Two LBs Generating Buzz

The early part of the 2027 NFL Draft process started over the spring with the advance scouts putting together their preseason watchlist based on their film study and visiting colleges in their territory. The preseason watch lists are shared with the teams that are part of National Football Scouting or the Blesto scouting service. Looking at the 2026 preseason watch list, there is a large group of inside linebackers that have draftable grades. However, there are two linebackers that have created a buzz with team sources that were not included on the preseason watch list. They are Notre Dame’s Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Stanford’s Matt Rose.

Notre Dame is loaded with NFL linebacker talent, and that led to Viliamu-Asa being a rotational contributor as an underclassman. However, team sources say that Viliamu-Asa is extremely talented with an excellent skill set for the NFL. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Viliamu-Asa has excellent size and sources say he is fast and athletic. In 2025, Viliamu-Asa totaled 48 tackles with three sacks, an interception, and two passes broken up while being a part-time player. If Viliamu-Asa is featured, he could be a top linebacker prospect for the 2027 or 2028 NFL Draft.

Rose (6-2, 225) is undersized, but he has incredible instincts, and some team sources say that Rose reminds them of Zach Thomas. In 2026, Rose had 106 tackles with three sacks, one forced fumble, and three passes broken up. Like Thomas, Rose is undersized, but he is a natural football player who is smart, physical, and relentless.

The preseason grades are not set in stone, and scouts will forget them soon. In the 2018 preseason, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams were not on the preseason watch list. Yet Murray became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and Williams went third a few months later. There have been other late-round projections, such as Joe Burrow, who ended up skyrocketing during the season. Other players had high preseason projections but were mid- or late-round picks months later. Thus, the value is more of a watch list than a reflection of players’ abilities.