• Harold Perkins is the first LB1: The LSU junior is a true defensive weapon due to his elite pass rush ability.
• Barrett Carter has a chance to bounce back: The Clemson senior was once one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft before an offseason forced him to return to school.
• Get an edge in fantasy football: Use PFF’s fantasy football mock Draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations and prepare for your live draft.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
The 2024 NFL Draft produced a historically weak linebacker class. The group did not include a single first-round pick, making it the first draft without a first-round off-ball linebacker since 2011.
So who are the players who can help the position recover?
Here are the 10 linebackers we should know about as we approach summer scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft.
(Please note: This is not necessarily a ranking of the top 10 prospects, but rather a watch list.)
Check out our other 2025 NFL Draft summer watchlists:
Quarterback | R.B. | W.R. | TEA | Old Testament | MESS | GAVE | EDGE
Harold Perkins Jr., L.S.U.
Perkins will be an intriguing prospect to watch in 2024. While he has elite ability as a pass rusher, he is too small to play as an edge defender full-time (6-foot-1, 220 pounds).
In 2023, as an off-ball linebacker, he struggled as a run defender but shined in coverage, earning an 81.1 coverage grade.
Perkins is an elite athlete who scored in the 90th percentile or higher in PFF’s game athleticism score in each of his first two seasons. Whichever team drafts him, it would be wise to use him as a versatile defensive chess piece rather than a true linebacker or off-ball defender.
LSU LB Harold Perkins with his best play of the half, sack and forced fumble to end the second quarter.
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-Xeet by https://t.co/mD5mygar9j pic.twitter.com/NEeCGDFXjy
– Lonn Phillips Sullivan (@LonnPhillips) September 24, 2023
Barrett Carter Clemson
Ahead of the 2023 season, PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema pegged Carter as the top linebacker prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. While Carter’s junior campaign didn’t quite match what he showed As a sophomore (he earned a 70.6 grade in 2023 compared to an 81.4 grade in 2022), Carter’s work over the past two years should still rank him among the best linebackers in the country. prospects entering summer scouting.
According to PFF’s wins above average metric, no returning Power Five linebacker has been more valuable since 2022. He’s especially dominant on the pass, as he’s the only player at his position to earn grades above 80.0 as pass rusher and ground defender. in that period.
Carter is a very good athlete who can get back into first-round conversations with a bounce-back campaign in 2024.
Danny Stutsman Oklahoma
After living in opposing backfields, Stutsman was named a third-team Keynote USA All-American last season. His 19 tackles for loss or no gain tied for fourth among Power Five linebackers, while his 37 stops in run defense tied for eighth among that same group of players.
He needs to improve in coverage, as he earned only a 64.2 grade in that area last season. Stutsman remains an athletic player, especially downhill, and will once again be the leader of Oklahoma’s defense next season.
Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman is having a Butkus Award-like budding season:
—43 tackles
—Eight tackles for loss
—leads a defense that gives up 8.5 points per game
—OU is 4-0
-RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 26, 2023
Dumas-Johnson Ham, Kentucky
Dumas-Johnson’s 2023 season was derailed by a broken forearm, which kept him out of Georgia’s final five games.
He earned a spot on this list for what he accomplished over the past two years. His 80.2 run defense grade leads all SEC linebackers over the past two seasons, while ranking fifth among that same group with a 24.2% pressure rate.
After excelling with the Bulldogs, JDJ will take his talents to Kentucky for the 2024 season. He is an outstanding athlete and even ranked in the 98th percentile in PFF’s GAS metric in 2023.
Smael Mondón Jr., Georgia
Mondon’s athletic gifts are evident. According to our player tracking data, he reached a top speed of 22.4 miles per hour last year, fifth among all FBS linebackers.
That speed allows him to chase players in the open field. Since 2022, his 16 coverage stops rank first among all SEC linebackers.
Mondon needs to get stronger and has yet to earn a grade higher than 65.0 all season. However, he has raw athletic traits that are worth betting on.
Smael Mondón (#2). Recognition and closing speed. pic.twitter.com/RI3X6wO99j
—Brent Rollins (@BrentRollinsPhD) March 8, 2023
Jay Higgins, Iowa
Higgins was a true iron man for Iowa’s defense last season, as his 985 snaps led all FBS defensive players. He still played at an elite level even though he rarely left the field, finishing fifth among all linebackers in the country in PFF grade (89.6). Higgins finished the year as the most valuable linebacker in the country, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
He always seemed to be around the ball last year and led the nation with 108 plays in which he made first contact with the ball carrier. Higgins was also one of six Power Five linebackers to earn grades above 80.0 as both a run defender and in coverage.
Jaishawn Barham Michigan
Barham burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, with his 83.1 coverage grade ranking fifth among Power Five linebackers. He finished the season as the seventh most valuable linebacker in the country, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
Barham was limited by injuries as a sophomore and posted just a 44.7 coverage grade last season. He will try to recover in a new home in 2024, as he transferred from Maryland to Michigan in December.
Jason Henderson Old domain
Henderson has been one of the best linebackers in the country at finding the ball over the past few seasons. Since 2022, he ranks seventh among FBS linebackers with 104 plays in which he made first contact with the ball carrier. His 121 tackles in that span are the most in the country.
His level of competition will be a concern, as will his size (6-foot-1, 227 pounds). However, Henderson has NFL athleticism and a nose for football.
Jason Henderson. From being dominant in 2022 to being dominant in the 23rd season@ODUFootball @JasonH_42 pic.twitter.com/zhKA0JjBaN
-Jackson (@sandifervisuals) February 3, 2024
collin oliver, Oklahoma State
Oliver began his career as a defender and immediately established himself as a formidable pass rusher. As a true freshman in 2021, he posted an 18.2% pressure rate that ranked fifth among Power Five edge defenders. The following season, his 15.7% pressure rate trailed only Tyree Wilson, an eventual top-10 draft pick among Big 12 edge defenders.
Oklahoma State moved him to off-ball linebacker last year, but he remained an elite pass rusher, posting an FBS-best 37 quarterback pressures. The junior also showed some skills when he wasn’t attacking the quarterback, ranking third among Big 12 linebackers with a coverage grade of 75.0.
Like Harold Perkins, Oliver is still at his best when allowed to pressure the quarterback. But also like Perkins, Oliver is likely too small to play full-time in the NFL (6-foot-2, 235 pounds).
Jack Kisser, Notre Dame
While Kiser was primarily used as a rotational piece on Notre Dame’s defense last year, his 90.3 grade trailed only Edgerrin Cooper among all linebackers in the country. He and Cooper also had the distinction of being the only linebackers in the United States to finish with grades above 85.0 in both coverage and against the run.
The Fighting Irish lost starting linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau to the NFL this offseason, so Kiser should become a more household name in his sixth season. He is an elite athlete, having scored above the 99th percentile in PFF’s GAS metric in each of the last two seasons.
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