NFL Stock Exchange: An NFL Draft Podcast · PFF, Bleav

Early 2026 NFL Draft LB Rankings

·1 hr 40 min·5 clips

Jacob Rodriguez has ten forced fumbles and five interceptions over the last two seasons.

Trev and Connor open with a quick draft-room misdirect before settling into linebackers. The bit works because the rankings begin with a strong opinion and a sharp pivot. They are talking from Super Bowl media week, with Connor hoteled up and still pushing the positional series forward. The show treats linebacker as one of the most layered spots in the class. That is the lane here from the start. They promise top eights, strength and weakness breakdowns, scheme fits, ceiling talk, round grades, and comps. The conversation keeps moving because the position demands it. One name comes up as the kind of player who can set an edge with powerful hands and handle tackles and pullers. That kind of play strength matters, and they do not dodge it. Elsewhere, they focus on a younger prospect with a big frame and obvious movement ability. The discussion keeps circling back to space skills, coverage upside, and how much better the feel can still get. The age note matters a lot. They point out that he is still 20 and will play his rookie season as a 21-year-old. That gives the evaluation a different kind of patience. The athletic background helps the case. He was a track guy and ran on a 4x400 relay team that finished second at the Texas 5A state championships. The speed shows up in the way they talk about him running and opening up. Still, the room is not pretending the projection is finished. They bring up a lack of feel for receivers behind him and note that coverage instincts need to sharpen. They also want more strength if he is going to live full time as a will linebacker. That makes the comp conversation useful rather than decorative. Rhodes in the comments throws out Tremaine Edmunds, and the hosts take that pathway seriously. The idea is a big, young athlete who can run but still needs the mental and physical polish that middle-backer work demands. The discussion never gets too tidy. It keeps the rough edges of a live ranking show, where one take opens the door to another and the chat keeps the room warm. That is part of the appeal. A ranking series can feel sterile if it just lists names and moves on. This one keeps stopping to explain why the names matter. The hosts also stay grounded in role. They are not just asking whether a linebacker is good. They are asking whether he is a will, whether he can play in space, whether he can take on blocks, and whether the run-game fit holds up. That lens gives the episode real draft usefulness. You can hear where a player fits, what kind of NFL usage is realistic, and where the risk sits if the ceiling does not come with the polish. The live energy keeps that analysis from feeling clinical. There are jokes, pivots, and the kind of casual back-and-forth that makes the draft process sound human. The show also leans into its own rhythm. It starts loose, then tightens into actual evaluation, which is exactly how the best scouting conversations tend to work. The combine horizon hangs over the end of the episode too. They talk about how everything is about to speed up once the NFL Combine hits, and that sense of acceleration gives the ranking series a little extra urgency. Even the closing stretch keeps the communal feel intact. They mention sticking around for super chats after the episode, which reinforces that this is a room, not a lecture. For listeners, the result is a linebacker board that feels both detailed and lived-in. It is technical without turning stiff, and conversational without losing the football. The episode ends up being less about proving a final answer and more about showing the process. That is the right shape for this class of player.

As heard by us

A quick linebacker board that balances fit, risk, and ceiling with enough live-show personality to stay loose.

Trevor Sycamore and Connor Rogers keep this linebacker episode focused on the actual work: who can play where, who has the cleaner path, and who still needs a lot of projection.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a linebackers episode with real scouting heat and live-show banter.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from NFL Stock Exchange: An NFL Draft Podcast