- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,145,719
- Reaction score
- 59
It is never too early to begin watching prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made the draft a must-see event for Vikings fans for all the wrong reasons as he continues to take chances and miss.
We are going to be covering every position in the draft, but not all of them will be the Vikings' needs necessarily. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Vikings see twice a year.
For this report, we will be discussing a linebacker prospect. The team has enjoyed the play of Blake Cashman over the last two years, but they need more. The team has had injuries pop up, and it causes them to lose out in big-time coverage situations, and that cannot continue to happen.
With that in mind, here is our report on Alabama's Deontae Lawson.
Deontae Lawson
Deontae Lawson won't be participating in the Olympics anytime soon in terms of his athleticism, but you have to love that he is just a good football player. He attacks the ball regardless of who is in possession, he packs a punch in the process, and his ability to diagnose plays puts him in a good position to make plays. He can be a team's leader in the middle of the defense after being tasked with it at Alabama, and he took that role on and found success. I like Lawson a lot as a day-two prospect who can be drafted to start right away as a rookie in the right spot.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
Continue reading...
We are going to be covering every position in the draft, but not all of them will be the Vikings' needs necessarily. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Vikings see twice a year.
For this report, we will be discussing a linebacker prospect. The team has enjoyed the play of Blake Cashman over the last two years, but they need more. The team has had injuries pop up, and it causes them to lose out in big-time coverage situations, and that cannot continue to happen.
With that in mind, here is our report on Alabama's Deontae Lawson.
Information
Deontae Lawson
- School: Alabama
- Conference: SEC
- Height/Weight: 6-2 3/8, 218 lbs.
- Age when Drafted: 23
- Previous Schools: None
Background
- All-American Bowl selection in High School
- Played basketball in High School
- No. 3 linebacker in the 2021 recruiting class
- Second-Team All-SEC in 2025
Notable Stats from 2025 (minus the Playoff)
- Tackles: 137
- Tackles for a Loss: 17.5
- Sacks: 5
- Turnovers Forced: 3
Notable PFF Numbers from 2025 (minus the Playoff)
- PFF Run Defense Grade: 83.1
- PFF Pass Rush Grade: 53.1
- PFF Coverage Grade: 69
- QB Hurries: 11
- Missed Tackle Rate: 15.2%
- Defensive Stops: 36
Skills
- Leader in the middle of the defense
- Decent pass-rush ability in his back pocket
- Able to diagnose plays
- Good downhill ability, packs a decent punch in the process
- Good coverage ability and range
Player Summary
Deontae Lawson won't be participating in the Olympics anytime soon in terms of his athleticism, but you have to love that he is just a good football player. He attacks the ball regardless of who is in possession, he packs a punch in the process, and his ability to diagnose plays puts him in a good position to make plays. He can be a team's leader in the middle of the defense after being tasked with it at Alabama, and he took that role on and found success. I like Lawson a lot as a day-two prospect who can be drafted to start right away as a rookie in the right spot.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
Continue reading...
