Consensus board vs. draft day: the full LB class, charted.
The Steal
Chris Paul Jr. was ranked LB5 on the consensus board (#94 overall) but lasted until pick 172, where the Los Angeles Rams took him in Round 5. A 78-spot fall, the largest gap between consensus and draft day of any LB in the class. Behind him, Jeffrey Bassa (+40) and Smael Mondon Jr. (+30) also outlasted their rankings.
The Conviction Pick
The San Francisco 49ers took Nick Martin at pick 75, 130 spots ahead of his #205 consensus rank. That's the league's strongest disagreement with the public board at the position. Teams showed similar conviction on Teddye Buchanan (111 spots) and Shemar James (75 spots).
The Cliff
After Nick Martin went at pick 75, the next LB didn't come off the board for 32 picks. That's the sharpest drop in the class.
The Spend
Teams spent 21 picks on LB, 4 of them in the first two rounds. That's below the position's average of 24 since 2018.
The Bet
The Philadelphia Eagles spent more draft capital on LB than any other club: picks 31 and 161, 34% of their total draft investment.
The One Who Slipped
D'Eryk Jackson, ranked #302 on the consensus board, went undrafted through all 257 picks.
| Pick | Player | Pos Rank | Consensus | Δ | School | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Jalon Walker | LB1 | #8 | +7 | Georgia | Atlanta |
| 31 | Jihaad Campbell | LB2 | #15 | +16 | Alabama | Philadelphia |
| 33 | Carson Schwesinger | LB3 | #48 | −15 | UCLA | Cleveland |
| 49 | Demetrius Knight Jr. | LB4 | #82 | −33 | South Carolina | Cincinnati |
| 75 | Nick Martin | LB13 | #205 | −130 | Oklahoma State | San Fransisco |
| 107 | Jack Kiser | LB10 | #168 | −61 | Notre Dame | Jacksonville |
| 112 | Danny Stutsman | LB6 | #96 | +16 | Oklahoma | New Orleans |
| 115 | Cody Simon | LB11 | #172 | −57 | Ohio State | Arizona |
| 119 | Barrett Carter | LB7 | #104 | +15 | Clemson | Cincinnati |
| 129 | Teddye Buchanan | LB15 | #240 | −111 | Cal | Baltimore |
| 132 | Ruben Hyppolite II | LB23 | #405 | −273 | Maryland | Chicago |
| 152 | Shemar James | LB14 | #227 | −75 | Florida | Dallas |
| 156 | Jeffrey Bassa | LB8 | #116 | +40 | Oregon | Kansas City |
| 161 | Smael Mondon Jr. | LB9 | #131 | +30 | Georgia | Philadelphia |
| 162 | Francisco Mauigoa | LB17 | #268 | −106 | Miami | New York Jets |
| 172 | Chris Paul Jr. | LB5 | #94 | +78 | Mississippi | LA Rams |
| 194 | Jalen McLeod | LB18 | #273 | −79 | Auburn | Jacksonville |
| 201 | Kobe King | LB12 | #187 | +14 | Penn State | Minnesota |
| 205 | Kain Medrano | LB19 | #299 | −94 | UCLA | Washington |
| 222 | Cody Lindenberg | LB16 | #264 | −42 | Minnesota | Las Vegas |
| 226 | Carson Bruener | LB22 | #359 | −133 | Washington | Pittsburgh |
| Undrafted (UDFA) | ||||||
| — | D'Eryk Jackson | LB20 | #302 | — | Kentucky | — |
| — | Jackson Woodard | LB21 | #334 | — | UNLV | — |