BEST RATED LINEBACKERS IN COVERAGE 2026 NFL Draft

2026 BEST RATED LINEBACKERS IN COVERAGE

As the pass-heavy era of football continues to evolve, linebackers such as Luke Kuechly (Boston College) and Manti Te'o (Notre Dame) have historically set a high standard in pass coverage, demonstrating that effective linebacking isn’t merely about tackling and run defense, but also about thwarting passing lanes and neutralizing middle-field threats.

Dive into the data below, uncovering the current college linebackers emerging as proficient coverage specialists. Key metrics like pass breakups, coverage grades, and yards allowed per coverage snap will facilitate a deeper understanding of their ability to safeguard the middle of the field, limit tight end production, and occasionally, match up against slot receivers with notable efficacy.

2026 Linebackers ranked by COVERAGE

RANK Player Pos Team TACKLING PASS RUSH RUN DEFENSE COVERAGE Rating
1

James
Williams

LB
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
68 66 89
80.3
2

Tony
Rojas

LB
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
45 74 40 81
73.0
3

Suntarine
Perkins

LB
/ED
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
72 68 63 79
83.1
4

Drayk
Bowen

LB
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
92 68 77 76
85.0
5

Anthony
Hill Jr.

LB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
77 74 86 74
88.7
6

Harold
Perkins Jr.

LB
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
65 78 71 74
83.1
7

Amare
Campbell

LB
North Carolina   Mascot
North Carolina Mascot
89 91 79 70
87.1
8

Stefon
Thompson

LB
Nebraska   Mascot
Nebraska Mascot
82 60 70 69
55.5
9

Raylen
Wilson

LB
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
78 65 76 68
86.6
10

Raul
Aguirre Jr.

LB
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
60 54 71 62
50.1
11

Deontae
Lawson

LB
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
71 77 87 61
84.5
12

Gabe
Jacas

LB
/ED
Illinois   Mascot
Illinois Mascot
66 76 62 61
80.0
13

Keon
Wylie

LB
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
59 66 58 61
37.5
14

Mitchell
Melton

LB
/ED
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
54 73 73 60
65.2
15

Troy
Bowles

LB
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
78 57 60 59
72.0
16

Princewill
Umanmielen

LB
/ED
Nebraska   Mascot
Nebraska Mascot
42 76 63 59
81.6
17

Shad
Banks Jr.

LB
TCU   Mascot
TCU Mascot
54 53 60 58
58.5
18

Jaiden
Ausberry

LB
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
66 67 75 58
67.2
19

Raesjon
Davis

LB
USC   Mascot
USC Mascot
54 60 59 55
59.3
20

Keanu
Koht

LB
/ED
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
56 51 48 55
43.7