syracuse 2024

Tier 3 - Early Starter

The LB in this tier does a lot of things well, but doesn't have the physical traits of the LBs above him. Still, he projects as a reliable starting linebacker who can play meaningful snaps early in his career. I would be happy to add him to my roster in the 3rd round.

Scouting Report Summary: Slightly undersized, but densely built inside linebacker. Good play recognition and tracking ability, very sound. Has good feel in coverage and in the run. Despite lack of high end athleticism, more than enough to be functional because of key ability and pursuit angles. Does lack some sideline to sideline range and can over-pursue trying to catch up to compensate for that.

Best Role: Mike Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Good feel in zone drops, gains ground and reads QB and route concepts. Lots of experience dropping too.

Favorite Game: vs. Syracuse 2024

Tier 4 - Scheme/Role Specific Contributor

The next three linebackers in my rankings are all worth taking a shot on, on day 3. They have some clear weaknesses in their games and physical profiles which I think limits their ceiling and viability to become valuable, versatile every down players, but they have strengths that bring value in certain scenarios.

Jack Kiser - Notre Dame

Scouting Report Summary: Kiser Soce. Looks small in every way. Pretty good movement skills - loose hips dropping in zone coverage and flipping hips. Solid diagnosing and moving, a bit light in the ass and small, limits his impact. Has fluid movement ability but lacks explosiveness, worry he won't be physical enough to stick on the field on early downs.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Good robot to get back under a backside crossing route, again shows hip fluidity and ability to cover ground but lack of burst, window may have been there for QB.

Favorite Game: vs. Georgia Tech 2024

Bam Martin-Scott - South Carolina

Scouting Report Summary: Tape popping inside backer with pursuit speed and ID quickness. A bit undersized and didn't see a lot of translatable coverage reps but traits worth betting on as a potential starting backer.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Awesome play shutting down mesh, more quick IDs and plays on the edge against Mizzou.

Favorite Game: vs. Texas A&M 2024

Nick Martin - Oklahoma St.

Scouting Report Summary: Tape popping inside backer with explosiveness and movement ability. Some extremely high end reps on tape and some extremely low ones. Needs to diagnose quicker and more consistently, but physical traits pop and he has some high-end coverage reps too.

Best Role: Weakside Linebacker

Favorite Scouting Note: Elite coverage rep on a deep corner from TE.

Favorite Game: vs. Arkansas 2024