The ‘On The Clock’ crew of Matt Williamson, Mike Prisuta and Max Starks take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh in April. Today, they take a second look at the inside linebacker position.
Note: The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1. Sonny Styles, Ohio State, 6-5, 244 lbs.
2. Jacob Rodriquez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 231 lbs.
3. CJ Allen, Georgia, 6-1, 230 lbs.
4. Anthony Hill, Texas, 6-2, 238 lbs.
5. Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4 1/2, 239 lbs.
My rankings at this position haven’t changed. Styles is going to get drafted very early and has a case to being one of the top three or four overall prospects in this class. He is a perfect fit for today’s NFL. But after Styles comes off the board, we might have to wait well into the second day of the draft before the next linebacker is selected. That being said, the second, third, and fourth rounds could be a real sweet spot for drafting linebackers in a class with very good depth here…Arizona State’s Keyshaun Elliott (6-2, 233 lbs.) had a case to crack my top five linebacker ranks. While Elliott remains a work in progress in coverage, he is an experienced player with a great head for the game and playing temperament. Prospects like Elliott often go on to have long successful careers as team leaders and quarterbacks of an NFL defense…Pitt’s Kyle Louis (6-0, 220 lbs.) is also very intriguing. Louis is not a take on linebacker and should not be used in a traditional fashion at the next level. But he is a big-time athlete that flies around the football field and really shines playing in space. This is a leap, but every team in the league is now looking for their version of Nick Emmanwori and Louis does have some of those traits. At a minimum, the former Pitt Panther should be an A+ special teams contributor and a probable dime linebacker…Aiden Fisher (6-1, 230 lbs.) followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana and was the Hoosiers unquestioned defensive leader during their National Title run. Fisher is productive, always around the football, and plays fast. Fisher is a little undersized, but often makes up for it with his physical nature. NFL coaches will love this guy.
1. Sonny Styles, Ohio State, 6-5, 244 lbs.
2. CJ Allen, Georgia, 6-1, 230 lbs.
3. Jacob Rodriquez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 231 lbs.
4. Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4 1/2, 239 lbs.
5. Anthony Hill, Texas, 6-2, 238 lbs.
No reason to alter the initial stack here, or to get off the bandwagon of Utah’s Lander Barton (6-4, 233) as a “sleeper” candidate … Oregon’s Bryce Boettcher (6-1, 230) has already been drafted (by Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros in the 13th round in 2024) and attended Oregon initially as a baseball player before becoming a walk-on in football. He won the Burlsworth Trophy (top former walk-on) in 2024 and got into a scrap with a teammate after an inadvertent hit during a Senior Bowl practice this year. “I kinda liked it,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah admitted. That’s not all Jeremiah likes about a prospect he considers “an excellent football player.” … TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr had some questions about his speed to answer, then answered them emphatically by running a 4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He’s effective on the rush or in coverage against tight ends … Indiana’s Aiden Fisher (6-1, 232) was one of Curt Cignetti’s transfers from James Madison to Indiana on the way to winning the national championship. Fisher was an Associated Press Third-Team All-America selection in 2025 and was also the “nerve center” of the IU defense, Jeremiah contended. Added NFL Network analyst Charles Davis: “He’s going to be in the right place and he’s going to tackle you.” … Oklahoma’s Owen Heinecke went to the Combine still fighting a legal battle to obtain an additional year of eligibility with the Sooners. He’s a former tight end and a former lacrosse player at Ohio State who drew “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from his group mates during on-field drills in Indy. Heinecke reportedly wanted to return to Oklahoma to complete his master’s degree and serve as a team captain for the Sooners. Jeremiah said Heinecke played for “zero dollars and zero cents last year, didn’t make a penny.” … Alabama’s Justin Jefferson (6-03/8, 223) posted a 4.57 40 in Indy, eighth among linebackers, but looked like “the fastest guy on the field when watching Alabama play,” in Jeremiah’s estimation … BYU’s Jack Kelly (6-15/8, 240) was a First-Team All-Big XII selection in 2025 and performed well at the Senior Bowl. Kelly had 15 sacks in two seasons at BYU and a combined 31.5 in his last four college campaigns, including his last two at Weber State … Alabama’s Deontae Lawson (6-3, 226) was a Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2025 and a two-time captain for the Crimson Tide … Pitt’s Kyle Louis (5-117/8, 220) might be a safety and he might be a linebacker. Either way, “He’s just a really good football player,” Jeremiah maintained. Louis is “disruptive against the run,” Jeremiah noted, and also had a combined 10 sacks and six interceptions over the final two of his four seasons at Pitt. His stock was seemingly rising at the Senior Bowl and again at the Combine … Xavian Sorey Jr. (6-2,228) of Arkansas can cover tight ends or rush off the edge, and he’s a two-time team leader in tackles (2024, 2025). Sorey played three seasons at Georgia before playing two at Arkansas and intercepted three passes over his five-year career.
1. Sonny Styles, Ohio State, 6-5, 244 lbs.
2. Jacob Rodriquez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 231 lbs.
3. CJ Allen, Georgia, 6-1, 230 lbs.
4. Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4 1/2, 239 lbs.
5. Anthony Hill, Texas, 6-2, 238 lbs.
The prospects in this inside linebacker group is best defined by their range tenacity and their physicality. This group offers a variety of body types and skill sets to match whether you’re in sub package or base defenses, middle of the field quarterbacks or playing the strong or weak side 2nd level in traditional 4-3 defenses. I really like the way that my board is set up for my top five but I think there can be some tweaks. CJ Allen is a guy I think that moves a little bit in front of Jacob Rodriguez because of his size and his ability to fill the gap in run schemes. Anthony Hill Junior possesses the skills necessary to be a super athletic option at the inside linebacker position because of his blitz capabilities and his coverage capabilities off the edges of offenses. Golday is a brain at the middle linebacker position and has the athleticism to cover sideline to sideline and multiple schemes. My sleeper is still Perkins from LSU, but the question is going to be. Where do you slot him? Is he a safety? Is he a bandit or star linebacker? Whoever drafts him needs to have a clear role for him or else he could end up like an Isaiah Simmons.
