2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Outside Linebacker

12/6/25: In 2025, Styles had 81 tackles, three passes defended, one interception, .5 sacks, and a forced fumble. 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. Syles is fast, athletic, and versatile. He could be a valuable zone coverage linebacker that also is a sideline-to-sideline run defender.

12/6/25: Perkins has 55 tackles, three passes batted, four sacks, three interceptions, and a forced fumble in 2025. Perkins did 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. However, in 2022 and 2023, he showed explosive speed and tremendous instincts.

12/6/25: Hill has 70 tackles with three forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a pass defended. Hill 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-rushing ability, along with being a tough run defender. He is fast, strong, physical, and instinctive.

12/6/25: Perkins has 64 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and four passes batted in 2025. This season 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Louis has 79 tackles with three sacks, three passes defended, a forced fumble, and two interceptions. 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.

12/6/25: Barham has 32 tackles, four sacks, and four passes batted. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Tuioti has played well and has been an active defender for Oregon this season. He has 57 tackles with seven sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass batted thus far. In 2024, Tuioti had 5.5 sacks with 58 tackles. Tuioti is strong at the point of attack and plays physical with a steady motor.

12/6/25: In 2025, Barton has 51 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass batted, an interception, and a fumble recovery. 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.

<> 12/6/25: In 2025, Gumbs had 31 tackles with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. 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. In the previous three seasons, Gumbs played at Northern Illinois.

12/6/25: In 2025, Lawson has 66 tackles, one forced fumble, and three passes broken up. Team sources say they have significant medical concerns regarding Lawson. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Brumfield has 106 tackles with 4.5 sacks, and an interception. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Toure had 54 tackles, one sack, and three passes defended. In 2024, 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.