2026 NFL Draft Prospects: 3-4 Outside Linebacker

<> 10/15/25: Bailey is a fast edge rusher. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Thus far in 2025, he has 2.5 sacks and five tackles. Bailey could be a riser through the 2026 draft process.

10/15/25: In 2025, Bain has 26 tackles, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Bain had an excellent freshman season for Miami, totaling 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 44 tackles. At the point of attack, Bain is strong and violent. He is tough to set the edge and battles hard as a run defender. In the pass rush, he shows some quickness and power, but some team sources feel that Bain is a tweener tackle/end. Bain was injured to start 2024 and didn’t debut until early October. He totaled 23 tackles with 3.5 sacks.

10/15/25: In 2025, Perkins has 27 tackles, two passes batted, and three sacks. Perkins does not get the pass-rushing opportunities that LSU gave him in his freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2024, Perkins had 16 tackles before going out for the season with an ACL injury. In his few games of action, Perkins was not the same tenacious player that he was in 2023 and 2022. Perhaps he was easing off, trying to protect himself from injury.

Perkins is the size of a traditional outside linebacker, but he is a lightning-fast playmaker who was all over the field for LSU as a freshman in 2022 and 2023. He was a dynamic edge rusher who showed natural blitzing ability. In 2022, he totaled 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, and four passes batted. In 2023, Perkins recorded 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 74 tackles, and four passes batted. Perkins possesses a unique body type and is undersized as an edge defender. Still, there is no doubt about his explosive speed and tremendous instincts.

In the NFL, Perkins could be a hybrid defender who rushes off the edge, similar to Micah Parsons or Von Miller, and also can play outside linebacker. However, Parsons and Miller are significantly thicker and bigger than Perkins, so it will be interesting to see how teams evaluate Perkins’ potential fit for their defenses.

10/15/25: In 2025, Dennis-Sutton has nine tackles with two sacks, two passes broken up, and two forced fumbles. While teammate Abdul Carter gets a lot of attention justifiably, Dennis-Sutton is also on the radar of NFL teams. Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 272) is a big body at the point of attack, and he has upside with untapped potential. In 2024, he recorded 36 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three passes defended, and a forced fumble. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023. Dennis-Sutton has day-two ability and could be an impressive tester in pre-draft workouts.

10/15/25: Young has 18 tackles with three sacks and two passes batted thus far, but has been among the nation’s leaders in pressures. In 2024, Young had 41 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Young has good size, length, and upside to develop. While Young has good size, he is also quick to close and shows good instincts as a rusher. Young could be a riser throughout the 2026 draft process.

10/15/25: In 2025, Uiagalelei has 12 tackles and four sacks. He has looked good on some plays, but has been inconsistent. Uiagalelei was a beast for the Ducks in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks with two forced fumbles, one interception, one pass batted, and 38 tackles. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder has good size, strength, and athleticism.

10/15/25: Perkins has 26 tackles, zero sacks, and one pass batted thus far in 2025. Perkins was a dangerous quarterback hunter for the Rebels in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks with 60 tackles and an interception. He had 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023. Perkins needs to gain weight and get stronger for the NFL.

10/15/25: In 2025, Traore has 24 tackles with 5.5 sacks. He has some serious speed and explosion at the point of attack. Traore is very talented with an early-round skill set, and has a lot of upside to develop. In 2024, Traore had 12 tackles and three sacks and looked like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.

10/15/25: In 2025, Wilson has 11 tackles and 5.5 sacks thus far. Wilson was a rotational backup at Georgia in 2024, totaling 22 tackles with three sacks and two forced fumbles. He transferred to Missouri after the season, and he could be a riser with more playing time. Wilson is a former top recruit who has good speed and pass-rush potential.

10/15/25: This season, Howell has eight sacks and 13 tackles with two passes batted. Howell is fast off the edge with a repertoire of pass-rushing moves. Howell’s size might make him an odd fit as a linebacker/defensive end, but his production of getting after the quarterback is going to make him an early-round pick next April.

10/15/25: To open 2025, Jacas has 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass batted, and eight tackles. Jacas has played really well for the Fighting Illini this season, providing a big impact at the point of attack. In the ground game, Jacas has functional strength to hold his ground and get in on runs outside of his gap. Jacas is strong and quick in the pass rush, showing the ability to get after the quarterback as a versatile rusher. He had eight sacks, 74 tackles, and three forced fumbles in 2024. Jacas is a riser with early-round potential.

10/15/25: In 2025, Parker had 17 tackles with two sacks and a pass broken up. Parker has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season for the Tigers with 57 tackles, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder has quality size and impressive instincts for a young player. In his freshman season, Parker had 5.5 sacks and 33 tackles.

<> 10/15/25: Jackson was playing well before an injury knocked him out of the opener against Texas. He has eight tackles and 1.5 sacks thus far. Jackson was a solid defender for the Buckeyes in 2024, rotating behind Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. In 2024, Jackson totaled 16 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a pass batted. He could produce more as a starter in 2025 with the potential to rise. Sources say that Jackson has a good skill set and could rise.

10/15/25: In 2025, Sapp has 18 tackles and one sack. Sapp was a disruptive defender for the Gators in 2024, and provided consistent play throughout the season. He totaled seven sacks with two forced fumbles and 46 tackles. Sapp is a tweener end/tackle but has some ability to rush from inside or outside.

10/15/24: Thus far in 2025, Payton has 13 tackles with one sack. In 2024, Payton had 35 tackles and four sacks with Florida State. Team sources were disappointed in his play, and he was wise to go back to school next year. Payton transferred to LSU. Payton was superb in 2023, making a lot of clutch plays for the Seminoles. He totaled 43 tackles, seven sacks, and nine passes batted. Playing across from Jared Verse, Payton was more disruptive than the numbers illustrate. In 2022, he totaled 31 tackles, five sacks, and three passes batted.

<> 10/15/25: In 2025, Curry has 31 tackles with six sacks. He has been a productive player who plays tough with a good motor. As a backup in 2024, Curry had 22 tackles with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He could rise if he produces more as a starter in 2025.

10/15/25: In 2025, Kamara has 10 tackles and a sack. Kamara lacks height and length on the edge, but he has quickness and plays hard. In 2024, he had 47 tackles with 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass batted. The previous season, Kamara had 51 tackles with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. At his size, Kamara is a tweener end/linebacker who may not have a position to be a three-down starter. Thus, he could be a designated pass rusher (DPR) candidate for the NFL.

<> 10/15/25: Thus far in 2025, Gumbs has 13 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. In 2024, Gumbs had a solid debut for the Gators, showing some edge rush ability. He totaled five sacks with eight tackles for a loss, and 35 tackles. The previous three seasons, Gumbs played at Northern Illinois.

10/15/25: In 2025, Guy has eight tackles with an interception. After serving as a backup for three seasons, Guy flashed ability in 2024 with 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He could be riser if he builds on that, and Guy could be improved now that he has a year of experience.

<> 10/15/25: Llewellyn has started strong in 2025 with five sacks and 12 tackles. Llewellyn was a solid defender for Iowa in 2024, totaling 22 tackles with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His pass-rush ability looked improved from 2023, and if he continues that trend, he could be a riser.

10/15/25: Thus far, Crawford has 22 tackles with four sacks, one forced fumble, and an interception. In 2024, Crawford had 22 tackles as a rotational backup for Auburn. However, Crawford has a skill set with upside to grow in 2025. The previous season, he had 44 tackles with 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles with Arkansas State.

10/15/25: In 2025, Burke has 13 tackles thus far. Burke had 27 tackles, two sacks, four passes defended, and an interception. He is a tough defender at the point of attack, but is not very productive. Burke played better in 2023, recording 41 tackles, one forced fumble, and 5.5 sacks. He ate up the Alabama offensive line in Week 2. Burke needs to improve his pass-rush production in 2025.

<> 10/15/25: Thus far in 2025, Reiger has 18 tackles with two sacks. In 2024, Reiger was a solid defender for the Badgers, recording 22 tackles with five sacks and a forced fumble. If he can build on that production, he could be a riser in 2025.