- Carson Schwesinger will make waves as a blitzer: His ability to shoot gaps and track down quarterbacks allowed him to rack up four sacks, while his flexibility and burst produced a 27.4% pass-rush win rate — the second-highest rate of any defender in the class.
- Shaun Dolac has had a winding football journey: The former walk-on developed into an All-American at Buffalo, ranking as the highest-graded linebacker in slot coverage (88.8) and early- (89.1) and late-down (90.4) PFF overall grades in 2024.
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Draft Position Rankings
The 2025 NFL Draft season is nearing its conclusion. Every player brings a unique skill set to the table, in the hope of having their name called on the big stage. We’re breaking down the draft class’ best players in each and every facet, for every position, to get a more informed view of the NFL hopefuls.
These are PFF’s highest-graded 2025 linebacker prospects in each key grading facet. Click here for wide receivers and tight ends, here for running backs, here for offensive linemen and here for defensive backs.
Box PFF Coverage Grade: Jay Higgins, Iowa (90.9)
Although Higgins’ middling athletic profile will hinder his draft stock, his high-end production and grading profile speak volumes. As captain of the Hawkeyes’ defense, Higgins used his football acumen and good eyes to diagnose and anticipate plays in coverage consistently, resulting in a trio of interceptions, 14 coverage stops and the second-highest PFF coverage grade in the nation (minimum 100 coverage snaps) when lined up in the box.
Slot PFF Coverage Grade: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo (88.8)
This won’t be the only time the Buffalo standout’s name appears on this list. Dolac’s instincts allowed him to excel in coverage, particularly when lined up over the slot, where he earned the second-highest PFF coverage grade in college football — even among defensive backs with far more explosion and movement skills. He snagged a pair of interceptions and allowed just a 33.6 passer rating into his coverage from the slot.
PFF Coverage Grade in Single Coverage: Jailin Walker, Indiana (85.2)
While Walker’s draft stock falls into the Day 3 range, he can undoubtedly catch on with an NFL franchise thanks to his athleticism and coverage ability. The Indiana playmaker’s prowess in checking tight ends and running backs in single coverage amounted to a PFF coverage grade that charts six points higher than the next-best draft-eligible linebacker, powered by three forced incompletions on just four targets.
PFF Pass-Rush Grade: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA (87.0)
With a ceaseless motor, quick processing, pursuit speed and acceleration, Schwesinger is a menace as a blitzer. His ability to shoot gaps and track down quarterbacks allowed him to rack up four sacks, while his flexibility and burst produced a 27.4% pass-rush win rate — the second-highest rate of any defender in the class (minimum 50 pass-rush snaps).
PFF Run-Defense Grade: Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma (90.9)
Despite some notable deficiencies in coverage, Stutsman excels as a downhill striker in the run game. His ability to quickly diagnose pre- and post-snap, paired with his talent to stack and shed blockers, resulted in backs being swallowed up before even getting started. Stutsman recorded the lowest average tackle depth (2.41) of any linebacker in the class and racked up 14 tackles for loss or no gain in 2024.
PFF Overall Grade vs. RPOs: Kobe King, Penn State (90.0)
Due to the proliferation of the run-pass option in the modern game, playing linebacker has never been more difficult. However, King continues to push the boundaries of what a linebacker can accomplish when placed into conflict decisions. His excellent eyes put him in the right spot at the right time, allowing him to chart as one of two linebackers in the class to generate a 78.0-plus PFF run-defense and PFF coverage grade on RPO looks.
PFF Overall Grade in Red Zone: Jack Kiser, Notre Dame (83.8)
After six seasons in Notre Dame’s program, Kiser profiles as one of the consistent defenders in the class with fantastic football acumen and a polished game. He is a difference-maker in the red zone, charting as the only linebacker in the class to generate a positive grade on more than 20% of his red-zone run-defense snaps while also garnering a negative grade on less than 6% of those plays.
PFF Overall Grade on Early Downs: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo (89.1)
While Dolac lacks the prototypical physical tools NFL teams look for at the position, his high football IQ and tenacity allow him to succeed. On first and second downs in 2024, Dolac finished as the only linebacker in the class with an 85.0-plus PFF grade in both coverage (88.5) and run defense (87.8).
PFF Overall Grade on Late Downs: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo (90.4)
If it wasn’t enough for Dolac to pace the 2025 draft class in early-down PFF grade, let’s add late-down grade to his list of accolades, as well. On third and fourth downs, the Buffalo standout produced an 83.0-plus grade in all three major defensive facets — run defense (86.6), pass rushing (83.6) and coverage (87.5) — resulting in a cumulative grade that ranks nearly 10 points higher on the grading scale than the next-best linebacker in the 2025 class.
Missed Tackle Rate: Jack Kiser, Notre Dame (4%)
Tackling is perhaps the most impressive piece of Kiser’s game. The sixth-year senior accumulated 109 total tackles in 2024 while missing just five (just over 4.5%). He finished as the only linebacker in college football to produce more than 100 tackles while clocking less than a 5% missed tackle rate.
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