My Favourite Day-3 Linebackers

Welcome to the third instalment of my favourite day three players, today we are looking at my favourite and, in my opinion, the deepest position in this draft class. As before, I will give you my top 10, followed by a deeper dive into my favourite day three prospects. I have been looking forward to doing this one since I started this series, it’s going to be a fun one. If you’re new here, please go back and read my offensive tackle and edge editions. I get the average consensus rank from two consensus boards, Mock Draft Database and Detroit Lions Podcast, both of which are really good resources for anyone who likes the draft. Any player with an average ranking above 110 will be considered a day three guy.

My Top 10:

1. Sonny Styles – Ohio State

2. Arvell Reese – Ohio State

3. CJ Allen – Georgia

4. Kyle Louis – Pittsburgh

5. Jacob Rodriguez – Texas Tech

6. Josiah Trotter – Missouri

7. Anthony Hill Jr – Texas

8. Jake Golday – Cincinnati

9. Taurean York – Texas A&M

10. Aiden Fisher – Indiana

Fisher is a consensus day-three pick, so let’s start with him.

Aiden Fisher – Indiana – Average Consensus Rank: 156

Another Hoosier who followed Curt Cignetti and co from James Madison to Bloomington and became the captain of the National Championship-winning defence in the country. Over his two years in Indiana, Fisher racked up 215 total tackles, 16 TFL’s, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He was a finalist for both the Butkus Award and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.

At just under 6’1’’ and 232 lbs, he is slightly undersized compared to your traditional linebacker, but in today's NFL, that size is near average. I don’t think Fisher is a great athlete, but he diagnoses plays and reacts so quickly that he looks quicker than most other players on the field. Fisher shows the ability to both slip under blocks and take on offensive linemen head-on, although the latter is less consistent in his game and he may struggle to keep this up in the NFL. He wasn’t asked to do too much in coverage in Indiana’s zone-heavy scheme, other than simple hook/curl drops and covering the flat, he seems to get to his landmark well, I have questions over his trigger, I don’t think he diagnoses pass plays as quickly as run plays therefore is occasionally late to the catch point. I have doubts over his ability to play man coverage, mainly because of how rarely he was asked to do it, but also his questionable change-of-direction skills. I’m not saying he definitely cannot do it, just that I haven’t seen it, he certainly is not a liability in the pass game.

Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ scheme is ideal for Fisher’s style of play; it allowed him to play fast, free and clean. Therefore, like most prospects, his landing spot will be key, he needs to play in a scheme that will ask him to play the run and have relatively simple assignments in coverage, at least early on anyway. I can also see Fisher being a stand-out on special teams given his tenacious way he attacks blocks. I graded Fisher as an early-fourth-round player.

Jack Kelly – BYU – Average Consensus Rank: 213

This is a player I really like. A redshirt senior was a three-star recruit who enrolled at Weber State, playing three seasons, before transferring to BYU for the 2024 season. Kelly played more as an outside linebacker at BYU, which, depending on a team's scheme, is where I see him fitting best in the NFL. Over the last two years at BYU, he amassed 106 total tackles, 23.5 TFL’s and 15 sacks, as these stats show, he is constantly in the backfield.

So why am I so high on Kelly? First and foremost, he is so explosive over a short area, it looks like he teleports off the snap at times and this quickness forms the basis for his pass rush. In fact, calling it a pass rush is probably being generous, it’s a blitz, but it’s bloody effective, as I’ve already mentioned, he is constantly in the backfield, his explosiveness is how he gets there. He’s not a natural in coverage; he looks a bit stiff at times which is to be expected for a player of his build; 6’1 ½’’ and 240 lbs, but he does flash some good instincts and movement skills in zone coverage. When playing the run, he shows he can stack linemen well both when lined up on the edge, or off ball, however his lack of length makes it difficult for him to shed those blockers at times.

Kelly’s explosiveness showed up at the combine, 4.57s 40-yard dash, 37’’ vertical, 10’5’’ broad jump and an impressive 4.19s short shuttle gave him a RAS of 9.81. I have him graded as a mid-fourth-round talent, who can contribute early as a rookie. His fit with the Lions is in the Derrick Barnes’ SAM linebacker position, and I would say he is already better at getting in the backfield than Barnes.

Shad Banks – UTSA – Average Consensus Rank: 567

A former four-star recruit in the 2021 class, Banks played 4 seasons for TCU before transferring to UTSA where he managed to be named First-Team All-Conference with 94 total tackles, 7.5 TFL’s and most importantly 3 interceptions. I say most importantly because Banks is a true coverage linebacker, he’s not a player who will be making a ton of plays in the backfield or going head-to-head with offensive linemen. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not bad against the run, but his strengths lie elsewhere.

Banks is undersized, he measured in at the Hula Bowl at nearly 5’11 ½’’ and 227 lbs, a similar size to the likes of Kyle Louis, listed above and Harold Perkins who, [spoiler alert] did not make this list, Banks did play in the box more than these two, though. UTSA asked a lot of Banks in coverage, they ran a fair bit of Tampa 2, which requires the middle linebacker to drop to similar depths as the safety’s despite starting 5-10 yards further forward, they are also expected to carry any receiver all the way to that third level, Banks has no issue doing this. He shows on multiple occasions that he has the speed and agility to stay in the hip pockets of slot receivers, running backs, and tight ends, he does occasionally get out-muscled by these tight ends though. As you’d expect of someone his size, he struggles to get off blocks once engaged, and he does take bad angles in run pursuit at times, but he is by no means a liability in that phase of the game, he is very good at making himself skinny to slip through and under blocks.

Banks is a player that I am very excited about, his consensus rank is outdated and disrespectful, I’m sure he will get drafted, I have him graded as a late-fourth-round talent. He’s a player who might not play much as a rookie but will develop into a great sub-package linebacker at the very least.

Bryce Boettcher – Oregon – Average Consensus Rank: 142.5

A key piece of the Duck defence over the last two years, he sets the tone for the rest of the team to follow, a true leader. He was one half of the ‘Caucasian Collision Unit’ with Dillon Thieneman. Boettcher was a two-sport athlete at Oregon, playing Baseball and getting drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13^th round of the 2024 MLB draft. He was a three-star recruit as a dual-threat quarterback but opted to play baseball for his hometown Ducks, it was as a sophomore that Boettcher gave football another try, walking on as a linebacker, eventually earning a scholarship and winning the 2024Burlsworth Trophy; presented to the nation’s most outstanding player who began career as a walk-on. In 2025 he led the Big Ten in total tackles with 136 total tackles. I could speak about Boettcher all day but let's get into his game.

He checked in at the Senior Bowl at a smidge under 6’1’’ and 227 lbs so he is a smaller player at the position, last year was the first year he didn’t have to cut weight to play Baseball after the football season, I expect that he can carry an extra 10 lbs of muscle. He’s a good all-around linebacker, who plays hard in both the run and pass game, he’s not going to be able to run with wide receivers but he has the movement skills to do a good job on tight ends and running backs. Against the run he can be a bit hit and miss, he tends to diagnose running plays well, but can fall hard for a good play action. Boettcher takes on linemen enthusiastically but can struggle to get off blocks once engaged.

Boettcher will probably start his NFL career as a core special teamer, but I believe he can work his way into a rotation, and eventually a starting spot. He doesn’t necessarily have one trait that stands out, other than his leadership, which I think is top drawer, but I might be slightly biased here. I have an early-fifth round grade on a player that, as an Oregon fan, I’m going to miss.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr – TCU – Average Consensus Rank: 153

The redshirt senior played three years at Cal before transferring to the Horned Frogs. He redshirted his first year, played nearly exclusively on special teams in year 2, before locking down a starting linebacker spot in his final year at Cal. During his time with TCU he totalled 184 tackles, 15.5 TFL’s and 6 sacks, most of this production came in his final season.

I have no concerns about Elarms-Orr's size, he is a hair over 6’1 ½'’ and 233 lbs, which in today's NFL is perfectly fine. He’s a good athlete, 4.47s 40-yard dash, 40’’ vertical and 10’4’’ broad jump, however, I don’t think he always shows on film. This may be because he's a half-count slow diagnosing blocking schemes, which can allow a lineman or tight end time to get to him before he’s in full stride, once this happens, he struggles to disengage from the block. In the pass game, he shows some good movement skills, I particularly like his back pedal, he gets great depth and often heavily impacts crossing routes and digs. Elarms-Orr's explosiveness and speed allow him to blitz effectively from different alignments.

Elarms-Orr has good side-side range and, when given a free lane, is a real menace in the backfield in both phases of the game. I have a high fifth-round grade on him, I expect him to go fairly early on day three.

Jaden Dugger – Louisiana - Average Consensus Rank: 345

While I was trawling through all the Shrine Bowl practice tape, I kept asking myself, ‘Who is that edge rusher they have covering tight ends?’ When I looked up the number, I found that it was indeed an off-ball linebacker. At over 6’4 ½’’ with nearly 35’’ arms and a wingspan similar to that of a small plane, Dugger clearly has length. He started his college career at Georgetown before transferring to the Ragin Cajuns and he really popped off in his senior year, 125 total tackles, 13 TFL’s, 4 sacks and an interception.

Dugger is a converted safety, and this shows in both a positive and negative way; even at 240lbs he still has the change of direction and short area quickness to cover tight ends and running backs. On the other hand, he can struggle to disengage from blocks in the run game, I think this is more of a technique issue than an athletic one, at his size he should be able to gain enough leverage to shed some of these blocks. Dugger is currently best against the run when he diagnoses quickly and flies to the ball, he easily outruns offensive linemen and tight ends to the point of attack. I did have some concerns about his effort at times; I want my linebackers to be hustling to the ball until the whistle sounds, there were numerous plays where I felt Dugger was not doing this, not necessarily going to knock him too much for this yet, but worth noting.

You don’t get many linebackers that are built and move like Jaden Dugger. He has the potential to be a great all-around linebacker, he could play either MIKE or WILL in the Lions' current defensive scheme. He does need some seasoning, but the foundation is certainly there. I think Dugger is a mid-fifth round player and we could be looking back at this class in five years asking ourselves how he fell to day-3.

Keyshaun Elliott – Arizona State – Average Consensus Rank:171

A three-sport athlete in high school, Elliott is the Missouri state champion in the 4x200m relay and graduated with honours. He was a three-star recruit, committing to New Mexico State where he played as a true freshman. After a breakout sophomore season, he transferred to the Sundevils in 2024 where, over his two years there, he racked up 163 total tackles, 18 TFL’s, 9 sacks and an interception.

As you might suspect with him being a former sprinter, Elliott is a good athlete, especially over a short area, his jumps at the combine show this, 38’’ vertical, 10’5’’ broad are both over 80^th percentile for the position, and at nearly 6’2’’ and 231 lbs, he has a big enough frame for a modern linebacker. Although, he does move well in space, I don’t think he has a natural feel for zone coverage, but this is something that can be worked on. Against the run, Elliott is a good tackler and does show the ability to shed blocks, but this is inconsistent in my opinion.

I am slightly lower than consensus on Elliott, I have him graded as a mid-fifth-round talent. I think Elliott could see significant playing time early in his NFL career as he can do a bit of everything and doesn’t have a glaring weakness, he just needs to get more consistency in his play.

Jackson Kuwatch – Miami (OH) – Average Consensus Rank:333

Another one that jumped off the screen during my Shrine Bowl study. The redshirt senior is an intriguing prospect; he only has one year of production but has all the traits that NFL teams covet. He spent two years at Ohio State, barely touching the field and his first two seasons as a Redhawk were not much better, only managing 14 total tackles and 1 sack. This past season however, he took off, 109 total tackles, 10 TFL’s and 5 sacks. At 6’3 ¾’’ and 230 lbs he has good sizewhich form the foundation of his evaluation.

Watching him play, I am not sure why there was next-to-no production in previous years. Firstly, on tape, he looks to be a good athlete, he can cover ground with quick, long strides, when he takes a good angle, his run pursuit is great. He flashes good movement skills and decent feel for coverage although this is not his forte.’ Kuwatch was used to blitz A LOT, and although he covers the ground in a flash, he does often get stuck on a block and stonewalled, this shows in the run game too, where he struggles to disengage at times. However, he can fight through these blocks if he can attack the shoulder of an offensive lineman.

Kuwatch is a ball of clay for a team to mould into what they want at the linebacker position. He needs a substantial amount of coaching, but if it all clicks, he could be great. I think he will be a core special teams contributor at least. I have yet another mid-fifth round grade here, which is significantly higher than others. If the consensus is to be believed, he will be available late on day three and probably after the draft as a UDFA, but I believe there is enough there with Kuwatch to get him drafted.

Deontae Lawson – Alabama – Average Consensus Rank: 110.5

A name that will be familiar to a lot of people, Lawson started this year as a second-round projection, but after a subpar season with the Crimson Tide he has slipped considerably, some people are still fairly high on him and he only just meets my threshold as a day three player, I am considerably lower on him than most. The former four-star recruit is vastly experienced, playing 52 games in 5 years at Alabama, and being named a team captain for the last two seasons.

We’ll start with the good, Lawson looks the part, he is a well put-together young man despite being sub-230 lbs, I have no concerns about him being able to deal with the physicality of the NFL. He is a good strong tackler but does take poor angles at times when pursuing a ball carrier. As you might expect from a player of his experience, Lawson diagnoses run plays well, normally allowing him to be in a good spot to make a play. In coverage, Lawson struggles, he has very little feel for route concepts and often leads passing lanes open as a result, especially in zone coverage where it seems like he’s guessing at times. In man coverage, he lacks the agility to cover running backs on routes passed the line of scrimmage, he is lightning quick to diagnose and close on flat routes, however. He can stay in phase with tight ends but often gets bullied at the catch point.

A sub 230 lbs linebacker who can’t cover doesn’t sound like an enticing prospect, but there's something about Lawson that intrigues me, I cannot quite put my finger on what that something is, but it’s definitely there. I have him graded as a late-to-mid fifth-round talent.

Erick Hunter – Morgan State – Average Consensus Rank: UNRANKED

I first heard about Hunter when Ant talked about him on the podcast, he sounded like a player I would like, and Ant’s opinion is one I respect greatly, especially when it comes to HBCU prospects. The redshirt senior has been a standout for Morgan State throughout his five-year career, in his most recent season, he tallied 102 total tackles, 14 TFL’s and 4 sacks, earning First-Team All-MEAC accolades.

First thing you notice about Hunter is his build; he checked in at the Legacy Bowl at 6’2’’ 224 lbs, he looks slim, I would like him to add 10 lbs or so. He does look to have good length with an arm length of over 33’’. What I like the most about Hunter is that he is always around the ball, he possesses good sideline-to-sideline speed, and his long legs allow him to eat up the ground with ease. He is aggressive when it comes to taking on offensive linemen in the run game, and although he can get stuck on those blocks, his long limbs allow him to affect the ball carrier while engaged with a blocker. In the pass game, Hunter shows some good movement skills in coverage, which you would expect at his size and weight. I mentioned his speed and range, this also shows in his blitzing, when he sees a lane, he can get through it in a flash.

I have Hunter graded as a high sixth-round player, so I clearly think he should get drafted, however, on most big boards, Hunter is not even listed, so he will probably be a UDFA. His tape is good; the quality of the opposition is the only real question mark I have for him. I would be shocked if Hunter is not picked up somewhere and I expect him to shine in the preseason.

This linebacker class is as deep as the Mariana Trench and there will be a load drafted throughout the three days in Pittsburgh. I will be jumping back over to offence for my next piece, talking about this tight end class, it’ll be an interesting one. As always, if you have any ideas, suggestions or questions, drop them in the comments.