Pewter Report analyzes the top players in the 2025 NFL Draft with its position previews. Scott Reynolds starts the previews with the inside linebacker position, offering a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need at linebacker.

Matt Matera then analyzes a detailed list of this year’s top inside linebacker prospects while Reynolds provides the annual Pewter Report Bucs Best Bets – the most likely inside linebacker for the Bucs to select in Rounds 1-3, and in Rounds 4-7.

What The Bucs Have At Inside Linebacker

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and LB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have one of the best linebackers in team history back for another year. Legendary Lavonte David returns for his 14th season at age 35 in what could be his curtain call in Tampa Bay. With the team moving on from veterans K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell this offseason in an effort to get faster and more athletic at middle linebacker, having David back for one more season give Todd Bowles experience and some stability in his linebacker room.

Mike Caldwell returns to coach inside linebackers and he’ll be charged with getting SirVocea Dennis ready to be a full-time starter. Dennis has star potential, but has been oft-injured in his first two seasons in Tampa Bay. He was poised to take over at Mike linebacker for Britt last year before succumbing to a shoulder injury that plagued him in college in Week 4. Now that he’s had that shoulder surgically repaired, the team is hopeful that Dennis can stay healthy and become the coverage linebacker and blitzer he’s showed signs of becoming.

The Bucs re-signed 30-year old veteran and practice squader Deion Jones after he played well in the playoff loss to Washington. Tampa Bay also added Anthony Walker Jr. in free agency from Miami. Walker will provide the Bucs with some experience and an insurance policy at Mike linebacker in case Dennis gets injured or falters. Jones can back up David. The team also re-signed Antonio Grier Jr., who was an undrafted free agent on the practice squad last year, and added Deion Jennings, a second-year player from Rutgers, this offseason.

What The Bucs Need At Inside Linebacker

The Bucs could definitely use another linebacker or two. SirVocea Dennis is talented, but largely unproven entering his third year, and the team will have three linebackers age 30 or older this season in Lavonte David (35), Deion Jones (30) and Anthony Walker Jr. (30). So there needs to be a youth movement at the position.

Tampa Bay will likely draft a linebacker somewhere in the first four rounds. Many mock drafts have the Bucs taking Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell at No. 19, but Pewter Report can’t get aboard that train. Campbell is coming off surgery for a torn labrum and might miss training camp and the preseason, putting the effectiveness of his rookie season in jeopardy.

It seems more likely that the Bucs will draft a middle linebacker in the middle rounds, as the team had South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight Jr. in for an official 30 visit and had formal interviews with several mid-round prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine, including Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa, Oklahoma State’s Nickolas Martin, Georgia’s Smael Mondon, Penn State’s Kobe King and Florida’s Shemar James, in addition to Campbell.

Top Inside Linebackers In 2025 NFL Draft

*Important Note: These players are NOT listed in the order of Pewter Report’s ranking for them. Rather, the numbers are provided to show you the rough order in which we expect them to come off the board during the draft.

1. Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell – Junior – 6-3, 235 – 4.52

It looks like Campbell will be the only inside linebacker that is taken in the first round of this year’s draft. He wouldn’t be on the board for long if it wasn’t for the slight tear in his labrum that will likely keep him sidelined until September. Campell checks all the boxes that a team wants in an inside linebacker. He has an exceptional football IQ and great downhill speed. He can move sideline to sideline, he plays physical and knows how to goad quarterbacks into throwing the ball over the middle for him to jump into the area and intercept it. His injury may have him drop in this draft. It’s a big storyline for the first round.

Campbell was a starter for a year and a half for Alabama. He was the Crimson Tide’s leading tackler this season with 83 solo tackles and 19 assisted tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. What is most impressive about him is when you look at the lack of missed tackles. He had just six missed tackles last year. He also recorded two forced fumbles and an interception.

2. UCLA ILB Carson Schwesinger – RS Junior – 6-2, 242 – N/A

Schwesinger is a downhill player who plays with reckless abandon and can create havoc and disruption as a mugged-up blitzer. Perhaps no other linebacker in this year’s draft can play that role better than him. The quick, athletic Schwesinger generated 18 pressures and four sacks on just 62 pass rushes last year. That’s a 29% pressure rate and a 6.5% sack rate. In coverage, he is best getting to the flats to blow up screens and help root out return/whips, quick outs and stick routes. He has good instincts and is known for having a high football IQ.

He has plenty of twitch and burst on a frame that has room to add weight without losing his ability to move. His last year at UCLA was his first as a full-time starter and he posted a very impressive 7.6% missed tackle rate. He has a quick trigger that helps him get into opposing backfields quickly.

3. Oklahoma ILB Danny Stutsman – Senior – 6-3, 233 – 4.52

Stutsman is a tackling machine, and that might even be an understatement. He started three years for Oklahoma and recorded over 100 tackles in each of those seasons. He went 125 in 2022, 104 in 2023 and 110 in 2024. Stutsman is able to shed through blocks and make physical plays particularly in the run. When he does blitz, going through the A-gap is where he’ll get his highest performance.

He was a consensus All-American with the Sooners and made first team All-SEC. To the surprise of nobody, he led his team in tackles.

4. Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Senior – 6-1, 228 – 4.62

Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Photo by: USA Today

The best part of Bassa’s game is that fits the Bucs in terms of his pass coverage ability. He used to be a safety and was able to translate those cover skills over to the move at inside linebacker. Bassa has good hip fluidity, allowing him to cover tight ends and running backs well. He is quite instinctive and was arguable the best inside linebacker at the Senior Bowl. If Bassa can develop his instincts as a run defender, it should round out an impressive profile that can make him the model of a modern NFL linebacker.

Bassa started four years at Oregon. His best season was in 2023 where he recorded 72 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and an interception. Bassa’s 2024 seasons was solid as well, having 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a career high two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He made second-team All-Big Ten as a result.

5. Georgia ILB – Smael Mondon Jr. – Senior – 6-2, 224 – 4.58

Mondon comes from a school in Georgia that has had a lot of their players find success early on in their NFL careers. Mondon’s best traits are because of his athletic prowess at the position, and the physical nature that he plays with. He has experience playing special teams, too, and can drop into coverage pretty well.

Playing four seasons and starting for three of them with the Bulldogs, Mondon racked up 213 career tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, six pass breakups and one interception. A foot injury caused him to miss four games last season. It hurt the team in several ways as Mondon had a big leadership role and wasn’t able to be on the field as much.

6. South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight Jr. – RS Senior – 6-2, 238 – 4.58

Knight played the 2024 season at South Carolina after transferring from Charlotte where he played one season after three years at Georgia Tech. He quickly assumed a leadership on a star-studded Gamecocks defense. He is regarded for his high football I.Q. from his days as a high school quarterback, in addition to his physical playing style. Knight has an interesting story as he is already married and has two children. To earn money for his family he would serve as a Door Dash delivery driver while at school, so he has more motivation than most players.

He had 82 tackles (57 solo), eight tackles for loss and two sacks for the Gamecocks last year, as well as the game-clinching interception against state rival Clemson. He also tied for the team lead at South Carolina with three forced fumbles last season.

7. Penn State ILB Kobe King – RS Junior – 6-1, 243 – 4.67

Penn State LB Kobe King Photo by: USA Today

King has good instincts and technique, which can help him overcome other limitations. He’s as stout of a tackler that anyone can find in this year’s draft. He wraps up when going into the runner, and that seems like a lost art in today’s game. King is a great run-stopping inside linebacker that creates a thud when makes a hit.

A two-year starter at Penn State, King saved his best season for his last. During the 2024 season he recorded 97 tackles in 16 starts with 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. He made second team All-Big Ten and was a team captain, getting them into the College Football Playoff final four.

8. Ole Miss ILB Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. – RS Junior – 6-1, 222 – 4.63

Paul began his career at Arkansas, where he was a two-year starter before hitting the transfer portal for the opportunity to play on a more star-studded Ole Miss defense and play for a nationally-ranked team. He notched six sacks in two years with the Razorbacks and showed that he can be an effective blitzer. Armed with sideline-to-sideline speed and the agility and range to drop into coverage, Paul is one of the better all-around linebackers in a somewhat weak linebacker draft class.

When Paul got to Ole Miss he added four pass breakups and an interception to his career stats, but also managed to record 3.5 sacks while blitzing. Paul’s tackle total increased each year as his instincts were honed with more experience, climbing from 62 to 74 to 88 during his final season with the Rebels. What stands out about Paul aside from his speed is the pop in which he tackles. Paul is not a drag-down tackling linebacker and brings a lot of force upon contact.

9. Clemson ILB Barrett Carter – Senior – 6-1, 232 – 4.63

All of the hustle and pursuit comes from Carter when he’s playing the game at linebacker. He’s able to read and react to plays early on when they develop and go full throttle to stop it in it’s tracks. He can also keep in stride in pass coverage going against running backs, having enough speed to cover.

Carter started for three seasons at Clemson. He was a third team All-American last season, and also lead his team with 82 tackles. Along with that, Carter had 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and seven pass breakups. He can play special teams as well,  adding more for why team should be interested.

10. UCLA ILB Kain Medrano – RS Senior – 6-3, 222 – 4.46

Medrano is another speed type of inside linebacker that lets his athleticism take over for his game. He can go a top rate speeds but also slow it down and change levels to make a play depending on the situation. Medrano can over pursue the runner on certain occasions, but he certainly gives it everything on each snap.

He had a long college football career as he had a redshirt season and also a COVID shortened season. He certainly had to wait his time, but started the last two year of his career. This latest season Medrano had personal bests with 72 tackles and 11 tackles for loss plus 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, six pass breakups and two interceptions. His highlight moments came from a 38-yard pick-six, taking an interception back for a touchdown. Medrano was third All-Big 10 that season.

11. Ohio State ILB Cody Simon – RS Senior – 6-2, 232 – 4.60

Iowa TE Luke Lachey and Ohio State ILB Cody Simon – Photo by: USA Today

A national champion with Ohio State, Simon was a team captain and a huge reason why the Buckeyes had their success. He’s as disciplined as they come when it comes to playing linebacker and has a great football IQ. Simon has a solid quickness to his game and can identify where the point of attack is on play.

His best year came last season when he racked up 112 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, a forced fumble and seven pass breakups. Simon was third team All-Big 10, but more importantly to him was being the defensive MVP in the championship game.

12. Notre Dame ILB Jack Kiser – RS Senior – 6-2, 229 – 4.67

Another player that had a long college career, Kiser was a mainstay for why Notre Dame has sad such a difficult group on defense to play against. He can cover every area asked of him and does a good job of getting through blocks from the opponent. He’s capable of covering backs and tight ends in the passing game.

Kiser had the team lead last season with 90 tackles. He also recorded five tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup, showing he can do a little of everything. Kiser has a fit somewhere on an NFL team despite average athleticism and short arms.

Best Of The Rest

13. California ILB Teddye Buchanan – RS Senior – 6-2, 233 – 4.60

Buchanan plays with his hair on fire as a downhill thumper with a low missed tackle rate and a knack for creating plays on the ball. He didn’t fall off with a jump in competition when he moved from UC Davis to Cal last year. Buchanan is a great athlete that can move well enough to play and maybe eventually start at the NFL level.

14. Oklahoma State ILB Nick Martin – RS Junior – 5-11, 221 – 4.53

Oklahoma State ILB Nickolas Martin – Photo by: USA Today

When it comes to Martin playing inside linebacker, it’s a bit of an all or nothing approach. Martin will look incredible at times making plays, but then also look disastrous when things don’t exactly work right with a high missed tackle rate. He’s exceptionally fast when playing and willing to tackle, notching 140 as a junior before missing most of his senior season with a knee injury.

15. Florida ILB Shemar James – Junior – 6-1, 222 – 4.69

There’s a smoothness to the way James plays at linebacker. He moves well going down hill, doing a good job in stopping the run. He also excels blitzing through the gap. James has pretty good technique and enough physicality to get things done. James needs to figure out the play earlier when dissecting it to overcome his slow footspeed.

16. Minnesota ILB Cody Lindenberg – RS Senior – 6-2, 236 – 4.71

He was first-team All-Big last year with 94 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and seven pass breakups. Lindenbeg has the proper size t o play in the NFL. His range is okay and he can blitz between the center and guards. He plays too high, though, and needs to get lower to succeed.

17. Auburn ILB Eugene Asante – RS Senior – 6-1, 223 – 4.48

The speed immediately jumps off the page with Asante. He’ll be as fast as anyone playing the game and that certainly helps. Asante needs to be able to harness that speed, though, because he’ll go a little overboard and make mistakes and miss tackles and sacks. It’s hard to pass up how much ground he can cover and what he could be getting coached up slightly more.

18. Oklahoma State ILB Collin Oliver – Senior – 6-2, 240 – 4.56

He only played in four games last year due to a right foot injury. Oliver was a team captain. He plays with a high motor and has good hand placement when blitzing and going after the passer. Oliver has the athleticism to cover different players in the passing game. He’ll use contact to make plays, but might be better suited to be an edge rusher than a linebacker at the next level.

19. Auburn ILB Jalen McLeod – RS Senior – 6-2, 241 – N/A

There was tons of production with McLeod having 181 career tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and six pass breakups. He knows exactly how a play is being set up and understands how to attack it. McLeod can get into the backfield and heavily impact the play structure.

20. Miami ILB Francisco Mauigoa – Senior – 6-2, 233 – 4.60

Another team captain who holds others accountable, Mauigoa has the right size for the NFL and can be above average in everything that is required in an inside linebacker. He relies on his instincts to make plays, but usually the best do. He can time blitzes well, play special teams and direct the defense in what is required by every player to get the job completed.

21. UNLV ILB Jackson Woodard – RS Senior – 6-2, 230 – 4.87

Woodard has all the intangibles that a team would want for a player coming to the NFL. He has his technique down where there’s no wasted moments when he breaks on a runner. His speed unfortunately will be an issue at this level.

22. Iowa ILB Jay Higgins – RS Senior – 6-0, 224 – 4.82

It’s hard to go wrong with a Big Ten linebacker like Higgins. He’s a good team leader than can break down a play that the offense is running instantly. Higgins was a unanimous All-American this latest season with a high level of production. But despite the effort and instincts always being there Higgins is slow and might not be athletic enough to be anything more than a great college linebacker.

Bucs Best Bets By Scott Reynolds

Rounds 1-3: South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight Jr.

There’s a lot to like about Knight, whom the Bucs interviewed twice at the Senior Bowl and then had in for an official 30 visit. First, he’s got ideal size at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and plenty of speed, running a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Knight graduated from Georgia Tech and then transferred to Charlotte for 2023 for more playing time. There he recorded 96 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks seven pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick-six. Knight transferred to South Carolina where his instant leadership quality made him a team captain. He totaled 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles and an INT.

The only downside to Knight is that he’s already 25 years old and spent six years in college. Yet he’s married and has kids and is incredibly mature, so there is an upside to him being in his mid-20s. In fact, after his games at Charlotte, Knight would hop in the car and make extra money to support his family as a Door Dash delivery driver instead of hitting the bar district to celebrate like his teammates. His high character and work ethic have to be appealing to the Bucs. Knight will get drafted somewhere on Day 2.

Rounds 4-7: Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa

Bassa came to Oregon as a safety and hit the weight room, growing into a 6-foot-1, 228-pound linebacker. His natural position is weakside linebacker, but he played middle linebacker the last three years due to his outstanding communication skills. That’s something Todd Bowles covets in his linebackers. Bassa had a great week at the Senior Bowl, displaying leadership from the first practice, but his 4.62 speed will likely push him to the third or fourth round. His coverage ability will make him sought after by Tampa Bay and other teams in the draft. He had three interceptions in college.

The Bucs held a formal interview with Bassa at the NFL Scouting Combine and just drafted running back Bucky Irving from Oregon last year. He needs to do a better job of taking on blocks and shedding them at the next level, but moving back to the weakside in the NFL could help with that as he’s a better pursuit linebacker. Bassa is a solid blitzer, evidenced by 4.5 career sacks, but needs to make more plays. He only had two forced fumbles and 13.5 tackles for a loss in 55 games. Bassa is more solid than spectacular. He also has plenty of special teams value as he started on teams all four years at Oregon.