ESPN Names Georgia Football Linebacker CJ Allen Second Best LB in 2026 Draft Class

ESPN has named Georgia linebacker CJ Allen as the second-best linebacker in the 2026 NFL draft class.

After losing a litany of players to the NFL draft this offseason, the Georgia Bulldogs have another set of players who could make that leap after this season. One of the more notable names of the group is linebacker CJ Allen, who could end up being the top linebacker in the class.

ESPN recently released an article that debated who the top player at each position is for the 2026 class. The two names at linebacker was Texas' Anthony Hill and Allen from Georgia.

"Hill is definitely getting drafted as an edge," a longtime NFL scout said. "He's a great linebacker, but he's too valuable coming off the corner and getting the quarterback. I just hope Texas lets him do more of it this year."

Ultimately, the debate of who could be drafted first next year might come down to which type of linebacker teams in the early part of the first round want. Do they want an off-ball linebacker like Hill or do they want a mike linebacker like Allen who can do a little bit of a everything?

"Allen is a wrecking ball," an NFC South area scout said. "That dude does it all, and he's so fast at reading and reacting."

Ultimately, ESPN's Matt Miller picked Hill as the number one linebacker in the 2026 draft class.

"We're once again comparing two players who are listed at the same position but play it very differently," Miller wrote. "I'll go with Hill, who has a chance to be a top-five pick come April."

Both Allen and Hill are set to be two of the best defensive players in the SEC this season. Regardless of who is goes into the draft as the top linebacker in the class, it';s likely that both will be pegged as first round projections by the end of the year.