Read Dane Brugler’s previous summer scouting reports: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive tackles | Interior O-linemen | Edge rushers | Defensive tackles
So much is asked of the modern-day linebacker. Ideally, NFL teams want top athletes who can cover, blitz and stay on the field on any down while also possessing the smash-mouth attitude reminiscent of Junior Seau. Those types are hard to find.
The upcoming linebacker class doesn’t have a prospect who perfectly fits that mold, but there are several up-and-coming LBs with intriguing traits. Last year, only one off-ball linebacker was drafted in the first two rounds — and that wasn’t until pick No. 45 (Edgerrin Cooper). However, there should be a few linebackers in the top-40 mix for the 2025 NFL Draft.
(Notes: An asterisk represents a draft-eligible underclassman. Heights and weights are what NFL teams have on file for each player, with “v” representing verified measurements and “e” for estimates.)
GO DEEPER
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What he does best: Explosive closing speed
It doesn’t take an experienced evaluator to spot the fastest player on the field — and often times during LSU games, that player is Perkins (I won’t be surprised if he runs a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine). He has outstanding lateral range because of his explosive speed, and he closes in a heartbeat, which allows him to line up all over the defense.
These two plays from the 2023 Ole Miss tape jump out due to the explosive way he pursues and finishes. Perkins is just moving differently than everyone else on the screen.
Must improve: Playing off blocks
Perkins flashes violence in his hands and burst in his feet to give blockers the slip, but he also runs into too many blocks that he can’t escape. Though he flashes pursuit instincts, his lack of ideal length and pop lead to him getting swallowed up and obstructing his vision to the football. Perkins can chase the ball all day, but NFL scouts want to see him improve some of the nuanced aspects of the position versus both run and pass.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
A native of Louisiana, Perkins and his family relocated to Texas because of Hurricane Katrina, and Perkins blossomed into one of the top high school recruits in the 2022 class. After originally committing to Texas A&M, he flipped to LSU on signing day, becoming the first five-star recruit for Brian Kelly at LSU. Perkins was one of the bright spots on LSU’s subpar defense the last two seasons, earning second team All-SEC honors as both a freshman and sophomore.
Perkins is one of the best athletes in college football, and the priority for new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker is maximizing that immense talent. Last year, Perkins split his snaps fairly evenly between defensive line (271), box (244) and out wide as a nickel/slot player (255). How will Baker deploy his star in 2024?
Perkins will not be a full-time edge in the NFL — he doesn’t have the frame or functional strength. But with his athleticism and energy, he has the traits to be a versatile off-ball linebacker who’s a dynamic blitzer, run-and-chase run defender and rangy cover man. As one of the top athletes in the draft class, Perkins projects as a first-rounder, although his role and usage this season might determine just how high he goes.
What he does best: Starts and finishes collisions
A non-negotiable trait for a linebacker? Fearlessness. And there are no questions about Stutsman’s willingness to attack downhill and hammer blocks or the ball carrier. A good-sized athlete, he works well laterally to make plays outside in space but also fills quickly and powerful, especially as an A-gap blitzer. Even though he could use a little more patience when flowing, Stutsman doesn’t miss many tackles and oozes toughness.
On this third-and-1 play against Cincinnati, Stutsman quickly reads, creates the collision and finishes the tackle to force the punt.
Must improve: Coverage consistency
Stutsman has enough athleticism to match up with tight ends and the range to find passing lanes (see his pick six on the Tulsa tape). But NFL scouts want to see him improve his anticipation and breaks as a zone dropper. The Texas and TCU tapes from last season were examples of how he needs to get better as a coverage player.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
Despite connections to Baylor (his father played football and his mother played basketball for the Bears), Stutsman committed to Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma out of high school. As a sophomore, he became a starter under new head coach Brent Venables and battled through ups and downs to lead the Big 12 in tackles (125). As a junior last season, Stutsman reached All-America status and was ready to jump to the NFL Draft before a change of heart led him back to Norman.
Stutsman is quick (too quick at times) to key, read and fill, and he only knows how to play one way — which NFL coaches will appreciate. With some improvements in coverage and another productive season at Oklahoma, Stutsman has the talent to establish himself as a top-40 pick.
GO DEEPER
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What he does best: Do-everything skills
Barton was born into a football family, but he might have the most impressive skill set of the group. A good-sized athlete, he is fast and physical downhill to drive on the football, but he also can make abrupt direction changes to chase the football. Barton looks smooth in his coverage drops to turn and run with tight ends, backs and even slot receivers.
Must improve: Return healthy
Barton flashed immediately as a freshman in 2022 and took another jump in his development last season as the game slowed down for him. But he also had his share of missteps, then suffered a right foot injury in October that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 season. Barton has a ton of talent, and NFL scouts just want to see him put together a complete season in Year 3 for the Utes.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
One of the top high school linebacker recruits three years ago, Barton had his choice of where to play his college ball. Michigan, Notre Dame and Stanford made strong pitches. So did LSU, Oregon, Texas and others. But Barton is a legacy at Utah, and there was little surprise when he decided to stay close to home. Both of his parents were multi-sport athletes for the Utes, and all three of his older siblings played on Utah teams.
Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has a great feel for allowing his best players to shine, and Barton was a great example of that last season. With his size, athleticism and versatile skill set, Barton has a lot of what NFL teams are looking for at the position. Both of his older brothers were drafted in 2019 (Cody was a third-rounder; Jackson a seventh-rounder), but Lander has a chance to earn top billing in his family.
What he does best: Rush the passer
Even though Walker wasn’t a full-time player last season, I wrote down his name numerous times in my notes as a “player to watch” for the future. He has an NFL frame with an appealing combination of speed and physicality. Walker played various roles in the Bulldogs’ scheme, but he stood out the most when the coaches let him loose to rush the quarterback — his 26 pressures last season tied with Mykel Williams for the team lead.
On this play from the SEC Championship Game last season, Walker gets the best of JC Latham. These athletic, high-motor flashes are why evaluators are excited for his development.
Must improve: Expanded role
If you’re unfamiliar with Walker’s game, it is certainly understandable — he has yet to start a game at the college level and averaged just 17.4 defensive snaps per game last season as a reserve role player. His flashes stand out, but how will he handle a full-time snap load? He is clearly the most comfortable rushing the quarterback, but his development dropping in space and taking on blocks will be crucial.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
A former five-star recruit, Walker was one of the highest-ranked defensive players in the 2022 recruiting class. And in his limited action on the field in Athens, it’s been easy to see why. Even though this ranking might feel premature because of his inexperience, Walker impressed when given his chances last season and is poised for a breakout 2024 season, his third in the program.
How exactly will Georgia use Walker this season? He has been seeing most of his practice reps at inside linebacker, but the staff envisions him as a hybrid player who will do a little bit of everything as they look to maximize his athletic tool box. He has a different skill set than Quay Walker and Nolan Smith but might be somewhere in the middle of those two former first-round Georgia linebackers. Regardless, look for Walker to be an NFL Draft “riser” throughout this season.
What he does best: Key-and-drive skills
A twitchy athlete, Carter has true sideline-to-sideline range, and his ability to trigger and show off his speed jumps off the screen. He is quick to key and attack from various depths, and his 4.4 speed allows him to close on plays before they can develop.
Not only does Carter instantly read this tunnel screen against Miami, he has the speed to drive and arrive with the pass for the tackle for loss. Over the last two seasons, Carter has a combined 20.0 tackles for loss.
Must improve: Missed tackles
Regardless of which tape of Carter’s from last season you watch, you will be able to spot a missed tackle. Physical running backs like Audric Estime and Omarion Hampton were able to power through his grasp, and even South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler gave him the slip. Though he is a smaller linebacker, Carter has decent arm length (32 3/4 inches), but his finishing strength is the main concern about his game, especially if he doesn’t have a few steps of momentum to create force at contact.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
Georgia is a hotbed for football talent, which is a key reason why the Bulldogs are a perennial national title contender. In the 2021 recruiting class, Kirby Smart signed four of the top-five recruits in the state. The one who got away? Carter, who committed to Clemson and was the prize of Dabo Swinney’s 2021 class. He became a full-time starter as a sophomore and surprised many when he bypassed a potential top-100 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft for one more season at Clemson.
The appeal with Carter is clear: He is a hyper-athletic pursuit defender with above-average speed and the play personality desired for the position. If he cuts down on the missed tackles and makes more plays in coverage as a senior this season, Carter can cement top-50 status.
GO DEEPER
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What he does best: Speed to avoid climbing blocks
With Martin’s elite play speed, it is impossible to watch Oklahoma State’s defense and not notice No. 4 zooming around the field and chasing plays down. His lack of size also stands out, but I was impressed with his knack for eluding blockers and keeping himself free.
Martin closes in a blink to beat blockers to the access point, and he also has the agility to simply avoid climbing blocks. In this clip, Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe (third-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys) is unable to cut Martin off from making a stop.
Must improve: Coverage anticipation
Martin did have a pair of interceptions last season and showed off his speed to close on both of those plays. But there were too many times on tape in which he was a step late to react when dropping. Though he does have those two picks, Martin has yet to register a pass breakup in his three years in Stillwater, which reflects his inconsistency anticipating passing lanes.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
A four-star recruit out of high school, Martin redshirted at Oklahoma State in 2021 and played primarily on special teams in 2022. He became a starter last season as a redshirt sophomore and enjoyed a breakout season with 140 tackles — the most in a single-season by an Oklahoma State player in almost 40 years. Not only does the tape match the production, but Martin also was voted a team captain, and the coaches speak highly to NFL scouts of his practice mentality.
For these summer previews, I usually only write about my top five prospect at each position, but I really enjoyed studying Martin’s film and didn’t want to leave him off this list. And I won’t be surprised if he finishes in my top five by draft weekend. Though the size will be a turn off for NFL teams, Martin’s play speed and appetite for contact will convert any doubters.
(Note: Heights and weights for senior prospects listed below are NFL verified.)
1. Stutsman
2. Carter
3. Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky (6-0 1/2, 252)
4. Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State (6-1 1/2, 234)
5. Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia (6-2 1/2, 225)
6. Karene Reid, Utah (5-11 5/8, 228)
7. Power Echols, North Carolina (5-11 3/8, 231)
8. Mohamed Toure, Rutgers (6-1, 233)
9. Ben Bywater, BYU (6-2 5/8, 232)
10. Khari Coleman, Ole Miss (6-1 1/4, 213)
11. K.C. Ossai, Louisiana (6-1 1/8, 244)
12. Tyreem Powell, Rutgers (6-5, 240)
13. DJ Lundy, Florida State (6-0, 237)
14. Jacob Mangum-Farrar, Indiana (6-3 7/8, 252)
15. Aaron Smith, South Carolina State (6-0, 3/4, 226)
16. Deshawn Pace, UCF (6-1 1/8, 251)
17. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon (6-1 1/8, 230)
18. David Reese, California (6-1 1/4, 238)
19. Cody Simon, Ohio State (6-1 7/8, 232)
20. Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina (6-1 5/8, 248)
21. Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA (6-2 7/8, 255)
22. Jalen McLeod, Auburn (6-1 5/8, 234)
23. Sam Brumfield, Virginia Tech (5-10 1/8, 224)
24. D’Eryk Jackson, Kentucky (6-1 3/8, 240)
25. Teddye Buchanan, California (6-2, 235)
26. JT Killen, Eastern Michigan (6-1 3/4, 224)
27. Kain Medrano, UCLA (6-3, 206)
28. Branson Combs, Wake Forest (6-2 3/4, 221)
29. Jestin Jacobs, Oregon (6-3 1/2, 238)
30. Jack Kiser, Notre Dame (6-1 1/8, 234)
(Note: All measurements for underclassman prospects listed below are estimates.)
1. Perkins
2. Barton
3. Walker
4. Martin
5. Sonny Styles, Ohio State (6-4, 240)
6. Deontae Lawson, Alabama (6-2, 230)
7. Keli Lawson, Virginia Tech (6-4, 220)
8. Jaishawn Barham, Michigan (6-3, 250)
9. Kobe King, Penn State (6-1, 240)
10. Dasan McCullough, Oklahoma (6-5, 225)
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; top photo of Harold Perkins Jr.: Scott Winter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
