If there is one part of Mike Macdonald’s Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks defense that should be copied across the NFL, it’s the willingness to embrace the second-level “tweener.” To be clear, teams should be attempting to replicate several parts of Macdonald’s Seahawks program, but the head coach’s ability to identify and maximize hybrid box defenders is easily second to none.
Seattle’s biggest score of the 2025 NFL Draft was South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, an elite athlete at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds who became the Seahawks’ X factor.
Macdonald didn’t invent the idea of putting linebackers who run like safeties in the box, regardless of their weight. But he did spend a year coordinating in college (Michigan, 2021), where second-level hybrids have been embraced for more than a decade.
Not only is this a great year for teams to find their own version of Emmanwori (though it’ll be hard to find anyone who can do everything he does), it’s also a great year to find the rare first- and second-level hybrid who can rush the passer, defend the run from the box and cover the tight end. The linebacker revolution is on.
Here’s a deeper look at Dane Brugler’s current top three linebackers in the ’26 draft class, and why they’re unique:
(Note: All ages listed as of Round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft.)
LB1: Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Size: 6 feet, 4 inches, 241 pounds; Age: 20
Career stats: 38 games, 34 pressures, 11 sacks, six QB hits, 17 hurries, 53 run stops, one pass breakup
Strengths
A front-seven hybrid capable of wearing multiple hats on multiple levels of the defense, Reese was one of the most physically impressive players I saw on tape all year. At 6-4, 240, with legitimate length and powerful hands, Reese’s best-case NFL comparison is Micah Parsons.
The Ohio State product can rush off the edge, beat guards and centers inside, cover tight ends or defend the run from the box. He’s a complete athlete, with the burst, lateral agility and acceleration to be successful on the next level. Reese (who weighed just 212 pounds in high school, where he finished at Glenville in Cleveland with legendary coach Ted Ginn Sr.) is also one of the youngest players in the class.
After exclusively contributing on special teams as a true freshman, Reese played mostly in the stack (plus a handful of snaps in the slot) as a sophomore. This past season, he exploded, playing more than 600 snaps off the edge or along the defensive line and another 286 from the box. He also handled 34 snaps in the slot, proving himself as one of the most versatile players in America.
Reese’s best football is firmly in front of him. He is built for the modern NFL game.
Weaknesses
Not unlike when Parsons left Penn State, the biggest knock on Reese is a lack of experience playing what figures to be his actual NFL role. Under Matt Patricia last season, Reese actually did more of what he’ll do at the next level than Parsons had throughout his entire college career, but he was a backup stack linebacker prior to that.
Right now, Reese is best at creating havoc. He’ll take eye candy, and he can be hesitant on a run fit from the box or unsure of himself in coverage. He also could stand to add weight to his frame, depending on where his new team wants him — if he’s going to spend more time on the line, or off the edge as a sam linebacker, he probably needs to be a bit bigger.
Bottom line: The finer points of Reese’s game still need work, but his pass rush and ability on every snap to make a mess the offense has to clean up will translate on day one. Reese likely won’t last beyond the top three picks, but the gap between Reese and his former teammate, Sonny Styles, is much smaller than it was before the combine. Both are top-five prospects in this class.
LB2: Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Size: 6-5, 244; Age: 21
Career numbers: 55 games, 39 pressures, 10 sacks, three QB hits, 26 hurries, 111 run stops, six pass breakups, one INT
Strengths
Styles spent most of his first two seasons at Ohio State as a do-everything safety and big nickel — he started all but one game in the secondary in 2023 as a true sophomore. Ohio State transitioned him to stack linebacker ahead of the 2024 season, and he proved to be a natural fit, racking up 100 tackles (10.5 tackles for loss) and six sacks plus five pass breakups.
Styles also increased his weight from about 215 pounds as a freshman to 240-plus as a senior, but he has not yet lost any of his speed or explosiveness; he’s just added more twitch and power. He is a mistake-erasing inside linebacker with limitless coverage range and a nose for the football. His combine performance (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 43 1/2-inch vertical, broad jump of 11 feet 2 inches) is already the stuff of legend for a 6-5, 244-pounder with near 33-inch-long arms.
A former five-star prospect from Pickerington Central in suburban Columbus, Ohio, Styles is the son of former Ohio State star and NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr.
Sonny’s brother, defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr., also played on the Buckeyes’ 2024 national title team and is a potential 2026 draft pick.
As with Reese, Sonny Styles is strong enough to play on the line of scrimmage, quick and smart enough to play in the stack, and fast enough to run with tight ends, running backs and probably some receivers. Styles is also young, as he reclassified from the 2023 to 2022 recruiting class ahead of college, meaning he’s the same age as most true juniors.
Weaknesses
Despite starting out in the secondary, Styles is a better front-seven defender right now than a coverage player, which is why his move to linebacker made so much sense. He was pretty ordinary in coverage as a full-time defensive back and still has work to do in that area. It’s fair, though, to suggest Styles was better in coverage from the middle of the field than from the back end, so he should naturally progress into being a trusted every-down linebacker.
Though Styles’ jump and sprint numbers at the combine were amazing, his agility scores (7.09-second three-cone, 4.26 short shuttle) were average to below average.
Styles cut his missed-tackle number down from 19 two seasons ago to just two in 2025. However, as the former number suggests, he shows a tendency to jump out of gaps or misread developments post-snap, too often leaving him to rely on his athletic ability. He’s explosive, but he doesn’t generate the type of immediate power post-snap that Reese does.
Bottom line: Styles entered college looking physically like Fred Warner did at that age, and he left college looking like Warner did at that point. He’s going to make mistakes as a rookie, but he’ll probably make more plays. Styles will be ahead of Reese on several boards, as his blend of size, speed and explosion is enough to change the way we look at an elite modern linebacker prospect. Either way, he’s a top-five player for 2026.
LB3: CJ Allen, Georgia
Size: 6-1, 235; Age: 21
Career numbers: 41 games, 46 pressures, five sacks, five QB hits, 36 hurries, 98 run stops, five pass breakups, one INT
Strengths
If Kirby Smart could draw up a stack linebacker from scratch, odds are he’d use quite a bit of Allen to get there.
A complete athlete and true three-down player who compares well to former Georgia star Roquan Smith, Allen was in the Bulldogs’ starting lineup from his true freshman year. He is a relentless demon from sideline to sideline, and a terrific run processor who is hard to fool. A mistake-eraser, Allen has an ability to cut down angles and sniff out potential plays near the line of scrimmage that’s second to none.
Known inside the Georgia program for his outstanding practice habits and preparation, Allen will be ready to wear the green-dot helmet for an NFL defense quickly. An active volunteer in his hometown of Barnesville, Ga., Allen already has held multiple football camps at his alma mater (Lamar County High School). A former prep basketball and track standout, Allen is a very balanced athlete and an ideal stack linebacker for the modern game.
Weaknesses
Allen plays with good size, but it’s not elite — he weighed about 215 pounds in high school and might be maxed out in the 230-235 range now. He feels more like an NFL will linebacker than a mike. Though he probably could play both in the right situation, his lack of power at the point of attack could be problematic against more aggressive rush units.
Unlike the other top linebackers in this class, Allen is not a hybrid defender — he’s a true inside linebacker. And though he’s a three-down player, he’s not going to rush much off the edge or step into the slot as a coverage piece. He also has good, but not elite, speed. He’s quicker than he is fast and uses his eyes as much as his natural burst to erase angles.
Bottom line: Some team might wind up with a real steal here, because Allen’s draft slot could tumble based on his position. He is a legit first-round talent who should be ready to compete for a starting job as a rookie.
Others to watch: Jake Golday, Cincinnati; Anthony Hill Jr., Texas ; Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech; Kyle Louis, Pitt; Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State; Josiah Trotter, Missouri; Bryce Boettcher, Oregon; Taurean York, Texas A&M