The calendar has officially turned to April, meaning all eyes are set on Green Bay, Wis., and the 2025 NFL Draft. Over the next few weeks, we will take a look at some expert breakdowns of the top prospects entering this year's draft, position by position:
Let's continue with the linebackers.
Names of Note
Jihaad Campbell - Alabama
Measurables
Height - 6'3"
Weight - 235 lbs
Arm - 32 ½"
Hand - 10 ½"
Prospect Overview
Campbell was named First-team All-SEC in 2024 and led Alabama with 117 tackles. He came into Tuscaloosa as a five-star recruit and a top 15 overall prospect nationally.
Rankings and Analysis
"Campbell has the ideal build and athletic ability to play any linebacker spot, but he projects best to a Mike or Sam LB in 4-3 schemes or a Mike/EDGE in a 3-4. He must continue to develop anticipation and strength, but he has the mold of an All-Pro player."
"Campbell uses his speed and athleticism to help mitigate mistakes and get to the football at a relatively high rate. He's a rangy, consistent open-field tackler who excels on third downs as a fluid blitzer and impressive cover talent."
"[Campbell] plays downhill, fills gaps and gets into the backfield between the tackles. Campbell's competitive at matching up with backs and tight ends in coverage. He breaks on the ball well and limits production after the catch. He is a relentless pass rusher and easily slips past running backs. He's quick, so he bends and closes well."
Carson Schwesinger - UCLA
Measurables
Height - 6'2 ½"
Weight - 242 lbs
Arm - 31 ⅝"
Hand - 9 ¼"
Prospect Overview
Schwesinger was First-team Associated Press All-American, First-team All-Big Ten and a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker, in 2024. He led the country with 90 solo tackles and was third with 136 total tackles.
Rankings and Analysis
Pro Football Focus: No. 52 overall (No. 4 LB) "Schwesinger is light for an NFL linebacker, but his elite processing speed and intelligence give him starter and impact ability as a Mike or Will linebacker for a 4-3 defense."
"Schwesinger went from walk-on to All-American at UCLA. He's a human bloodhound, pairing elite instincts with an understanding of blocking schemes and run tracks… He's also a sound technician as an open-field tackler and bona fide standout on special teams"
"Schwesinger is a former walk-on who had a breakout season in 2024 with the most solo tackles in the country (90). His reaction time, motor and closing burst make him a sideline-to-sideline run defender. But he's an instinctive interior run defender, too. Schwesinger locates the ball quickly and slips blocks to sift through traffic."
Barrett Carter - Clemson
Measurables
Height - 6'0"
Weight - 231 lbs
Arm - 32 ⅛"
Hand - 9 ¼
Prospect Overview
Carter was Third-team Associated Press All-American, First-team All-ACC and was a finalist for the Butkus Award (nation's top LB) in 2024 after compiling 82 tackles and seven pass break-ups.
Rankings and Analysis
Pro Football Focus: No. 128 overall (No. 7 LB) "While he needs to get stronger, Carter is an athletic, versatile defender who can be a valuable chess piece for a defense as a weakside linebacker."
"Prototypical three-down linebacker who added muscle mass in 2024 without losing playmaking quickness… Carter can play around or off the block and has the agility and reaction quickness for sudden adjustments as an open-field tackler…Carter's demeanor, versatility and athletic profile give him a good chance of becoming a quality starter as a run-and-chase Will linebacker."
No analysis available.
Demetrius Knight Jr. - South Carolina
Measurables
Height - 6'2"
Weight - 235 lbs
Arm - 32 ⅝"
Hand - 10"
Prospect Overview
Knight Jr. spent four years at Georgia Tech before becoming First-team All-American Athletic Conference with Charlotte in 2023 with 96 tackles. He then transferred to South Carolina for 2024, leading the Gamecocks with three forced fumbles and tallying 82 tackles.
Rankings and Analysis
Pro Football Focus: No. 33 overall (No. 3 LB) "Knight will be one of the oldest prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he is a mature player with good processing and fundamentally sound tackling. His run-defense angles can be a bit overaggressive, but you'll take that trade-off due to how well he moves in coverage and when pursuing ball carriers."
"Passionate linebacker with great size, good instincts and a feel for how to play the position. Knight is a fluid athlete with average pursuit speed and short-area burst. He uses his eyes and instincts to diagnose quickly and he maneuvers around bodies like a running back. He's adept at slipping blocks and rarely allows blockers to stick and sustain on the second level."
"Knight is an instinctive inside linebacker who tracks the ball well and fills gaps. He beats blockers to the point of attack and disrupts plays in the backfield. Knight reacts quickly, closes chasing inside out and brings some pop as a tackler. He also showed a strength in punching the ball out with three forced fumbles in 2024."
Danny Stutsman - Oklahoma
Measurables
Height - 6'3"
Weight - 233 lbs
Arm - 32 ⅛"
Hand - 9"
Prospect Overview
Stutsman made Associated Press All-American teams in both 2023 (Third team) and 2024 (Second team). He was First-team All-Big 12 in 2023 and led Oklahoma with 104 tackles then followed it up with a First-team All-SEC nomination in 2024, where he was a finalist for the Butkus Award (nation's top LB) and tallied 110 tackles.
Rankings and Analysis
Pro Football Focus: No. 179 overall (No. 12 LB) "If you want a thumping downhill linebacker, Stutsman is your guy. He's too often a liability in coverage, though, which could limit him to early downs at the next level."
"Inside linebacker with size and instincts to post a board full of high totals as a tackler. Stutsman is football smart with studious play recognition to stay one step ahead of blockers. His downhill flows narrow the runner's angles and he's accomplished at slipping around blockers or sliding off of them to tackle"
"Stutsman made 348 tackles and 34.5 tackles for loss as a three-year starter in college. He's taller than most inside linebackers, with quick reactions and a strong ability to track the ball… His hands are active, and he has the lateral quickness to slip blocks and sift through traffic between the tackles."
Watch the 2025 NFL Draft April 24-26 on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
Take a look at Daniel Jeremiah's latest top 50 NFL Draft Prospects. Watch the 2025 NFL Draft April 24-26 on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
No. 1: DE Abdul Carter, Penn State
No. 2: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
No. 3: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
No. 4: DT Mason Graham, Michigan
No. 5: EDGE Jalon Walker, Georgia
No. 6: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
No. 7: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
No. 8: QB Cam Ward, Miami
No. 9: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
No. 10: OT Will Campbell, LSU
No. 11: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
No. 12: OT Armand Membou, Missouri
No. 13: RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
No. 14: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
No. 15: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
No. 16: WR Matthew Golden, Texas
No. 17: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
No. 18: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
No. 19: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
No. 20: IOL Tyler Booker, Alabama
No. 21: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
No. 23: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
No. 23: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
No. 24: IOL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
No. 25: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
No. 26: EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
No. 27: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
No. 28: DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
No. 29: S Malaki Starks, Georgia
No. 30: DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
No. 31: OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
No. 32: TE Mason Taylor, LSU
No. 33: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
No. 34: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
No. 35: CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
No. 36: QB Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
No. 37: OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State
No. 38: RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
No. 39: OT Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
No. 40: CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
No. 41: IOL Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
No. 42: CB Trey Amos, Mississippi
No. 43: TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami
No. 44: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
No. 45: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
No. 46: EDGE Landon Jackson, Arkansas
No. 47: DT Darius Alexander, Toledo
No. 48: OT Marcus Mbow, Purdue
No. 49: EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
No. 50: CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State
