Pride of Detroit
Identifying which linebackers the Detroit Lions should be keeping an eye on during the 2025 NFL Combine.
The 2025 NFL Combine is scheduled to be televised from Thursday, February 27 through Sunday, March 2, and we’re previewing every position group leading up to the big event.
So far, we have already previewed which quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive tackles, interior offensive linemen, interior defensive linemen, and edge rushers that the Detroit Lions should be scouting. In this article, we move off the ball and examine the linebacker prospects that should be on the radar of general manager Brad Holmes.
Of note: Linebackers will kick off the on-field drills on NFL Network on Thursday, February 27.
The Lions love their linebackers. In the first three seasons, they kept six on the 53-man roster and every one of them was active on game days. In 2024, due to injuries, the Lions cycled through 13 linebackers, finishing the season with seven on the active roster and another three on the practice squad.
The Lions return four of their top five linebackers from last season, with Derrick Barnes a pending unrestricted free agent. Trevor Nowaske is an exclusive rights free agent and likely back, but Anthony Pittman (restricted), Ezekiel Turner, Ben Niemann, and Kwon Alexander all join Barnes on the free agent market.
But even with Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin in the fold, the only linebacker under contract beyond 2025 is Campbell. Additionally, Rodriguez is returning from an ACL, and while he is expected to be ready for camp, there are no guarantees. And finally, if the Lions wish to continue using the SAM linebacker in a similar role, there isn’t a player on the current roster who can fill the void.
All that is to say, while the linebacker position looks strong in the two deep off-the-ball rotation, it’s a sneaky big need in the long term and therefore could be a higher draft priority than many assume.
The Lions linebackers tend to be above-average athletically, with all but one achieving a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.0 or more. The physical traits Detroit covets are explosion and agility, which aid in their downhill approach to run stopping. During drills, keep an eye on a prospect’s lateral movement, processing skills (read and react), the ability to unlock their hips in coverage, and if they play with their head up and eyes on the ball.
Jalon Walker, SAM, Georgia (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) will likely be listed amongst EDGE rushers on most teams’ draft boards. He technically played linebacker in college and will be working out with this group at the Combine. This will give teams the opportunity to compare him with other linebackers to see if he has the range to fill multiple roles on defense. Basically, the Lions will want to know if he is James Houston, Derrick Barnes, or...
