Bowl season is officially underway in college football, with the College Football Playoff starting last night. Most of these prospects have finished putting out tape in their college careers, so it’s time for me to officially unveil my updated position rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Today I’m ranking my top 10 linebackers, an increasingly interesting position in the NFL. Linebackers are becoming more important than ever, with a tight end renaissance underway and offenses spamming the middle of the field. Yet teams often refuse to pay linebackers, instead relying on rookies and young players to fill in for those responsibilities.

This year’s class is a good one, with some elite, elite prospects at the top and a nice collection of Day 2 and Day 3 players with upside. There’s a lot to like about this class, and it’s a deep one, too.

If you’d like to check out my other updated position rankings, you can do so below:

• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Edge Rushers

1: Arvell Reese, Ohio State

A four-star recruit from Cleveland, Reese was exclusively a special teamer as a true freshman in 2023 before playing backup minutes in 2024, racking up 43 tackles and a sack. With Cody Simon’s departure to the NFL, Reese stepped into a full-time starting role as a junior, and with that move, his production exploded. He has 62 tackles, seven sacks and two passes defensed so far in 2025, shooting his name up draft boards and earning all kinds of postseason accolades. Reese was named a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten as one of the most dynamic defenders in the country.

At 6-4, 243 pounds, Reese is a physical monster with prototypical size and strength, something that’s a little rarer in the modern game. What makes him special is his speed and athleticism at that size — he flies around the football field, making plays sideline-to-sideline and routinely outrunning running backs and receivers to do it. His play speed is sensational, with quick processing and diagnosing of play designs, plus the reaction times to put his immense physical tools to use. At the point of attack, Reese plays with impressive strength, holding up against linemen in space and working through them to make plays.

Pass rushing is Reese’s true strength, however, and he’s very good at it. He has an explosive first step that puts tackles in recovery mode immediately, with superb speed to power moves to take advantage of the momentum he generates. His hands are violent and constantly working, using his length to keep the tackle at bay and working back to the quarterback. Reese can work through blockers or dart around them in an instant, and that multifaceted threat keeps tackles guessing snap to snap.

Right now, Reese struggles in coverage. As a bigger linebacker, he can get outworked by some smaller slot receivers and backs in space. He also doesn’t have the experience yet in zone coverage to be comfortable, giving up too soft a cushion on a number of reps and being a step slow to the ball in others. As a pass rusher, he’s still learning actual pass rush moves and is currently winning off athleticism and instinct. It’s a good start, but he needs to continue to work on that part of his game.

Micah Parsons changed how linebackers are evaluated moving from college to the NFL. Now, someone with Reese’s combination of size, athleticism and pass rush production is viewed through an edge rusher lens as well, not just a linebacker one. Reese’s potential as a pass rusher is immense, but it’s not his only possible fit in the league. He has a ton of positional flexibility and with more experience in coverage, could be an excellent off-ball linebacker. But pass rushers are more valuable, and his ceiling there is why he’s a top-five player in this class.

2: Sonny Styles, Ohio State

A five-star recruit who stayed in his home state of Ohio, Styles started out as a safety for the Buckeyes, beginning as a backup in 2022 as a 17-year-old true freshman. He became a starter in 2023, with 53 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed on the year. His junior season in 2024 changed his career trajectory, moving to linebacker with great success. Styles had 100 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble and five passes defensed, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. As a senior, Styles cemented himself as one of the league’s best, totaling 81 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, an interception and three passes defensed on his way to first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten recognition.

Measuring at 6-5, 243 pounds, Styles made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List as one of the most athletic players in all of college football. He’s massive for a converted safety but still moves like one, silky-smooth when changing direction and with incredible short-area burst. Violent in his run fits and capable of plowing through blockers, he plays like an old-school linebacker against the run, blowing up plays with some highlight-reel hits. Styles has true sideline-to-sideline range and can make absurd plays on the opposite side of the field from where he started. He didn’t miss a single tackle in 2025.

In coverage, Styles excels, showing off his safety background with a nuanced understanding of how to play zones. He uses his long arms to deflect passes and close throwing lanes, taking up a massive amount of space in the middle of the field. Styles can close on the ball in an instant, rarely yielding yards after the catch and keeping things in front of him. In man coverage, he shows off his mirroring ability and can stay with backs, tight ends, and slot receivers with equal effectiveness, using his size/speed combo to his advantage in each matchup. He can even rush the passer off the edge — he’s not limited to just being a blitzer.

Styles only has two years at the linebacker position, and he’s still learning how to play it. He plays the wrong gap at times, ceding unnecessary yards, and he’s occasionally out of position. Other than that, there isn’t much to criticize with his game.

If your team needs a traditional off-ball linebacker, Styles is your guy, and it’s not close. He’s the best traditional linebacker I’ve scouted in years, and I almost ranked him above Reese (and I still might make that switch before we get to draft day). In a class without many certified blue-chip players at the top, don’t be surprised if Styles goes in the top 10. He’s the kind of linebacker who completely changes what your defense can do, defying traditional wisdom about positional value. Guys with the fluidity and short-area quickness of Styles just don’t usually exist at his size.

3: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

A consensus five-star high school recruit from Texas, Hill started right away as a true freshman and put up 67 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble and two passes defensed, earning freshman All-America status and being named the Big 12’s Defensive Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he was even more impressive, totaling 113 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, an interception and a pass defensed. Hill was named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American for his efforts that year, and entered 2025 with quite a bit of hype. He wasn’t quite able to hit the statistical highs of his sophomore season, but as a junior, he still had 70 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a pass defensed in just 10 games, earning him first-team All-SEC status.

An old-school thumper of a linebacker at 6-3, 238 pounds, Hill is a downhill playmaker. He reads the field incredibly well, putting his foot in the ground and making for the ball-carrier like he was shot out of a cannon. Combined with his impressive lateral quickness and agility, he can make insane plays against the run, covering sideline-to-sideline and making plays in the backfield. When he makes contact with someone, he makes them feel it, delivering bone-crushing hits to ball-carriers and blockers alike that set a physical tone for the game.

Hill is solid in coverage, with great zone instincts and fluid movement skills in space. He plays with good awareness in space, keeping shallow receivers in front of him and rallying to make the tackle. Despite his reputation, Hill can get deep quickly and break up passes down the seam or on in-breaking routes from his underneath position. As a pass rusher, he is relentless, flying through gaps as a blitzer and utilizing some real pass rush moves to win on the edge.

While he has the ability to improve, Hill struggles in man coverage right now. It’s more a technique than an athleticism issue, but he’s often a step behind his man and can get a little grabby, which will draw flags in the NFL. For all his aggressiveness, he can occasionally overrun plays, and savvy backs at the next level will punish him for it. Playing a little more under control moving forward will be important for him.

I have a second-round grade on Hill but I wouldn’t hate it at all if he went in the back end of the first round. He’s so fluid for his skillset and plays with a violent aggression that’s infectious to those around him. If he can get more comfortable in man coverage, he’ll be that much better — but I don’t think he’s a liability even as it stands. Hill is a good zone defender so he won’t automatically be played off the field in passing situations, and he has tremendous growth potential.

4: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

A four-star high school quarterback from Texas, Rodriguez committed to Virginia and played all across the offense before transferring to the Red Raiders after the season. He switched to defense while in Lubbock, mainly playing special teams in 2022 and losing almost the entire 2023 season to a foot injury. In 2024, he came back with a vengeance, putting up 127 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and four passes defensed. Rodriguez was named consensus first-team All-Big 12 in the process. As a fifth-year senior, he once again posted a monster stat line of 117 tackles, a sack, seven forced fumbles, four interceptions and six passes defensed. He was named a consensus first-team All-American after the season and won countless awards, including the Lombardi, Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Dick Butkus awards.

At 6-1, 230 pounds, Rodriguez plays bigger than his listed size. He is a devastating run defender, covering sideline to sideline with ease and making smart reads to fill the right gaps. You will never catch Rodriguez out of position, and he is a master of knifing through small gaps in the blocking scheme to blow up a play and make a critical tackle. Even when offensive linemen get their hands on him, he uses his strong hands to free himself to make plays. When given the opportunity, he’s not afraid to lay the boom, delivering bone-rattling hits with the precision to knock the football loose.

Turnovers are something Rodriguez prides himself on, and he has great ball skills to go with a nose for the football. In coverage, he plays his zones with impressive discipline, using his range to lock down multiple throwing lanes and timing his breaks to get his hands on the football. In man coverage, Rodriguez plays with clean hands and has the movement skills to stick with his man in space. He’s also a smart pass rusher, timing his blitzes well and causing havoc in the backfield.

Rodriguez struggles sometimes when matched up in coverage against slot receivers one-on-one, something he’d be best to avoid in the NFL. Texas Tech gave him a lot of freedom to do what he wanted in that defense, which led to him making aggressive moves to force turnovers that would cause an NFL defensive coordinator to pull their hair out. In a more traditional scheme, that shouldn’t be as much of an issue. I also question how good an athlete Rodriguez really is, and his Combine testing will be important.

A fan favorite in college football over the last two years, Rodriguez has monster production at this level. He’s not just a college player, though — he has legitimate NFL skills that should translate, even if it takes him some time to get up to speed. I like him as a third-round prospect with upside, and if he tests better than I expect, that grade will rise.

5: Taurean York, Texas A&M

A three-star recruit from Texas, York surprised by starting as a true freshman with 74 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, earning freshman All-American honors after the season. As a sophomore, he stepped up his game with 82 tackles, two sacks, four passes defensed and an interception. As a junior in 2025, York was named second-team All-SEC after posting 67 tackles, a sack and two passes defensed.

York is small at just 5-10 and 227 pounds. But he doesn’t play like it, flying downhill to make plays at the line of scrimmage. He’s incredibly skilled at reading plays as they develop, rarely caught out of position and always in the right spot to make the right play. One of the surest tacklers in this class, York often forgoes the big hits for textbook tackling form, ensuring the play is dead when he makes contact. When in pursuit, he can run down the ball carrier from the backside or down the field, never giving up on a play prematurely.

Coverage is where York thrives, as he can use his smaller frame to his advantage. He stays sticky in man with tight ends and receivers alike, with good production at the catch point. When in zone coverage, he keeps his head on a swivel and locks down his area, matching routes as they enter and sticking to his fundamentals. Despite his size, York is excellent at playing through blocks, with the strength to hold up and the expert hand usage to pay it off.

There are times when York’s size becomes an issue, namely when bigger offensive linemen get their hands on him to slow him down. He lacks the length to out-leverage these linemen, leaving him in a bit of limbo. As a pass rusher or blitzer, York mostly just tries to run through people. He doesn’t possess any real pass-rush moves to his name.

If you’re willing to overlook his 5-10 frame, York is a great third-round prospect. He’s built to play linebacker in the modern NFL, with great coverage instincts and solid run defense skills as well. You don’t need to sacrifice one or the other to get York on the field, and he plays such an appealing brand of football. This guy’s been an underdog his entire career, and he hasn’t let that slow him down yet. I wouldn’t want to bet against him.

6: CJ Allen, Georgia

A four-star recruit from Georgia, Allen played rotationally for the Bulldogs as a true freshman in 2023, stepping into a regular starting role in 2024. That year, he had 76 tackles, four passes defensed and an interception, cementing himself as a key piece of Georgia’s defense. But his true breakout came as a junior when he had 85 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed, earning first-team All-American and consensus first-team All-SEC recognition.

At 6-1, 235 pounds, Allen is a premier run stuffer. He flies around the field, bringing the boom as a tackler from sideline to sideline. He reads the field well, making his run fits with both speed and precision to bring the ball carrier down. Even when offensive linemen get their hands on him, he works through their blocks, with great hand usage and the power necessary to free himself to make plays. Allen is rarely washed out of the action, utilizing quick movements and great discard techniques to make sure he stays connected to the play.

Allen has incredibly quick acceleration, which makes him a weapon when running down the ball carrier or coming in on a blitz. He has great blitz production thanks to his combination of size and speed, overwhelming running backs trying to pick him up. Rarely overplaying his hand, Allen almost never lets himself be caught off-guard, staying disciplined against play action and quickly falling into his coverage assignments. You won’t find a more dutiful student of the game in this class.

Where Allen struggles is in space. He’s often outworked when in man coverage, lacking the short-area agility to stay with backs and tight ends and often a step behind his man. Offenses were able to repeatedly exploit him in coverage to great success, and he lacks the burst to break on the ball even if he properly reads the play. Allen has a tendency to overrun plays, leading to ample cutback opportunities, and he needs to stay disciplined with his run fits despite the window dressing an offense presents.

I have a third-round grade on Allen, which is notably below consensus. I have major concerns with his coverage abilities and I don’t trust that he’ll automatically fix them in the NFL. His athletic gifts are real, but he struggles in space and in tight spaces, and I’m not sure that’s going to change. As a run defender, it doesn’t get much better than Allen, but there are a lot of two-down linebackers in the NFL — the ones worth taking in the top 50 are useful in coverage, too.

7: Whit Weeks, LSU

A four-star recruit from Georgia, Weeks made an impact as a true freshman, mostly playing on special teams while logging some reserve defensive snaps. He had a massive breakout campaign in 2024 as a sophomore, with 120 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and four passes defensed. That performance earned him consensus first-team All-SEC honors, though he suffered a serious ankle injury in LSU’s bowl game. Weeks reaggravated that injury early in his junior season, only returning for the season finale.

Measuring at 6-2, 225 pounds, Weeks is a premier athlete. He flies around the football field, possessing true sideline-to-sideline range and rarely getting outflanked. With all that speed comes the strength, and he can stack and shed offensive linemen like a defensive lineman who weighs 50 pounds more. He hits hard, making contact and delivering blows designed to create highlights and dislodge the football.

In coverage, Weeks has nice range and instincts, thriving in zone coverage when he can play off multiple routes and use his length to close throwing windows. Even in man coverage, he has the flexibility to stick with his man in space, and he doesn’t play overly physical to the point of drawing flags. As a student of the game, Weeks showcases an advanced understanding of offensive systems and play designs, frequently blowing up plays as they develop because he recognized something the offense was doing. He has upside as a blitzer, as well.

Weeks is undersized and that results in him getting washed out of some plays without much he can do about it. He has a bad habit of overrunning plays and his aggression can be exploited by smart offenses who try to target him specifically. As a tackler, Weeks sometimes goes for the big hit instead of the smart play, leading to too many missed tackles on his film.

If Weeks is healthy, I like his upside as a coverage linebacker who isn’t a liability in heavier packages. I see some similarities between him and Carson Schwesinger last year, and Schwesinger is having a great rookie season in the league. While he’s small for my liking, he plays hard and is versatile, which only improves his stock. I have Weeks with a third-round grade at the moment.

8: Harold Perkins Jr., LSU

A top 10 overall recruit in the class of 2022 from Houston, Perkins made a huge splash as a true freshman for the Tigers. Playing a combination of off-ball linebacker and edge rusher, he had 72 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and four passes defensed, being named first-team All-SEC. As a sophomore, he transitioned off-ball full-time, still putting up 74 tackles, six sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and four passes defensed, earning second-team All-SEC despite his struggles with the position change. Perkins tore his ACL early in the 2024 season but came back strong in 2025, now playing the “star” role in LSU’s defense as a safety/linebacker hybrid. He posted 55 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, three interceptions and three passes defensed, being named third-team All-SEC.

At 6-1, 222 pounds, Perkins really is a tweener in the NFL. He is exceptionally athletic, with true sideline-to-sideline speed and the play speed of a man with his hair on fire. Never taking a play off or slowing down for a moment, Perkins is always looking to deliver the next big hit or come up with the next big turnover. And he’s great at producing both, with a nose for the football and a mentality to hit harder and harder on each play. As a pass rusher, he plays with superb timing and footwork, using his speed to bend the corner in an instant and flatten back to the quarterback. Pass rushing really is his calling card and what he’s most comfortable doing, and it’s easy to see why. He’s so gifted at it.

Perkins’ athleticism shows up in coverage, too. He has incredible range on the back end and can erase entire sides of the field. Combined with his ball skills and instincts, it makes throwing in his direction a risky proposition. He can close on the ball to make plays from absurd ranges, and he’s getting better and more comfortable reading the offense and being in the right position. Against the run, Perkins can arrive at the football before the blockers do, blowing up plays through his diagnostic skills and play speed alone.

In high school, Perkins played edge rusher. He’s still learning to play off-ball positions, and this shows up in a few areas. He gets lost in coverage a little too often, being out of position and missing his basic assignments. In man coverage, he’s often a step slow, lacking the confidence and short-area quickness to stay sticky in tight coverage. Given his undersized frame, he can get washed out of plays when linemen get their hands on him, and he sometimes takes himself out of the play by overpursuing.

I really don’t know what to do with Perkins. At his best, he could be like Derwin James or a prime Jamal Adams — jacks of all trades who found a home position and thrived in part because of their versatility. At his worst, he would be the next Isaiah Simmons, someone who didn’t really have a natural position in the NFL and got washed out of the league as a result. If the right coaching staff gets their hands on him, he could be an incredibly dangerous defensive weapon. But if he’s asked to play a traditional position straight-up, he’ll likely struggle. Depending on your plan for him, I wouldn’t hate seeing him go in the third round, and he’s definitely worth a fourth-round pick.

9: Deontae Lawson, Alabama

A five-star recruit from Mobile, Alabama, Lawson redshirted in 2021 before moving into a regular role as a redshirt freshman in 2022. He moved into the starting lineup in 2023, totaling 67 tackles, three sacks and four passes defensed. His 2024 season was cut a little short after suffering a season-ending leg injury late in the year, but he didn’t miss a beat as a redshirt senior. Lawson had 66 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defensed this past season, earning second-team All-SEC recognition.

Despite being a little undersized at 6-2, 228 pounds, Lawson delivers some of the biggest hits in the class. One of the most patient and cerebral linebackers you’ll watch, he lets a play develop before firing to the ball, laying out the ball carrier with precision and violence. One of the leaders of this Crimson Tide defense, he gets his guys going with the plays he makes and ups his energy levels in the biggest moments. Lawson rarely gets caught up on contact, freeing himself from linemen climbing to his level with sophisticated hand fighting techniques, staying clear to make tackles.

In coverage, Lawson flashes some high-end abilities. His awareness when dropping into zones is top-notch, keeping his eyes on the quarterback without losing track of routes in his area. As a blitzer, Lawson uses good timing to disrupt the quarterback and has a few moves in his bag as well.

Lawson does have a few concerning athletic limitations. He doesn’t really have sideline-to-sideline range, limiting his ability to be a plus run defender at the next level. His strength at the point of attack is a major weakness, often engulfed by linemen or just run through by the back. In coverage, Lawson lacks the short-area quickness to be effective in man coverage, and offenses repeatedly picked on him when they got him matched up one-on-one.

I have a mid-round grade on Lawson, which is lower than the consensus. I’m concerned with his lack of range in both coverage and run defense, and while he plays smart and has good instincts, that may not be enough in the NFL. Still, he’s so fundamentally sound and has some upside in the middle rounds if he’s able to overcome his athletic limitations.

10: Bryce Boettcher, Oregon

A three-sport high school athlete from Eugene who originally came to Oregon as a baseball player, Boettcher played one year of baseball for the Ducks before walking onto the football team in 2022, continuing his baseball career at the same time. In 2024, he had 94 tackles, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and four passes defensed, being named second-team All-Big Ten. He was drafted into the MLB by the Astros after the season, but decided to forgo baseball and focus exclusively on football. As a senior, Boettcher had 104 tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and three passes defensed, once again earning second-team All-Big Ten recognition.

Boettcher is a bit undersized at just 6-2, 232 pounds, but he’s put on good weight over the last few years as he’s turned his attention to football. Despite his relative lack of experience at linebacker, he plays with great instincts, reading the field well and diagnosing plays as they develop. He’s clearly a student of the game, putting in work in the film room and it pays off on game days. He plugs the gaps in run defense well, making his fits and is a sure tackler when he gets his hands on the ball carrier.

An exceptional coverage defender, Boettcher has a great blend of range and short-area quickness. He can stick with tight ends and backs in man coverage, but he’s especially dangerous in zone, when he can keep his eyes on the quarterback and exploit his knowledge of the game to pick off passes and bother throwing lanes. You never have to question his motor, either, as he embraces the defensive motto of “play through the whistle.”

I do question Boettcher’s functional athleticism at the next level. He already gets caught in traffic too much, struggling to free himself from blocks to make plays. I wouldn’t categorize him as having sideline-to-sideline speed, and as a result, he can get outflanked in the run game. As a coverage defender, he struggles with smaller, shiftier players, and his blitz production isn’t great. Right now, Boettcher mostly just tries to run through a gap on a blitz, often getting picked up and neutralized.

As a mid-round pick, Boettcher has a lot of upside. His success in baseball showcases his athletic versatility, and he plays an appealing brand of disciplined football. Even if he’s exposed a little bit in certain situations in the NFL, he’s a long-time special teamer at worst. Depth linebackers are increasingly important in today’s game and Boettcher can be that and more.