Top Linebackers - 2026 NFL Draft Preseason Watch List

John B. Everett
Aug 17
7 min read

Updated: Aug 19

*Suntarine Perkins / LB-EDGE / Ole Miss*

From the vantage point of mid-August, the 2026 LB class may be one of the better classes to enter the NFL in the last decade with as many as a half dozen off the ball and inside LBs grading out as first-round picks, and that is not including Suntarine Perkins (Ole Miss) and Harold Perkins (LSU), who’s best skills are rushing the passer but project as LBs on early run downs in the NFL due to size concerns. Unfortunately for these athletes, the NFL Draft values LBs less than the premium positions of QB, WR, OT, EDGE, IDL, and CB, so these prospects will likely be drafted far later than their value dictates.

Top of the Class

1. Suntarine Perkins (LB-EDGE) / Ole Miss

The junior is a true freak of nature athletically who has loose hips and great ankle flexion, which allows him to display incredible agility and cutting ability for a pass rusher. Perkins displays fantastic range against the run and possesses the athletic profile to match up with TEs, RBs, and some WRs in man coverage while exhibiting a fantastic closing burst on the ball carrier or the QB. Perkins finished with 10.5 sacks last season and may be the best pure pass rusher in college football but his lack of size (6’1” / 210 lbs) makes him a liability against the run when he is on the LOS, especially against power rushing teams. Perkins looks like a possible Top 10 pick next April.

2. Kyle Louis / Pittsburgh

Amongst traditional, old school off the ball LBs, Louis appears to be the best in his class. The junior displays elite instincts and read and reaction skills. Louis rarely takes a misstep and is rarely fooled. Louis has average size for the position – 6’1” / 220 lbs – but typically beats the blocker to the hole and secures the tackle. Louis breaks down well and is a reliable tackler - he finished with 100 tackles last season. And Louis is more than just a tackling machine, he is a true difference maker as he recorded seven sacks, had four INTs, with one returned for a TD, and three passes defensed in 2024. Louis looks like a high first round draft pick once he enters the draft.

3. Anthony Hill / Texas

Hill is coming off a breakout season in 2024 where he seemed to be wherever the ball was as he earned All-American honors as a sophomore while recording 113 tackles, eight sacks, one interception, and one pass defensed for the Longhorns. Hill, a starter since his freshman season, has prototypical size (6’3” / 238 lbs), very good sideline to sideline range, and great read and reaction skills. Hill has the speed and agility to effectively neutralize TEs in man coverage with the strength to shed blocks and secure tackles within the box. Hill’s instincts are still developing but he is rarely fooled by play action. Hill looks like a Top 20 pick, and as soon as the 2026 NFL Draft.

4. Harold Perkins (LB-EDGE) / LSU

Perkins burst on to the national scene as a true freshman in 2022 when he looked like the second coming of Micah Parsons (Cowboys), terrorizing QBs on his way to recording 7.5 sacks on the season. His best skill is rushing the passer but lacks the desired size for 4-3 EDGE responsibilities. Extremely athletic and quick with a great closing burst on the QB or ball carrier. Reacts quickly to the run and comes downhill fast. Instincts are improving but still a work in progress. Lacks substantial experience as an off the ball LB and missed most of last season with an ACL injury suffered against UCLA in September of last year.

5. Jaishawn Barham / Michigan

Barham is peaking as he enters his senior season in Ann Arbor. He has always been very fast and rangy but too often had to use his speed to make up for missteps he had made reading the wrong key. But by the end of the 2024 season, those issues had been mostly corrected. Barham has ideal size (6’3” / 243 lbs) for off the ball LB with enough strength to stack and shed in the box and the speed and agility to hang with RBs in man coverage. Barham is an elite athlete with fantastic agility who needs to further refine his game his senior season. His blitzing ability is an underutilized weapon – he has eight total sacks over the last three years.

Other Names to Monitor:

· Deontae Lawson / Alabama. Another senior who is hoping to bounce back from injury, Lawson (6’2” / 228 lbs) has been a productive starter when healthy. Lawson missed significant time last year and needs a healthy season to make his best case to the NFL. Lawson may be the best coverage LB in his class with 12 passes defensed over the last three seasons.

· Jacob Rodriguez / Texas Tech. Rodriguez became an instant impact starter as a junior in Lubbock, becoming a difference maker on defense. Rodriguez (6’1” / 230 lbs) recorded 127 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception last season. The Red Raiders loaded up on defense around Rodriguez which should allow him to excel, even if his stats do not quite match up to the 2024 season.

· CJ Allen / Georgia. Allen (6’1” / 235 lbs) has been a contributor to the Bulldogs defense for the last two years and enters his second year as a starter. Allen possesses very good speed and range – he flows quickly sideline to sideline. Allen displays good read and reaction skills. He is a quality coverage LB with the speed and agility to handle TEs and some RBs in man coverage. Very powerful tackler who breaks down well in space to secure tackles. Finished last season with 76 tackles, one sack, one INT, and four passes defensed.

· Ernest Hausmann / Michigan. Hausman makes up one half of one of the best LB tandems in the country. Hausman is starting for the second consecutive year and will be a three- year contributor in Ann Arbor. Hausmann (6’2” / 235 lbs) possesses desired size and length and matches up well with TEs in coverage. Hausmann fills aggressively against the run – he brings his pads on contact and is a reliable tackler in space. Hausmann is one of the best Sam (strong side) LBs in college football. Hausmann finished the 2024 season with 89 tackles, two sacks, one INT, and one pass defensed.

· Xavian Sorey / Arkansas. Sorey last season started living up to the immense hype that followed him to Georgia as a 5-star recruit and the top LB recruit in the nation. However, Sorey could never win the starting job in Athens which prompted him to transfer to Arkansas. As a first-year starter in 2024, Sorey recorded 99 tackles, two sacks, one INT, and one pass defensed. Ideal frame and length (6’3”) with quality mass (231 lbs). Extremely athletic – light on his feet, with loose hips, and is naturally explosive. Fast with tremendous range. Very good blitzer with agility and a great closing burst. Sorey could work himself into first-round consideration with a similar season this year in Fayetteville.

· Taurean York / Texas A&M. York may not quite have the desired NFL measureables, lacking the desired height and length (5’10”) while carrying good mass (227 lbs). York is entering his third year as the starter and has been consistently productive, having amassed 156 tackles, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one INT, and four passes defensed over the last two seasons. York has tremendous foot quickness and range but he lacks some strength and tries to avoid blockers as opposed to stacking and shedding. His speed and agility allow him to match up well with RBs and some TEs in coverage.

· Whit Weeks / LSU

Weeks was a first-time starter for the Tigers in 2024 and was a revelation on the field – 120 tackles. 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one INT, and four passes defensed as a sophomore. Weeks looks the part of a modern-era NFL LB – 6’2” / 225 lbs. Excellent read and reaction skills. Very good instincts. Very intelligent and a sound technician. Flows through bodies around the LOS and displays an impressive closing burst on the ball carrier or QB in the backfield. Fundamentally solid tackler who breaks down well in the open field.

· Jason Henderson / Old Dominion

Henderson entered last season with a ton of buzz after the 2022 and 2023 seasons where he averaged 173 tackles, and recorded five sacks, for the Monarchs. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury and redshirted in 2024. Henderson is an old school middle LB with excellent strength and shedding ability and he navigates through bodies like a pro. Health is obviously the main concern with Henderson, who averaged 14.2 tackles per game in 2023, and he needs to prove he has the athleticism to play in space with NFL-level talent. The senior gets his first opportunity to impress NFL personnel departments when Old Dominion visits last season’s Cinderella team – Indiana in Bloomington on August 30.