Justin Jefferson began college at the junior college ranks before blossoming into a solid middle inside linebacker at Alabama.
Justin Jefferson 2026 NFL Draft Profile
He began his career at Pearl River Community College before transferring to Alabama. Even though he played around the 225-pound mark, he still dominated at inside linebacker. This guy lacks the size teams ideally want at inside linebacker, but he makes up for it with his speed. In the weeks leading up to the draft, there has been considerable speculation on which teams might be targeting Jefferson as early as round 4. The Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans both invited Jefferson for a Top 30 visit, and the Dallas Cowboys have been reported by multiple sources as being highly interested in Jefferson.
PLAYER 2026 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’0 ⅜”
Weight: 223 pounds
School: Alabama
Justin Jefferson (not @JJettas2 😏) runs a 4.58u
2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YZAVQAIquK— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2026
2026 NFL Draft PLAYER Scouting Report
Strengths
- 31 ⅞” arm length, 77 ¾” wingspan are quality numbers for a linebacker
- 4.53 40-yard dash is above average
- Jefferson’s hips are flexible, and he can change directions quickly when matching up with running backs and tight ends out in space
- Vertical jump of 38.5” and broad jump of 10’5” are outstanding qualities at the linebacker position
- He has developed a dip and rip move on quarterbacks when left unchecked at the line
- Jefferson has the speed to hawk ball carriers from sideline to sideline, and the quickness to get in position to stop outside stretch zone plays
- He has played on over 300 special teams snaps in his career, a fact not lost on NFL teams looking for players ready to make a difference on punts and kickoffs.
- Justin finishes plays with physicality, keeping his legs moving throughout the contact.
Justin Jefferson is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.23 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 269 out of 3460 LB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/3u2Jl9QrJ3 pic.twitter.com/Yjg6J4eu2R
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2026
Weaknesses
- Jefferson sometimes overpursues ball carriers, and his aggressive attack mode can cause him to be out of position when he takes poor angles
- As a smaller inside linebacker, he has struggled with offensive linemen getting to him on the second level.
- Needs to add bulk to better stack up to NFL linemen on the move.
- Although he is physical, he is susceptible to being lost in moving traffic.
- Rough around the edges in how to best understand his placement and assignments in zone coverage;
NFL Comparison: Jamien Sherwood, Cody Simon, Jack Sanborn
Teams With Need At Position: Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts Tennessee Titans
Projection: Rounds 5 or 6
Texans visited with Alabama LB Justin Jefferson.
They’ve been about these Bama guys lately in recent drafts.
-85 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT + FF last season. Ran a 4.57 at the combine too.
Swarm incoming? 🔥pic.twitter.com/iwVGtmyCQ9
— big ounce (@_bigounce) April 16, 2026
Bottom Line on Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson projects as a prototypical WILL linebacker for a 4-3 defense that prioritizes speed and space over physical dominance. While he may not be an every-down “thumper” in the box, his ability to cover, chase, and hit makes him an intriguing mid-round target. He has already drawn significant interest from teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons, with scouts seeing him as a potential “steal” in Rounds 5 or 6. The team selecting Jefferson is going to be surprised at how quickly he impacts special teams the moment he enters training camp.
Main Image: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
