2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Outside Linebacker

6/26/25: Hill (6-3, 235) was impressive as a true freshman in 2023, and it looked like he was scratching the surface of his ability. He totaled 67 tackles with five sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes defended. In 2024, Hill had 113 tackles with eight sacks, one pass broken up, and an interception. He was all over the field for the Longhorns, showing blitzing and pass rush ability along with being a tough run defender. He is fast, strong, physical, and instinctive.

6/26/25: 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.

7/2/24: Styles has a lot of talent and started to play up to his potential during the 2024 season. He finished with 100 tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble, and five passes broken up. In 2023, he recorded 53 tackles, two sacks, and one pass batted, plus he has been very good in pass coverage. Styles started out as a safety, but was eventually moved to linebacker. Given his size, he fits best as a linebacker in the NFL.

6/26/25: In 2024, Barton had 72 tackles with four passes broken up, two sacks, and two interceptions. Barton was on his way to an impressive 2023 season before a right foot injury ended his season after seven games. In those seven contests, he totaled 34 tackles with two interceptions, one forced fumble, and two passes broken up. In 2022, he had 46 tackles with 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up. The NFL advance scouts gave Barton a high projection on their preseason watch list.

6/26/25: 1/11/25: Lawson was a tough defender for the Crimson Tide in 2024, making a lot of plays in the ground game and contributing some plays in pass defense. He had 76 tackles with two sacks, one forced fumble, an interception, and four passes defended. In 2023, he had 67 tackles with three sacks and four passes defended after recording 51 tackles and four passes broken up.

6/26/25: 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.

6/25/25: Louis was all over the field for Pitt in 2024, showing the ability to be a pursuit run defender and make plays in pass coverage. Louis totaled 100 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions, and three passes defended. While he does not have big size, Louis is instinctive and fast. If Louis stays consistent, he could be a serious riser.

6/26/25: Dumas-Johnson had 67 tackles with 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. He played well for the Wildcats in his first season. Playing for Georgia, Dumas-Johnson recorded 34 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two passes defended in 2023 before going out of the lineup in early November. Team sources said they feel Dumas-Johnson has good instincts and plays strong. After the season, Dumas-Johnson transferred to Kentucky. Dumas-Johnson had an impressive debut as a first-season starter with the Bulldogs in 2022, with 70 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and three passes broken up. He has a good skill set and could rise in Kentucky’s defense because it should fit him well.

<> 6/26/25: 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.

6/25/25: In 2024, Barham had 66 tackles with one sack and two passes defended. In 2023, he had 37 tackles with three sacks, an interception, and one pass batted. Thus far, his best season was his freshman campaign, when he had 59 tackles with four sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up.

6/25/25: In 2024, Brumfield had 60 tackles with 1.5 sacks and one pass defended. As a freshman, he was better, totaling 82 tackles with 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. As an undersized Will linebacker, Brumfield needs to be a standout in pass coverage and be a dynamic pursuit run defender to rise in 2025.

6/25/25: After missing time with an injury, Mangum-Farrar returned to the field in mid-October. He had eight tackles with one sack and one forced fumble. 2023 was Mangum-Farrar’s first season at Indiana after previously playing at Stanford. In his debut with the Hoosiers, Mangum-Farrar had 62 tackles with four passes defended. In 2022, while playing with the Cardinal, Mangum-Farrar had 45 tackles with three passes defended.

6/25/25: Toure went down in training camp with a torn ACL, the same injury that cost him the 2022 season. During the spring of 2025, Toure left Rutgers to transfer to Miami. Toure was a solid defender in 2023, recording 92 tackles with 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and two passes defended. He missed the 2022 season and had a big jump from 2021 when he had 51 tackles with 4.5 sacks. Toure has to stay healthy and productive to rise.