Pre-Draft 2026 Rookie LB Primer

<p>IT. IS. DRAFT WEEK.</p><p>With the 2026 NFL Draft days away, it&#39;s time to talk about everyone&#39;s favorite position with this year’s rookie linebackers—and what a class it is to talk about. We have thumpers, athletic freaks, and undersized studs. In this episode, Jake Kohlhagen and Scott Soltis discuss Scott&#39;s evaluation process, compare this class to the 2025 class, and put forth the names to know for your drafts (and others to keep an eye on). </p><p>0:00 Cold open: It&#39;s draft time, baby</p><p>1:04 Scott&#39;s approach to evaluating linebackers</p><p>1:46 Why PFF run defense grade is king for LBs</p><p>4:09 Why run defense grade beats overall grade</p><p>8:11 The 2026 LB class vs. the 2025 class</p><p>15:12 Arvell Reese, Ohio State</p><p>22:29 Sonny Styles, Ohio State</p><p>32:28 3rd round LBs: the logjam</p><p>37:49 CJ Allen, Georgia</p><p>43:10 Anthony Hill Jr., Texas</p><p>51:13 Jake Golday, Cincinnati</p><p>56:09 Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech</p><p>57:52 Josiah Trotter, Missouri</p><p>1:01:08 Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh</p><p>1:12:09 Closing thoughts</p><p>Check out our free IDP trade calculator, powered by Adam&#39;s dynasty rankings: <a href="https://idptradecalculator.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://idptradecalculator.com/</a></p><p>Subscribe to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theidpshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">YouTube channel</a> for our other shows, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK4N3hZuPYzX6Dz_QgEFloeBQlvLPxHZy" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The IDP After Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK4N3hZuPYzXh9S_hmiw0uE6VyKh2c8kW" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">All IDP</a>.</p><p>If you&#39;d like to support the show, you can do so for just $5/month over at <a href="https://www.theidpshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠theIDPshow.com⁠</a>. We&#39;ve got some premium features for paid supporters that we know you&#39;ll enjoy. Follow us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/theidpshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠@theidpshow⁠</a>. Thanks for listening!</p>