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
49	LB/ED Elijah Rushing	6-6 290lbs 4.85	LB/ED	290lbs	6-6	4.85	52	394.5	74.0 MORE>>	Rushing is a traits-and-pedigree bet, a former five-star with a massive 275-pound frame and 78-inch length who has barely played behind...
56	LB Joe Barna	6-4 280lbs 4.79	LB	280lbs	6-4	4.79	47	379.5	70.4 MORE>>	Barna is a big, physical lineman who has moved from outside linebacker to the defensive line this season. He plays with power, anchors...
57	LB/ED Zina Umeozulu	6-5 272lbs 4.73	LB/ED	272lbs	6-5	4.73	58	526.5	70.0 MORE>>	Umeozulu is a big, powerful edge defender who has grown into a bigger role at Texas this season. He sets the edge well, has not missed a...
20	LB/ED Wendell Gregory	6-3 265lbs 4.58	LB/ED	265lbs	6-3	4.58	23	159.5	82.0 MORE>>	Gregory is a developmental edge with rare get-off, a redshirt freshman whose pass rush leads a profile built on first-step speed and a...
14	LB/ED Teitum Tuioti	6-3 263lbs 4.70	LB/ED	263lbs	6-3	4.70	14	86.2	84.7 MORE>>	Tuioti is a heavy, powerful edge who sets the edge against the run and pushes the pocket as a rusher. He led Oregon in sacks, tackles and...
27	LB/ED Jayden Virgin-Morga...	6-3 260lbs 4.60	LB/ED	260lbs	6-3	4.60	28	214	81.0 MORE>>	A versatile, oversized edge-linebacker hybrid at Boise State, Virgin-Morgan offers a rare blend of size and movement, with the fluidity to...
7	LB/ED Clev Lubin	6-3 260lbs 4.65	LB/ED	260lbs	6-3	4.65	9	56.4	85.4 MORE>>	Lubin is a powerful, high-effort edge whose production has followed him to every level. He generated 64 pressures in 2025, fifth-most in...
58	LB/ED Desmond Umeozulu	6-6 255lbs 4.90	LB/ED	255lbs	6-6	4.90	73	621.5	68.0 MORE>>	Umeozulu is a long, developmental edge whose 78-inch frame and four-star pedigree are the selling points after a quiet college career at...
42	LB/ED Quintavius Johnson	6-4 255lbs 4.68	LB/ED	255lbs	6-4	4.68	49	385.7	75.0 MORE>>	Johnson has the build, background and coaching of an NFL edge defender, and Kirby Smart's staff trusted him enough to start all 14 games as...
5	LB/ED Yhonzae Pierre	6-3 251lbs 4.60	LB/ED	251lbs	6-3	4.60	3	21	87.1 MORE>>	Pierre is a powerful edge rusher with a quick get-off who went from backup to Alabama's sack leader in a matter of weeks in 2025, and he...
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...
54	LB/ED Noah Carter	6-5 250lbs 4.62	LB/ED	250lbs	6-5	4.62	59	526.5	73.0 MORE>>	Carter is a developmental edge with a thin profile, a reserve who logged just 88 snaps behind Alabama's deep edge rotation but flashed good...

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.