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NFL Draft linebacker stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks in 2025

Christian D'Andrea   For The Win

Off-ball linebacker is a tough position to judge in the NFL. Fred Warner and Zach Baun, arguably the two best middle linebackers of 2024, were both third-round picks — and Baun didn't break through until moving from his spot as a pass-rusher to an insulated spot at the center of the defense.

That makes the position a tricky one to judge at the 2025 NFL Draft, despite a solid talent pool. Alas, foolish as I am, I'm going to try anyway — and identify a player at the top, middle and very bottom of this year's crop who could be a difference-maker in the NFL.

2025 NFL DRAFT: Edge rusher stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks.

Studs are players with first-round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position — just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars — the deep sleepers — will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.

2025 NFL DRAFT: Wide receiver stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks.

Let's talk about three guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.

Stud: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

There will be at least one off-ball linebacker drafted before Schwesinger. Alabama's Jihaad Campbell seems like a lock to have his name called before the UCLA star.

But Schwesinger is a more interesting prospect. Going from walk-on to All-American will do that. The former zero-star recruit opted to stay local with the Bruins, bulking up and turning himself into something approaching a classic Disney animation villain in the process. The bad news is that left him with only one season as a starter against college competition. The good news is, you guys, what a dang season it was.

His 90 solo tackles in 12 games led the FBS. He knocked down three passes, intercepted two more and forced a fumble. He had four sacks and nine tackles for loss. When chaos unfolded for the Bruins, Schwesinger was in the middle of it, calmly smiling and then hitting someone really, really hard.

Schwesinger revels in the opportunity to hit someone. He's happy to do it from anywhere, whether that's on special teams (where he embedded himself as a vital part of the UCLA roster while adding mass) or as a missile up the middle to snuff out run plays or baffle quarterbacks as a blitzer. He brings that walk-on attitude to the field; every play feels like some kind of audition for something bigger and better. In 2024, he aced pretty much every one.

But Schwesinger brings caveats. He's got one season of production at a position with rigorous demands and the need to be the nucleus in the middle of a defense. He's not huge, even after bulking to about 240 pounds. That hyperactivity can wash him out of plays at times, and while he does a good job recognizing it, his recovery speed seems to lean more "good" than "great."

Even so, he's a high-motor player at one of the positions that rewards it most. Schwesinger turned potential no Division I colleges understood into a heap of production for the Bruins. Now he gets to apply that to the NFL.

Sleeper: Kain Medrano, UCLA

Let's stay in L.A. with Schwesinger's teammate. Medrano lacks the numbers of his more-hyped colleague, but has the athleticism to grow to greater heights in the NFL. A light frame at 222 pounds was the only thing keeping him from being one of the most complete athletic linebackers of the past two decades.

With his speed and motor, Medrano feels never-ending. He stalks the ball like the antagonist in a horror movie, occasionally slowed but rarely stopped. He'll get eclipsed by pulling guards and tight ends but find a way to shine on a play, emerging from the ether to make a high effort stop or swat at the ball to create a turnover.

He'll have immediate value as a special teams ace with All-Pro upside. That starts the conversation. Then it will be up to NFL coaches to find a place for him to thrive whilst giving up weight to several of the running backs he'll be tasked with meeting in the middle of a running lane. Medrano's skillset makes him a potential menace in coverage and as an occasional havoc-creating blitzer. But he's going to get washed out once linemen get their hands on him, and his passing game instincts aren't where they need to be yet.

That makes him a project — but with the stable floor of being able to do all the little kicking game things that quietly flip the field. Drafting Medrano is the equivalent of taking your special teams coordinator out for a filet.

REM cycle star: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo

Simply put, Shaun Dolac gets [expletive] done.

If nothing else, Dolac will be in demand as one of the most gifted tacklers of 2025. Granted, that may be as a priority undrafted free agent, but it's still a valuable trait. If he has you, you're pretty much done for. His 97 solo tackles led the FBS in 2022. After an injury marred 2023, he had 168 combined tackles to lead the FBS last fall (32 more than Schwesinger).

But he also added five interceptions last fall, fleshing out a new facet in his game — albeit against MAC competition.

That last part is where things get dicey. Dolac thrived in one of FBS's weakest conferences. He was an All-American but didn't get a scouting combine invitation. At 6 feet and 221 pounds, he wouldn't be especially large for a safety, let alone a linebacker. While solid testing numbers (a 4.6-second 40, solid explosion stats) help his case, there's a very real possibility Dolac is an incredible college player who simply can't compete in a football economy where the tight ends he's chasing outweigh him by 40 pounds.

Still, Dolac thrived at the college level. He's been useful in the rare opportunities when his Bulls faced power-conference talent — 16 tackles vs. Missouri and an interception vs. Wisconsin. His lack of interest as a potential transfer after 2022 may be the warning sign his NFL prospects are doomed. But doubting him was a sucker's bet the last three seasons.

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