The Detroit Lions don’t have an immediate need at linebacker, but it remains a long-term one, and there are several tempting candidates in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions love linebacker perhaps more than any other team in the NFL. They spent a first-round pick on one in 2023 (Jack Campbell), they just handed another an extension (Derrick Barnes), and despite having a bunch of special teams players on the roster already, they added another one during free agency this offseason (Grant Stuard).
So while the room seems quite full right now, I am absolutely not counting out the Lions drafting another linebacker against this year.
Previous Lions draft previews:
- Quarterbacks
- Running backs
- Wide receivers
- Tight ends
- Offensive tackles
- Guards/centers
- Defensive tackle
2025 Detroit Lions draft preview: Linebacker
Under contract: Derrick Barnes (under contract through 2027), Jack Campbell, (2026*), Alex Anzalone (2025), Grant Stuard (2025), Malcolm Rodriguez (2025), Ezekiel Turner (2025), Anthony Pittman (2025), Abraham Beauplan (2025), DaRon Gilbert (2025)
*Lions could activate Campbell’s fifth-year option next year, which would extend his contract through the 2027 season
Short-term need: 0/10
Long-term need: 6/10
You could argue the Lions have too many linebackers for the 2025 season. They return their starting three, have several reserves who can both step in on defense and play special teams, and they even added a high-energy special teamer in free agency with Stuard. It’s an extremely competitive room from top to bottom, and the Lions love their starting three in Barnes, Campbell, and Anzalone. If the Lions draft a linebacker this year, it’s going to be hard for them to crack the lineup unless they’re drafted early.
However, of the nine linebackers under contract, seven are in the final year of their deals. I’m sure Detroit would very much consider re-signing Alex Anzalone and Malcolm Rodriguez, but with a Jack Campbell extension potentially coming in a year or two, it’s possible the Lions may let those players get paid elsewhere. Anzalone has been the heart of this defense, but he’ll likely require another raise and Anzalone will be 32 during the first month of the 2026 season.
So Detroit could be missing two of their top four linebackers as early as next year. Nothing wrong with getting a little ahead of that problem via the draft.
PFF top-100
- Jihaad Campbell, Alabama (#11)
- Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina (#52)
- Carson Schwesinger, UCLA (#53)
- Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss (#83)
Not a great linebacker class this year, but you could make a strong argument for all four of these players being a fit in Detroit. Schwesinger and Knight both earned elite Grit Index scores and could be candidates for Detroit’s 60th overall selection. Schwesinger has the athleticism, motor, and coverage skills to be a long-term Anzalone replacement, while Knight has great sideline-to-sideline speed to come crashing down in the run game, or even to be utilized when blitzing.
However, Campbell may be the cleanest fit of all for the Lions’ SAM linebacker position. A former pass rusher turned linebacker, Campbell fits the profile of Derrick Barnes, but with much more upside as a rusher. If Detroit landed him 28th overall, his first-year role may be limited, but Detroit could theoretically make him and Barnes interchangeable for starting roles at both SAM and WILL if they move on from Anzalone.
Chris “Pooh” Paul will probably fall near the Day 2 or 3 split. He’s pretty small for what the Lions typically want in a linebacker (6-foot-1, 222), but his speed and intense style of play would likely make him an immediate special teams ace (he logged 187 special teams snaps back in 2022).
Notable Day 3 players
Kobe King (Penn State), Cody Lindenberg (Minnesota), Ruben Hyppolite II (Maryland)
I don’t think it makes a ton of sense to add a Day 3 linebacker considering Detroit’s current logjam with young, special teams linebackers. But if the right opportunity comes along, it’s possible they’d rather have an even younger option on a four-year, cost-controlled deal than a veteran at the bottom of the depth chart.
King is an early Day 3 option who was part of the Lions’ local pro day as a Detroit native. A team captain and a Tier 3 Grit Index scorer, King can be a strong run defender at the next level, but if he wants to become a three-down player, he’ll have to grow as a coverage linebacker—and with just an average set of athletic tools, that could be difficult.
Lindenberg said he had a informal visit with the Lions at the NFL Combine . He has average size and a few injuries in his past, but he has strong instincts in the run game and has the athletic tools to compete in coverage .
Hyppolite may be a undrafted free agent candidate, but he reportedly met with the Lions on a top-30 visit . Hyppolite’s profile is defined by his speed (ridiculous 4.42 40-yard dash at his pro day) and instincts. However, his size (5-foot-11, 236 per NFL.com ) will make it hard for him to compete in the run game at the NFL level. Still, he’s a great candidate for special teams.