The 7 Rookie Linebackers To Target in 2025 IDP Fantasy Football Leagues

May 16, 2025

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The role of an NFL linebacker has also changed over the years. As passing rates continue to surge, a strong coverage linebacker is no longer a luxury but a prerequisite for anyone looking for a significant snap share, especially in Year 1. The number of every-down linebackers and early-down thumpers is fewer and fewer each season, with more nickel and dime sets a necessity in today's games.

Like running backs on the offensive side of the ball, NFL organizations have devalued linebackers. They're important pieces to a team's success, but the argument is that replacement-level performance is easier to find, so early-round investments are few and far between these days.

With that in mind, we need to shift our mindset when evaluating the new linebackers entering the league each year. This year's class is an interesting mix, littered with high-upside hybrid linebackers who spent most of their collegiate careers mixing in as an EDGE rusher or vice versa. Most of the class is relatively inexperienced at the position they'll play in the NFL, which makes forecasting their short-term viability much more difficult. What's fascinating to me is that a handful of flawed prospects landed in high-upside IDP landing spots on linebacker-needy teams. At this point, it's important to move past pre-draft player-level takes and focus on the draft capital and depth charts this year's prospects find themselves among.

More IDP Targets: Defensive Backs | Linemen (coming soon)

2025 IDP - Rookie Linebackers

Carson Schwesinger - Cleveland Browns

Cleveland used the first pick of the second round on UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who's well-positioned to make an immediate splash in IDP leagues. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (PUP list) out and veterans such as Jordan Hicks and Jerome Baker declining, Schwesinger gets to take a great opportunity to be the Browns' anchor linebacker.

Schwesinger's 4.55 speed and closing burst make him a tackling machine. He had 136 tackles (90 solo) for UCLA in 2024, with top-shelf pursuit angles and instincts against the run. He's relatively inexperienced compared to other linebackers in this class, but he flashed big-time instincts and an elite tackle rate in his one year as a starter.

Not a pass rusher in the traditional sense, Schwesinger's speed and instincts (five sacks in 2024) would be leveraged in Jim Schwartz's attack-minded system, as Myles Garrett and fellow first-round pick Mason Graham occupy space on the front. He's also not a liability in coverage, which is what we are seeking in IDP because we are looking for three-down potential. Schwesinger's tape shows a player with loose hips and enough quickness to keep up with the majority of tight ends and running backs. Schwartz's 4-3 scheme values rangy linebackers, and Schwesinger's 11 pass breakups and two interceptions in college show playmaking skills, too.

Schwesinger is a floor-high LB3 with 2025 LB2 upside. Target him in mid-to-late rounds of IDP drafts, particularly in tackle-heavy formats. His athleticism, usage, and defensive support make him one of the safest rookie bets of the year. 4for4 betting subscribers were also alerted when his Defensive Rookie of the Year odds opened at 60/1. It's still available at 50/1, and I'd still recommend betting on it.