Milano reached the top of the mountain in 202 by earning first-team All-Pro honors, but he's had a steep fall since then. Injuries have gotten the best of the nine-year veteran, missing 30 games over the past three years, and he doesn't have the same movement skills on the field. But Milano managed to at least finish last season relatively healthy and is good enough to contribute if a team needs help at linebacker at some point in the fall.

Davis-Gaither has received more playing time over the last two years and has grown a lot as a run defender. He has solid instincts to keep him around the ball, making a good amount of stops against the run during his first year as a regular starter. However, the six-year veteran still lacks awareness in coverage, leading to big plays in the passing game.

Perryman has built an 11-year career out of being a good run defender, and he still has impressive instincts and plenty of pop behind his pads when coming downhill to make an impact in that phase of the game. However, the 2021 Pro Bowler has never been much of a factor in coverage, and the injuries have piled up, impacting his ability to move/operate in space. Also, while Perryman is a smart player against the run, that doesn't carry over to the passing game.

It wouldn't be surprising if part of the reason the Jaguars let Devin Lloyd walk in free agency is that they like what they've seen from Miller so far. While the sample size for the two-year pro with just 11 career starts isn't big, he showed an impressive combination of instincts and athleticism against the run last year. His route recognition needs work in coverage, but seven passes defended in two seasons with limited playing time is good ball production to build on.

Unfortunately, injuries have been the story of Overshown's career so far. He suffered a torn ACL that forced him to miss his entire rookie season, and the Texas product endured a gruesome injury in the other knee the following year. The latter caused him to miss the majority of the previous campaign, and a concussion cut year three even shorter. Overshown is an impressive athlete who has shown decent chops as a coverage linebacker during his limited time on the field. However, it's hard to give him a thorough evaluation at this stage. This will be the first season the 2023 third-round pick didn't have to spend the offseason rehabbing a major injury, so there's a chance he could quickly climb up the ranks.

Pratt had an interesting 2025 campaign, signing with the Raiders in June before getting released and reuniting with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo in Indianapolis. He was a much better run defender with the Colts under Anarumo, as his instincts looked off in Las Vegas. That could be an indication of why the linebacker remains available (at the time of writing), with other clubs being doubtful about his ability to play in another system. As far as what Pratt can bring to a defense, he's physical when taking on blocks and has shown the ability to set the edge as a standup outside linebacker. In coverage, he's made some decent plays on the ball in the past, but lacks the athleticism and short-area quickness to be consistent.

Simpson has struggled to catch on in Baltimore, getting benched and hardly seeing the field around the halfway point of last season. He has plenty of talent and athleticism to be a well-rounded linebacker; it's just a matter of being in the right spot more consistently, especially in coverage. With a new coaching staff for the Ravens this season, the 2023 third-round pick should have a clean slate and one more opportunity to prove himself, but he's running out of time.

Strnad got a good amount of playing time during the first half of last season while the Broncos waited for Dre Greenlaw to get healthy. But with Greenlaw returning to San Francisco in the offseason, Strnad is in line to become a regular starter in Denver for the first time in his career. The 2020 fifth-round pick will have to step up his game, though. He's a good athlete who can be an impactful blitzer with 7.5 sacks over the last two seasons, and he made a few nice plays on the ball in coverage a year ago. But Strnad isn't physical enough to be an impactful run defender and often looks unsure of himself in zone coverage to be trusted as a full-time starter on the second level right now.

While Wilson posted an eye-catching 126 tackles last season, the majority of his production came several yards down the field rather than high-quality stops. He has the athleticism to close quickly downhill and cover the flats in both phases of the game. However, the 6'4", 242-pound backer needs to become stronger at the point of attack to defeat blocks, and he isn't super instinctual against the run yet. Also, the 2024 third-round pick doesn't have much ball production to prevent completions with just four career passes defended.

The Elliss family has a couple of hybrid off-ball/on-ball linebackers in it, as Christian's brother, Kaden, serves in the same role for the New Orleans Saints. However, the former isn't nearly the same caliber of player as the latter. Christian Elliss is a solid blitzer to get pressure when rushing the passer. But he's just serviceable or replaceable when it comes to being a run defender or in coverage on the second level.

Going from being an undrafted free agent to a 17-game starter in just a year is an impressive beginning to Speights' career. He stands out the most against the run, where his instincts and ability to operate in a phone both help him make quality tackles near the line of scrimmage. However, the 25-year-old still doesn't look comfortable in coverage and working in space to be a complete player at this stage.

Okereke was a solid all-around linebacker during his first two years in New York, but he wasn't the same after suffering a herniated disk at the end of the 2024 campaign. Last season, the seven-year pro looked less explosive and wasn't nearly as impactful, with a lot of his stops coming via clean-up tackles.

It's been an interesting two-year run for Franklin, going from a career season and making his first Pro Bowl in 2024 to having arguably his worst season since becoming a starter last year. He does have the speed and athleticism to shoot gaps in the running game, but struggles when taking on blocks. In coverage, Franklin's speed can help him click and close, but he wasn't nearly as impactful a year ago. Also, he was late in recognizing route concepts and struggled with his angles and leverage in space. It will be interesting to see if the former Colt can bounce back with a change of scenery in Green Bay this season.

Wilson is a hybrid edge defender/off-ball linebacker who fits well in Brian Flores' defense that likes to give opposing offenses a variety of looks. As a run defender, he has good instincts and solid overall athleticism to beat blockers to the spot, racking up a career-high 17 tackles for loss last season. However, the nine-year veteran struggles to take on blocks and make an impact in coverage. Also, Wilson has only been a regular starter for three seasons.

At this stage of his career, Thompson is more of a rotational player/spot starter. That's the role he played in Buffalo last season, and he was a solid player in both phases of the game. The 11-year veteran is best when attacking downhill, in either coverage or against the run, and he can still lay some wood when tackling.

Buchanan's game is rooted in his athleticism, so it will be interesting to see how he bounces back from a torn ACL, meniscus and sprained LCL in his right knee. That injury ended his rookie season early, but the fourth-round pick did exceed expectations by making 13 starts and recording 93 tackles last fall. In year one, Buchanan's ability to absorb contact against the run and close in coverage stood out. But he does have room for growth with his instincts, ability to escape blocks and short-area quickness.

Werner has made a career out of being a solid run defender, owning the instincts and ability to defeat blocks to be around the ball throughout the game. However, he isn't much of a space player and struggles in coverage. The five-year veteran's lack of ball skills and awareness lead to a lot of completions, and he doesn't have the short-area quickness to make many stops against the passing game.

Dodson is a good overall athlete who has been an impressive coverage linebacker in the past, but is coming off a down season. He struggled with his instincts and awareness a year ago, often looking lost in the Dolphins' defense. Maybe the coaching change in Miami will help the six-year veteran return to form because it feels like he's running out of chances to be a starting linebacker in the NFL otherwise.