Kelly: Analyzing the NFL’s 2025 draft class of linebackers | Opinion
Football’s offensive evolution has had a ripple effect on the types of defensive players teams need for today’s game.
To counter the pass-happy spread offenses that have infiltrated the college and pro ranks, inside linebackers have been forced to evolve, becoming more pass coverage specialists to defend athletic tight ends who threaten seams, and tailbacks coming out the backfield.
It is to the point that two-down linebackers are being phased out of the game, much like fullbacks.
The position has become so devalued through the years there have been only 18 inside linebackers (not edge rushers) taken in the first round the past decade. And of those 18 players only five — Jordyn Brooks, Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith, Leighton Vander Esch and Shaq Thompson — have become productive multiyear starters for NFL teams.
That’s why teams typically wait till the second and third day to address this position, and don’t expect this year to be any different because the top inside linebacker available in the 2025 NFL draft all have glaring flaws.
Top Prospects
▪ Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker — Walker is a hybrid talent as an off-the-ball linebacker who has worked some on the edge. His frame (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) and strength allows him to hold his own against offensive linemen, but it’s not the best idea to play this 12.5-sack producer as a every-down rusher, or have him set the edge. He can match routes in coverage, but projecting him as a 4-3 inside linebacker is a little risky. He’s best fit into a 3-4 scheme as a jack-of-all-trades-type linebacker.
▪ Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell — Campbell has impressive movement skills for an off-the-ball linebacker of his size (6-3, 244 pounds), and his speed (4.52 in the 40) hints he can cover downfield. But he has only started for a season and a half for the Crimson tide. At the next level he won’t always be bigger and faster than everyone he faces, so he will need to tone down his aggressive style, because it can be exploited.
▪ South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight Jr. — Knight, who produced 229 tackles (16.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks and four interceptions during his college career, is an old-school, downhill thumper as a linebacker. He rarely gets stuck on blockers and has the mental tools to turn into this draft’s defensive rookie of the year. What he lacks is speed (4.58 time in the 40-yard dash) and at 24 he’s one of this draft’s older prospects.
▪ UCLA Carson Schwesinger - Schwesinger, who had a dynamic 2024 season for the Bruins, contributing 136 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions, plays with range, and instinct. This former walk-on has impressive short area movement skills, and he has the ability to be a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine. He was a starter for only one season, so expect teams to be patient with his selection, possibly targeting him in the third round.
▪ Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman — Even though Stutsman was a tackling machine in college (376 career tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions) he might lack the stack-and-shed ability in the NFL going up against bigger and stronger offensive players. He needs to refine his tackling approach and clean up his man coverage. But Stutsman could be a Day 3 steal for a defense looking for vocal play caller.
▪ Sleeper: Georgia Smael Mondon Jr. -—Mondon is a former five-star recruit who didn’t exactly live up to expectations at Georgia, but some of that had to do with the amount of talent around him. He produced 212 tackles (17.5 for loss), eight sacks and one interception in his four seasons, and was used in a variety of ways. While he struggles to anchor against linemen, he’s effective covering downfield, which hints he could be a three-down weak-side linebacker for a team that targets him early in the draft’s third day.
▪ Best of the rest: Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., Clemson’s Barrett Carter, Buffalo’s Shaun Dolac, Iowa’s Jay Higgins, Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa and Oklahoma State’s Nick Martin could all wind up starting inside linebackers in the NFL, so expect all to be taken by the fifth round. Ohio State’s Cody Simon, Notre Dame’s Jack Kiser, and California’s Teddy Buchanan could all become late-round gems.
▪ Teams in need: If teams could find a Fred Warner in every draft, Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner wouldn’t still be top-five players at their positions 13 years into their NFL careers. Tennessee, Miami, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Washington and Buffalo all need to upgrade their inside linebacker unit, getting younger at the position.
▪ Dolphins focus: Brooks and Tyrel Dodson each put up his best statistical season from a production standpoint. They combined for 250 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions, but a decent amount of Dodson’s production was made in Seattle, before the Seahawks waived him at midseason him and added him to the roster. The biggest concern about Brooks and Dodson is the fact both are more weak-side linebackers (coverage specialists) than instinctive run stuffers. That will need to be figured out during training camp. Depth is also a concern because K.J. Britt, and Willie Gay Jr. are the only proven backups since Channing Tindall hasn’t contributed in three seasons, and the former fourth-round pick might not survive training camp’s cuts. The Dolphins would benefit from adding an inside linebacker late in the draft to help replenish that unit.
