Top 10 Linebacker Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
Last Updated: July 13, 2026 | Source: Consensus rankings from 9 outletsThe 2026 linebacker class is led by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Rasheem Biles, Sammy Brown. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 prospects at the position, with scouting reports, measurables, and projected draft range.
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1. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa — Notre Dame
Consensus Rank: #39 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6'3", 230 lbs, 4.65s 40Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the do-everything centerpiece of Notre Dame's second level and the most talented linebacker in the early 2027 class. He owns a long, explosive 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and moves in space like a safety, flowing laterally to beat ball carriers to their landmarks and erase perimeter runs before they develop. His processing is elite: he diagnoses inside zone and gap concepts instantly, navigates traffic cleanly, and arrives on balance with violent pop in his pads when he triggers downhill.
Strengths: Elite, top-of-position run defender who triggers downhill fast and meets runs at or behind the line (94.0 PFF run grade, 15.2% run-stop rate in 2025) ... Rare sideline-to-sideline range that erases perimeter runs and lets him cover ground like a safety ... Outstanding instincts and processing speed, diagnosing inside zone and gap concepts instantly and navigating traffic cleanly Concerns: Durability is the key red flag, a torn left ACL ended his 2025 season and he previously lost a high school year to a right ACL tear ... Light for the position at 230 pounds and can be tested by downhill power between the tackles NFL Comparison: Tremaine Edmunds (long, explosive off-ball linebacker who erases space with elite range and coverage rather than point-of-attack power) Full scouting report for Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa →---
2. Rasheem Biles — Texas
Consensus Rank: #41 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-1, 220 lbsRasheem Biles is a smaller, twitched-up, downhill off-ball linebacker who transferred from Pittsburgh to Texas after a breakout 2025, arriving in Austin as the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the portal and slotting into the Mike role in Will Muschamp's defense. A former do-it-all high school athlete who played running back, receiver and defensive back, he tied a Pitt record with three blocked kicks as a true freshman, then anchored the Sharks linebacker group in 2025, leading the ACC with 17 tackles for loss while adding 101 tackles, 4.
Strengths: Led the ACC with 17 tackles for loss in 2025 ... Sure, physical tackler who finishes sideline to sideline ... Twitchy, top-tier athlete with quick diagnose-and-trigger reactions Concerns: 1st-percentile weight profile, listed only 6-1, 220 ... Too small to play between the tackles full time, can get moved off the ball if he does not shoot gaps NFL Comparison: Kyle Louis (undersized, twitchy Pitt LB who plays bigger than his frame) Full scouting report for Rasheem Biles →---
3. Sammy Brown — Clemson
Consensus Rank: #56 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-2, 235 lbs, 4.45s 40Sammy Brown is a downhill box linebacker who arrived at Clemson as the 2023 High School Butkus Award winner and a consensus five-star, and he has played up to the billing. He claimed ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 with 87 tackles, 11. 5 TFL and five sacks in just 444 snaps, then backed it up in 2025 with a team-high 107 tackles, 13.
Strengths: Elite production for a true freshman and sophomore: 194 tackles, 25.0 TFL and 10.0 sacks across 27 games ... one of only three Clemson players ever (with Clellin Ferrell, T.J. Parker) to hit 10 TFL and five sacks in both freshman and sophomore years ... ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 Concerns: Coverage is the clear developmental area, with PFF grading him 61.8 in that phase and NFLDraftBuzz scoring his coverage just 58 percent ... can play too fast and overrun plays before the diagnosis fully catches up NFL Comparison: Trenton Simpson (NFLDraftBuzz lists as 85 percent similar, fellow athletic Clemson LB with downhill burst) Full scouting report for Sammy Brown →---
4. Suntarine Perkins — Ole Miss
Consensus Rank: #64 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6'1", 220 lbs, 4.58s 40Suntarine Perkins is a 6'1", 220-pound linebacker from Raleigh, Mississippi, where he became the state's top high school prospect and a unanimous five-star recruit. A two-way force at Raleigh High, he led his team to its first state championship in 2022, rushing for over 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior while recording 92 tackles on defense, before choosing Ole Miss over Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. He earned Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC honors in 2023 with 38 tackles, 5.
Strengths: Elite coverage ability for a linebacker with 94th-percentile coverage grade per NFLDraftBuzz ... can match tight ends in man coverage and trail backs out of the backfield ... closing burst as a blitzer is a real weapon when he gets a clean rush, as evidenced by 10.5 sacks as a sophomore Concerns: Light at 210-220 pounds for an every-down linebacker ... will struggle to stack and shed NFL-caliber blockers consistently once offensive linemen get their hands on him NFL Comparison: Marte Mapu, Sacramento State (70% similarity per NFLDraftBuzz Full scouting report for Suntarine Perkins →---
5. Ben Roberts — Texas Tech
Consensus Rank: #78 overall | Projection: Day 2-3 Full scouting report for Ben Roberts →---
6. Whit Weeks — LSU
Consensus Rank: #84 overall | Projection: Day 2 | Measurables: 6'2", 225 lbsWhit Weeks is the athletic heartbeat of LSU's defense and a player Bleacher Report's Matt Holder believes can impact an NFL game in three phases: coverage, as a blitzer and against the run. Listed at 6'2" and 225 pounds, the former 4-star recruit broke out as a sophomore in 2024 with 125 total tackles, including an SEC-leading 61 solo stops, 10. 5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, an interception, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles to earn first-team All-SEC honors.
Strengths: Breakout 2024 with 125 tackles and an SEC-leading 61 solo stops ... 10.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, an INT, 3 PBU and 2 forced fumbles as a sophomore ... Delivered 17-plus-tackle games against both Alabama and Oklahoma Concerns: Underweight at 225 pounds ... needs mass and strength to anchor against NFL blocks NFL Comparison: Drue Tranquill (B/R official comp, sub-230 speed-and-blitz WILL who plays bigger than his frame) Full scouting report for Whit Weeks →---
7. Chris Cole — Georgia
Consensus Rank: #106 overall | Projection: Day 2-3 Full scouting report for Chris Cole →---
8. Payton Pierce — Ohio State
Consensus Rank: #110 overall | Projection: Day 2-3 Full scouting report for Payton Pierce →---
9. Kip Lewis — Oklahoma
Consensus Rank: #122 overall | Projection: Day 2-3 Full scouting report for Kip Lewis →---
10. Drayk Bowen — Notre Dame
Consensus Rank: #124 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 6'2", 235 lbs, 4.71s 40Drayk Bowen is a decorated multi-sport athlete from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, who arrived at Notre Dame as a consensus four-star recruit and the 2022 Indiana Mr. Football. He was also one of the top-ten baseball prospects in the country out of high school and has continued playing both sports for the Fighting Irish, a dual-sport background that PFF analyst Trevor Sikkema notes translates directly to his rotational power and hand-eye coordination on the football field. Standing 6'2" and listed between 235 and 239 pounds, Bowen has the frame scouts describe as NFL-ready for the linebacker position.
Strengths: Physical, tone-setting tackler with a 6% missed tackle rate in 2024 and just 10.7% career missed tackle rate ... quick processor with a fast trigger downhill against the run, consistently taking correct angles before offensive linemen can climb to the second level ... relentless motor and sideline-to-sideline pursuit range that shows up on every snap Concerns: Coverage skills remain a work in progress with a career PFF coverage grade of 65.5 ... pursuit speed and range in coverage appear slightly below NFL average per PFF's Trevor Sikkema Full scouting report for Drayk Bowen →---