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2026 LB Rankings
1.
Arvell Reese
Archetype: One of a Kind
Pro Comp: Micah Parsons x Brian Orakpo
Grade: 1st round
School:
Ohio State
Height:
6'4
Weight:
243lbs
Strengths:
Downright dominant in run support; bullies blockers with his stack-and-shed. Upside to be a dominant power rusher off the edge in the NFL; developing repertoire of moves already. Reliable edge setter. Great tackler with bone-crushing hit power. Elite size and length. Fluid mover with build-up speed. Solid zone eyes for a young player. Will be 20 years old on draft night.
Weaknesses:
Some teams will see him as an edge, others as a LB; limited experience in both roles. Average burst and quickness. Struggles to carry routes vertically in zone coverage. Hasn't shown he can be relied upon in man coverage.
2.
Sonny Styles
Archetype: Moneybacker
Pro Comp: Anthony Barr
Grade: 1st round
School:
Ohio State
Height:
6'5
Weight:
243lbs
Strengths:
Elite frame; rare height and length combo that's been filled out well. Exceptional burst and pursuit speed for a player of his size. Great play recognition to go with his reactive athleticism. Very impressive block shedding; knows how to use his length to his advantage. Great range in pursuit. Former safety who's reliable in man coverage vs. TEs.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistent eyes in zone coverage; could work to improve carrying routes vertically. Play action occasionally catches him off guard; eyes are often in the backfield.
3.
CJ Allen
Archetype: Thumper
Pro Comp: D'Qwell Jackson
Grade: 2nd round
School:
Georgia
Height:
6'1
Weight:
235lbs
Strengths:
Elite tackler with legit stopping power; misses just 5.7% of attempts in 2025. Hard-nosed run defender who uses his dense frame to blow up lead blockers. Intelligent downhill attacker who sifts through the trash with ease and arrives at the runner quickly. Effective blitzer with power, motor, and production. Requisite athletic traits to improve his coverage and pass rush.
Weaknesses:
Fairly unreliable in coverage but has improved from '24 to '25; needs to continue developing his route recognition. Overall awareness is a bit slow; needs to tighten up his zone coverage IQ and play diagnosis. Average frame allows blockers to reach his chest and maul him occasionally. Bites on play action too hard too often. Good athlete but not great.
4.
Anthony Hill Jr.
Archetype: Run-and-Chase WILL
Pro Comp: Rashaan Evans
Grade: 2nd round
School:
Texas
Height:
6'3
Weight:
238lbs
Strengths:
Has become an elite tackler in '25; 4.5% miss rate. Height and length are great, but his frame is dense and filled out too. Great play recognition to put himself in position to make plays. Good athlete with great spatial IQ and lateral quickness; flows very well. Dangerous blitzer with a hot motor; does well to use his upper body strength and great length. Will be 21 as a rookie.
Weaknesses:
Stack-and-shed is lackluster; often goes around blocks instead of taking them on and maintaining lane discipline. Covers grass in zone coverage; needs to identify and squeeze potential receivers. Flows well downhill but hip tightness impacts his ability to turn and cover downfield.
5.
Jake Golday
Archetype: Moneybacker
Pro Comp: De'Vondre Campbell
Grade: 2nd round
School:
Cincinnati
Height:
6'4
Weight:
240lbs
Strengths:
Will blow up the Combine with his elite straight-line speed and measurements. Huge, powerful frame with thunder in his hands; stack-and-shed is borderline elite. Excellent tackler who is constantly making plays around the LOS; big hits coming downhill from hooks and flats. Good technique; stares square to the LOS and moves with awesome range. Alignment versatility is proven.
Weaknesses:
Plays a fairly weird role at Cincy that raises questions over his ability to consistently play a traditional box role. Eyes are too often in the backfield; still developing his play recognition faculties. Played a lot of edge prior to his time at Cincy but isn't all that impressive as a pass rusher; production comes from volume/motor rather than effectiveness. Still developing zone coverage ability.
6.
Josiah Trotter
Archetype: 2-Down Thumper
Pro Comp: Vince Williams
Grade: 2nd round
School:
Missouri
Height:
6'2
Weight:
237lbs
Strengths:
Dense, super strong frame with thunder in his hands; stack-and-shed is best-in-class. Great tackler with solid stopping power. Decisive run defender who closes downhill in a hurry; elite play recognition against the run. Sifts through trash and puts himself in position to make a play. Excellent blitzer who makes the most of his opportunities; has a repertoire of moves. Will be barely 21 on draft night.
Weaknesses:
Complete liability in zone coverage; awareness is low playing hooks and flats. Great run diagnosis skills come at the cost of getting burned by play action. Lacks any meaningful ball production as a pass defender. Hasn't displayed any reliability in man coverage.
7.
Jacob Rodriguez
Archetype:
Pro Comp:
Grade: 3rd round
School:
Texas Tech
Height:
6'1
Weight:
235lbs
Strengths:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Strengths:
8.
Red Murdock
Archetype:
Pro Comp:
Grade: 3rd round
School:
Buffalo
Height:
6'1
Weight:
240lbs
Strengths:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Strengths:
9.
Deontae Lawson
Archetype:
Pro Comp:
Grade: 4th round
School:
Alabama
Height:
6'2
Weight:
228lbs
Strengths:
Coming soon
Weaknesses:
Coming soon
10.
Lander Barton
Archetype: Hybrid Freak Athlete
Pro Comp: Manny Lawson
Grade: 4th round
School:
Utah
Height:
6'4
Weight:
240lbs
Strengths:
Coming soon
Weaknesses:
Coming soon
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