The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the inside linebacker position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's Take
For the first time since 2017, the Steelers head into an offseason not looking for a starting option at inside linebacker after signing Patrick Queen in free agency and drafting Payton Wilson a year ago.
That said, the 2025 NFL Draft offers plenty of options at inside linebacker, albeit with perhaps a lack of true star power. Even so, there figure to be a lot of future starters at the position coming out of this draft.
Given how the game has continued to evolve, it's all about having inside linebackers who can not only step up in the running game, but are nimble enough to not be liabilities against the pass.
It's a skillset that a decade ago was something looked for only in safeties, but modern off-ball linebackers have to be good at everything.
Dale's Rankings
1. Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-1, 243 lbs. - Walker was the Butkus Award winner as college football's best linebacker and posted 10.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. He also played on the punt coverage teams at Georgia last season, a rarity for a star player. Can play on the edge, as well, though his lack of length will limit that in the NFL. He's better suited off the ball to allow his explosiveness to shine.
2. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 235 lbs. - Tall and rangy, Campbell ran a 4.52-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. That shows up on tape, as he recorded 117 tackles, including 11.5 for a loss and 5 sacks in 2024. He has the size and speed to make life tough on running backs out of the backfield and is a solid tackler.
3. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, 6-2 ½, 242 lbs. - A former walk-on, Schwesinger was a special teams standout for the Bruins before exploding in 2024 with more than 130 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions. He didn't run at the Combine, but did post a 39 ½-inch vertical jump showing extreme explosiveness. Schwesinger is a solid tackler who is going to be a plus special teams player in the NFL with the traits to be a long-term starter, as well.
4. Barrett Carter, Clemson, 6-0, 231 lbs. - A three-year starter at Clemson, the former top-20 recruit got better each season for the Tigers. Carter had 72 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, and 7 pass breakups in 2024. He might be the best coverage linebacker in this draft. The only thing that hurts him is his lack of ideal size, but Carter should be a three-down linebacker.
5. Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina, 6-1 ⅝, 235 lbs. - Knight has the speed (4.58-second 40) and athleticism to play sideline to sideline. He's a good football player. One of his biggest drawbacks is that he's a sixth-year player. A cousin to DeAngelo Hall and distant cousin to Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin, Knight is married with two children. But he plays hard and smart and is everything you're looking for in a modern linebacker.
Sleeper: Nick Martin, Oklahoma State, 5-11 ½, 221 lbs. - Another Oklahoma State player who suffered an injury in the 2024 season, Martin was a first-team All-Big 12 player in 2023 when he recorded 140 tackles, had 6 sacks, 2 interceptions and 16 tackles for a loss. A knee injury sidelined him for seven games in 2024, but he returned for the NFL Scouting Combine to post a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and 38-inch vertical jump while. While he's a little undersized, Martin just gets to the football and makes plays.
Matt's Take
Right before free agency opened this year, several teams made it a huge priority to lock up their respective off the ball linebackers.
The reason? Rookie linebackers often have a very difficult time in the league.
NFL offensive coordinators just throw so much at these young second level defenders. And many/most of even the highly drafted players at this position take quite a while until the game slows down for them at the next level.
Secondly, this class of linebackers is also very underwhelming. Jihaad Campbell is probably the only player here that will have his named called in the first round and overall, there just isn't a ton of flash in this group of prospects overall this season. Campbell very well could be the only linebacker drafted in the top 50 overall.
Matt's Rankings
1. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 235 lbs. - This is a very dynamic player who jumps off the tape. He has an extensive history as an edge pass-rusher and should contribute in that capacity at the next level. But he also has great size, length, range, and physicality for his duties off the ball, which is where Campbell should make his living and do the extent of his work in the league. He has some inconsistencies in his true linebacker play, but Campbell is a big-play machine dripping with upside. A creative defensive coordinator will have a blast designing things for Campbell.
2. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, 6-2 1/2, 242 lbs. - Few diagnosed plays as quickly as Schwesinger at the college level and he wastes no time zeroing in on his target, rarely wasting a step. Schwesinger should acclimate quickly in the league - something few linebackers can claim. He is a tackling machine that can lead a defense for years to come and his 39.5-inch vertical jump was second best among linebackers at the Combine.
3. Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-3 1/4, 233 lbs. - Stutsman is a big-bodied 'backer who really shows up when coming downhill in a throwback-like manner. He is physical and plays the game the right way. However, Stutsman must improve his abilities as a coverage player and could start his career watching from the sidelines when the defense is in nickel and dime personnel. He does run well though, as evidenced by his 4.52/40 at the Combine.
4. Demetrius Knight, South Carolina, 6-1 5/8, 235 lbs.- Knight's first four seasons of college ball were at Georgia Tech. And then after a year at Charlotte, Knight found his way to South Carolina. He has excellent size and as you would imagine, has a mature playing style with a very good feel for what the offense is looking to accomplish. Knight has a lot of starting linebacker traits, probably in the middle, but isn't an especially explosive athlete.
5. Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss, 6-0 7/8, 222 lbs. - If Paul were bigger, he would certainly be higher on this list and his lack of bulk and mass could turn some teams off. Paul flies around the field though and plays with terrific energy. It seems as though he is involved in every play. Paul is the prototypical Will linebacker in a tradition 4-3 front.
Sleeper: Shemar James, Florida, 6-1 3/8, 222 lbs .- James was highly recruited and started four games as a freshman and then the first eight games of his sophomore season before dislocating his kneecap, an injury that ended his 2023 season. In his final season at Florida, James produced in all areas. He isn't real thickly built and can be slow to diagnose, but James is a twitchy athlete and has a very physical nature to him. Maybe he is more than a backup linebacker at the next level and should be an outstanding special teams contributor immediately.
Mike's Take
This year's crop of inside linebackers have yet to be connected as a collective to the type of pre-draft buzz that's been generated by deeper and higher-profile positions such as defensive tackle and edge rusher.
But the linebackers may yet be capable of changing that narrative.
"We've got some guys that can really fly," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah maintained.
And some guys that will be worth following for those who can keep up.
"You're gonna hear 'leader' a lot with these linebackers," Jeremiah added.
Follow the leaders.
Mike's Rankings
1. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 235 lbs. - He was an edge rusher until the presence of Will Anderson (third overall, 2023) and Dallas Turner (17th overall, 2024) ahead of Campbell on the depth chart compelled the staff at Alabama to move him off the ball. Campbell may yet return to the edge eventually, or play both positions as a pro. NFL Network analyst Stacey Dales reported feedback from scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine was as consistent as it was glowing in praise of Campbell: "Just a no-brainer of a player in terms of the leader that he is."
2. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, 6-21/2, 242 lbs. - A former walk-on, Schwesinger's meteoric rise during the 2024 season coincided with UCLA linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo's switch to edge rusher. Schwesinger wound up becoming a First-Team AP All-American and a finalist for the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker). He's an attack-mode player who's three-down and QB-spy capable.
4. Demetrius Knight, South Carolina, 6-1 5/8, 235 lbs.- Knight originally enrolled at Georgia Tech as a quarterback before converting to linebacker and spent four years with the Yellow Jackets. He played his sixth college season at South Carolina, where he won the Gamecocks' defensive MVP, strength and conditioning and nutrition awards. "Another outstanding leader who they love at South Carolina," Jeremiah reported.
4. Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia, 6-2, 224 lbs. - Another Bulldogs defender who is much more about potential as a pro than statistical production in college. "He lives in the weight room," Jeremiah noted. "They gotta kick him out of the weight room at Georgia." Mondon has three-down potential due to his effectiveness in coverage and his ability to generate pressure as a blitzer.
5. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon, 6-1, 232 lbs. - A former safety, Bassa can recover and close in coverage. He was also one of Jeremiah's 12 standout players during Senior Bowl Week, in part because "you could hear him communicating in the press box." Bassa's leadership was reportedly apparent in Mobile, Ala., as it had been at Oregon. He checks a lot of boxes. And he does everything emphatically.
Sleeper: Carson Bruener, Washington, 6-1, 227 lbs. - For Mark Bruener's kid football is the "family business," Jeremiah maintained. And in this business, the son also rises. "He has instincts all over the place," Jeremiah insisted. "You watch him against screens, snuff those out. He's very instinctive in coverage. He plays ultra, ultra aggressive." Forgive dad if he winds up applying a first-round grade.
