Linebacker Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

70 linebackers ranked

LINEBACKER RANKINGS 2027 NFL DRAFT

This is the deepest linebacker class we have graded. Five sit inside our top thirty-two, more than in any of the previous six years, and two are inside the top six.

Texas's Colin Simmons leads it after winning the SEC sack title with ten sacks and 59 pressures, having already become the first Longhorn to take national freshman of the year. Notre Dame's Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the off-ball counterweight, a Butkus Award finalist in high school who lined up in the slot and on the line as a chess piece before a season-ending knee injury in November. South Carolina's Dylan Stewart, the top-ranked edge recruit in his class, forced three fumbles and generated 37 pressures as a sophomore.

The two jobs sit side by side here and they are not interchangeable. Simmons and Stewart rush the passer off the edge; Viliamu-Asa is a true off-ball defender who covers, fills and lines up in the slot. The pass rushers carry the higher grades.

#	Player	Pos	H/W/S	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
70	LB Justin Flowe	6-2 230lbs 4.57	LB	230lbs	6-2	4.57	94	850	59.2 MORE>>	Flowe is a former five-star linebacker with elite speed and a decorated high school career. He has shown flashes, including 14 tackles in...
69	LB Michael Harris	6-0 223lbs 4.65	LB	223lbs	6-0	4.65	80	710	61.0 MORE>>	Harris is a fast linebacker and former ESPN 300 recruit and has made a few plays as a pass rusher. He made plays behind the line at...
68	LB E.J. Lightsey	6-2 230lbs 4.65	LB	230lbs	6-2	4.65	42	359.5	61.6 MORE>>	Lightsey has taken the long road to a starting job, from a redshirt and a lost season at Georgia to a touchdown-scoring reserve and finally...
67	LB Tye Niekamp	6-3 245lbs 4.69	LB	245lbs	6-3	4.69	89	798	62.6 MORE>>	Niekamp is a highly decorated, productive linebacker and one of the standout defenders in the FCS. He was a consensus All-American in 2025...
66	LB Justin Cryer	6-1 241lbs 4.70	LB	241lbs	6-1	4.70	81	733	62.7 MORE>>	Cryer is an experienced, productive linebacker and a fixture in the Texas lineup. He has an interception against Ole Miss and a sack...
65	LB/ED Cheta Ofili	6-4 245lbs 4.56	LB/ED	245lbs	6-4	4.56	60	528	63.6 MORE>>	Ofili is a fast, well-built edge rusher whose high school production and track background stand out. He has the physical tools to develop...
64	LB Dion Crawford	6-1 243lbs 4.67	LB	243lbs	6-1	4.67	79	702.5	65.0 MORE>>	Crawford is a tough, productive linebacker who has been a tackling machine since moving to Michigan State. He pursues well and has 19 stops...
63	LB Tylen Singleton	6-1 227lbs 4.63	LB	227lbs	6-1	4.63	57	514.5	66.0 MORE>>	Singleton is a rangy, instinctive linebacker who was a decorated high school player. He flashed his ability with nine tackles in the 2025...
62	LB Derek Weisskopf	6-3 233lbs 4.59	LB	233lbs	6-3	4.59	54	470	66.0 MORE>>	Weisskopf is a gifted all-around athlete who played five positions in high school. He has rare speed for a linebacker and has been a steady...
61	LB Elijah Newby	6-3 235lbs 4.59	LB	235lbs	6-3	4.59	55	489	66.5 MORE>>	Newby is a fast, athletic linebacker who has bounced between linebacker and defensive end at USC. He took advantage of extra snaps against...
60	LB Desman Stephens II	6-3 250lbs 4.67	LB	250lbs	6-3	4.67	70	607.5	66.8 MORE>>	Stephens is a smart, productive linebacker who has started for USC since 2025. He flows to the ball well and makes impact plays, such as 10...
59	LB Cole Sullivan	6-4 230lbs 4.60	LB	230lbs	6-4	4.60	65	573.5	67.1 MORE>>	Sullivan is a ballhawk off-ball linebacker whose three interceptions and nose for the ball are the headline, a breakout sophomore who...

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.