Inside Linebacker Class
Early-round talent: CMid-round: B-
Late-round: B-
Overall grade: C+
2024 prospects vs 2025
Jihaad CampballeEdgerrin Cooper
Danny Stutsman
Carson Schwesinger
Junior Colson
Trevin Wallace
Jeffrey Bassa
Marist Liufau
Ty’Ron Hopper
Barrett Carter
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
The 2024 NFL Draft was a subpar class of linebackers. There is a clear-cut first-round caliber linebacker in most years, but that was not the case last year. This year’s draft has more linebacker talent. This year is a stronger class with a legit first-rounder in Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell and some quality prospects for day two and the mid-rounds.
If you were to merge the two classes together, Campbell would be ahead of Edgerrin Cooper. Stutsman and Schwesinger are a little below Cooper but also worthy second-rounders. Jeffery Bassa is a comparable third-rounder like Colson, Wallace, and Liufua. Barrett Carter would be behind Hopper.
Safest Pick: Jihaad Campbell, Alabama 
Previous Picks:2023 Edgerrin Cooper
2023 Jack Campbell
2022 Devin Lloyd
2021 Jamin Davis
2020 Kenneth Murray
2019 Devin White, Josh Allen
2018 Roquan Smith, Tremained Edmunds
2017 Jarrad Davis
2016 Reggie Ragland, Myles Jack
2015 Denzel Perryman, Eric Kendricks
2014 C.J. Mosley, Khalil Mack
2013 Kevin Minter, Arthur Brown
This was an easy selection as Campbell is a rock-solid prospect. Campbell had a big-time presence for the Crimson Tide in 2024 and was all over the field in both phases. In pass coverage, Campbell showed excellent versatility by dropping into coverage as well as rushing the passer off the edge. He was a tough run defender in the tackle box as well. Campbell is a big linebacker with speed and athleticism to go with his size and strength. He is versatile enough to line up all over the formation and can attack offenses in a variety of ways. In the NFL, Campbell could become a good starter for a long time.
Biggest Bust Potential: Barrett Carter, Clemson 
Previous Picks:2024 Junior Colson
2023 Trenton Simpson
2022 Brandon Smith
2021 Dylan Moses
2020 Jacob Phillips, Terrell Lewis
2019 Cameron Smith, Jachai Polite
2018 Malik Jefferson, Lorenzo Carter
2017 Raekwon McMillan, Haason Reddick
2016 Tyler Matakevich, Kamalei Correa
2015 Bernardrick McKinney, Randy Gregory
2014 Chris Borland, Dee Ford
2013 Kevin Reddick, Chase Thomas
Early in his career at Clemson, there was media hyping Carter as a future first-round pick, but he never played up to that projection. Carter (5-11, 233) is a quality athlete with speed, but he struggles with downhill runs coming straight at him and gets pushed around by offensive linemen. I think he is going to struggle to take on and shed blocks in the NFL. Carter could be an early-round pick, but it would not surprise me if he tops out as a backup and special teams player.
Linebacker Rankings by Attributes
Pass Coverage:
NFL prototype: Lavonte Davis, Buccaneers- Jihaad Campbell
- Jeffrey Bassa
- Barrett Carter
- Danny Stutsman
- Carson Schwesinger
Recap: The ability for a linebacker to be effective in pass coverage is mandatory in the passing-driven NFL. Defensive coordinators need linebackers who cover a lot of ground and can drop quickly downfield. Along with playing zone, linebackers who can effectively match up against the versatile pass-receiving tight ends and running backs out of the backfield are difficult to find. This is a talented group in pass coverage, with all five showing the ability to contribute in coverage.
Campbell is a versatile chess piece that can be used in a variety of ways. Campbell reads plays quickly and covers a lot of ground in zone. His height and length make him valuable to interrupt passing lanes and that could be seen in his interception of Carson Beck last year (see below). With his length and quickness, Campbell can run down the middle seam and functions well as a Tampa 2 coverage linebacker. On dump-off passes to the flat, Campbell is quick enough to get to the ball carrier and is good at making tackles in space. His size and athleticism allow him to have the potential to play some man coverage on tight ends and backs out of the backfield.
For the NFL, Bassa’s biggest strength is his pass coverage, and his safety background is evident in how well Bassa covers. Bassa is athletic and quick in zone coverage, covering a lot of ground and picking up receivers that run into his territory. He is skilled in closing ground and reading routes. While Bassa is good in zone, he shows an impressive ability to cover in man. Bassa is adept at running with backs and tight ends to keep them from getting separated. He runs with receivers and is capable of keeping them from getting open.
Carter is a skilled zone coverage linebacker who does a good job of covering the flat. He shows athleticism in space and is adept at tracking down receivers to make tackles in the open field. Carter moves well in zone coverage and also shows some ability to cover tight ends or backs in man coverage. Carter’s pass coverage is his best strength
Stutsman has some limitations in pass coverage. He moves well in zone coverage, showing the speed to cover ground, and is athletic in space. He is capable of dropping and reads the offense well. His limitations show up in covering backs and tight ends in one-on-one coverage, but he has quickness and athleticism, so he could improve at that with NFL coaching and more experience.
In pass coverage, Schwesinger is able to contribute and is similar to Stutsman. Schwesinger can move around the field in space in zone coverage picking up receivers and covering up receiving options, he has shown nice read-and-react skills with the ability to eat up ground. Schwesinger will need some coaching on technique if his system requires him to play some man coverage on tight ends or backs. He has some struggles in man coverage to prevent separation.
Run Defense:
NFL prototype: Fred Warner, 49ers- Jihaad Campbell
- Danny Stutsman
- Carson Schwesinger
- Jeffrey Bassa
- Barrett Carter
Recap: As multiple scouts told WalterFootball.com at the college All-Star games, a thumper inside linebacker is a dying breed in the NFL. Still, teams have to have middle linebackers who can be tough run defenders. They especially need pursuit skills with the rash of mobile quarterbacks and the mixing in of read-option plays.
In run defense, Campbell is big and physical in the tackle box. He is instinctive and fast to read his keys to get in position to make tackles. Campbell is strong to take on and shed blocks with a quick burst to fire to the ball carrier. With his strength and physical attitude, Campbell will hit hard and put ball carriers into the turf with violence. Campbell is fast, instinctive, big, and could be a three-down middle linebacker in the NFL.
As a run defender, Stutsman is a tackling machine, and he is very good at snuffing out runs in the tackle box and going to the perimeter. Stutsman is an instinctive linebacker who reads his keys quickly and uses that intelligence to put him in a position to make tackles. It definitely comes across on the tape that Stutsman is an intelligent linebacker who studies and is a student of the game. Stutsman has good speed and is fast in a straight line to chase down backs. Along with being quick, Stutsman is a quality athlete, showing the ability to maneuver through trash and hunt down the ball carrier. Stutsman lacks ideal strength and physicality for taking on and shedding blocks, but he has the capacity to improve at that for the NFL.
In the ground game, Schwesinger is a good pursuit linebacker who uses his sideline-to-sideline speed to chase down backs. With good instincts, Schwesinger is always around the ball and puts himself in a position to make a lot of plays. He has a nice burst and attacks downhill. However for the NFL, Schwesinger is a linebacker that needs some development. He has a lean upper and lower body so getting stronger is a necessity. Schwesinger struggles to take on and lacks some stopping power. Schwesinger can get bounced around by offensive linemen, and he will need to work on taking on and shedding blocks from pro offensive linemen.
As a run defender, Bassa is best in pursuit, running after and chasing down backs. He lacks some size, strength, and physicality in the tackle box. Bassa is not a physical take on linebacker, but he can run and uses his athleticism to work through trash. He needs to improve his ability to read his keys, and he is not overly instinctive as a run defender. Bassa is not a tackling machine and is not a standout in his run-defense ability. He would be better served lining up next to a power inside linebacker and a large defensive line that keeps blockers off of him. As a pro, Bassa would be best as a Will (weakside) linebacker rather than playing the Mike (middle) linebacker. Bassa is a great communicator pre-snap and is excellent at getting his teammates lined up correctly.
In the ground game, Carter has room for improvement for the NFL. Carter is not physical, and he will need to work on taking on and shedding blocks. As a run defender, Carter was better in pursuit, tracking down backs to make tackles. Carter does not have great instincts, and that can cause him to react a step late often.
Tackling:
NFL prototype: Roquan Smith, Ravens- Jihaad Campbell
- Danny Stutsman
- Carson Schwesinger
- Jeffrey Bassa
- Barrett Carter
Recap: With each passing year, I think tackling is becoming a lost art in the NFL. Missed tackles are a plague on defenses that seems to get progressively worse every season. One of the primary reasons for this epidemic is the decreased training camp practices with less padded work and live hitting. Rule changes have also made tackling more difficult as players must avoid contact in certain locations and methods of taking down a ball carrier. The end result is seeing a plethora of missed tackles on a down-by-down basis. This group is pretty solid and no player stands out in a really negative manner.
Campbell and Stutsman are very good tacklers. Consistently they do a good job of wrapping up ball-carriers with solid tackling technique. Schwesinger is a solid tackler. Bassa lacks size, but he is violent and does not hesitate to rock ball carriers with bone-rattling hits. Carter is a drag-down tackler too often, and that needs to be changed with the ability of pro players to pick up yards after contact.
Instincts:
NFL prototype: Lavonte David, Buccaneers- Danny Stutsman
- Jihaad Campbell
- Carson Schwesinger
- Jeffrey Bassa
- Barrett Carter
Recap: Instincts are what separates good linebackers from great ones. Having the innate feeling of what the offense is going to do is a huge factor for linebackers who can take the ball away, make a critical stop on a third down or consistently set up good down-and-distance situations for the defense. All great players are instinctive.
In this group, I have Stutsman as the most instinctive linebacker in this draft class and he really stands out in this regard. His instincts are very good and he seems to be a step ahead often. Campbell and Schwesinger have good instincts as well. There isn’t much separating the top three. Bassa and Carter both possess above average instincts. They all showed the ability to anticipate what was coming and get in a position to make plays or be disruptive.
Pass Rush:
NFL prototype: Micah Parsons, Cowboys- Jihaad Campbell
- Carson Schwesinger
- Barrett Carter
- Danny Stutsman
- Jeffrey Bassa
Recap: There aren’t too many inside linebackers in the NFL who consistently rush the passer, but 3-4 defenses especially like to have interior backers who can blitz up the middle after the quarterback. This group has some linebackers that are very good blitzers, especially the top five.
Campbell has some serious pass-rush ability, as he is a dangerous speed rusher off the edge. He is fast and explosive to get upfield to run around offensive tackles. Campbell is agile and athletic to dip underneath blockers with the ability to sink his hips to get pointed to the quarterback. Campbell could be utilized as a subpackage edge rusher along with being a pass coverage linebacker.
Schwesinger is a dangerous blitzer for the NFL, and he is very decisive about when he commits to coming downfield. That makes him dangerous on blitzes, as well as defending perimeter runs. He has a serious burst to eat up ground and can be a hard charger that dodges blockers while flying to the quarterback. With good straight-line speed, Schwesinger eats up ground in a hurry, and he is very dangerous on delayed blitzes. Schwesinger will trick the line that he is staying in coverage and then find an opening before exploding onto the quarterback.
Carter showed some blitzing ability in 2024 with 3.5 sacks. He has a burst to close and is athletic to work his way into the backfield. Stutsman had only one sack last year, but he had three in each of the previous two seasons. Carter and Stutsman could contribute some as blitzers. Bassa didn’t look horrible blitzing, and he has speed to close, but he is going to be a coverage linebacker for the NFL.
