Mike Renner· Aug 4, 2026
An unsigned CBS Sports scouting piece ranks the top 10 linebackers of the 2027 NFL Draft class, assigning early draft grades to each: Sammy Brown as the clear LB1 with a first-round grade, Atkins and Viliamu-Asa on early Day 2, and a cluster of early Day 3 grades. It also predicts Tennessee's Arion Carter will be drafted among the top 10 linebackers whenever he declares.
“The No. 1 prospect in the class I don't see changing, though, as he could play his way into a top half of Round 1 selection.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
13 checkable claims — 10 mock draft picks, 2 position order calls and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 12 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
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Who this take is about
13 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Mock Draft PicksSammy BrownAug 4, 2026
Sammy Brown to be picked “Round 1”
“Early grade: Round 1 — Brown has all the makings of a first-round linebacker”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksTony RojasAug 4, 2026
Tony Rojas to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)
“Early grade: Day 2 ... if he's even the same guy he was last year you can put him down safely as a Day 2 pick.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJordan HallAug 4, 2026
Jordan Hall to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Two-down linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksFred JohnsonAug 4, 2026
Fred Johnson to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Do-it-all middle linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksKyngstonn Viliamu-AsaAug 4, 2026
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to be picked “Early Day 2” (picks 33–67)
“Player type: Hybrid rusher / Early grade: Early Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksCade UluaveAug 4, 2026
Cade Uluave to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Heat-seeking missile / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Arion Carter to be among the top 10 linebackers linebacker off the board
“I can almost guarantee that Carter is going to be drafted among the top 10 linebackers when he declares.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksXavier AtkinsAug 4, 2026
Xavier Atkins to be picked “Early Day 2” (picks 33–67)
“Player type: Weakside linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksWest WeeksAug 4, 2026
West Weeks to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Versatile linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksSuntarine PerkinsAug 4, 2026
Suntarine Perkins to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)
“Player type: To be determined / Early grade: Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Position Order CallsSammy BrownAug 4, 2026
Sammy Brown to be 1st linebacker off the board
“The No. 1 prospect in the class I don't see changing, though, as he could play his way into a top half of Round 1 selection.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJalen GrahamAug 4, 2026
Jalen Graham to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Weakside linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Top Player ListsAug 4, 2026
“Top 10 linebackers of the 2027 draft class, ranked from Sammy Brown (Clemson) through Jordan Hall (Michigan State), with Perkins noted as "No. 5 on this list".”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Eric CohenGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0Cohen says the Bears win easily in Carolina, and that Tennessee starts 1-0 over a Jets team he considers the third-worst in the league.
- Kirk HerbstreitGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0Herbstreit made a full slate of Week 1 picks — Lions, Ravens, Bears, Bills, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, Packers and Cowboys — and also said he still thinks Seattle is the team to beat in the NFC West.
- AJ HawkGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0AJ Hawk picked the Ravens over the Colts, Carolina to beat Chicago outright, the Bills at Houston, the Bengals over Tampa Bay, the Titans over the Jets, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants.
- Mike FlorioScore Predictions · Tennessee TitansMiss · 26Florio gives score predictions for every Week 1 game of the 2026 NFL season, including an opening-night upset by the Patriots in Seattle and narrow home wins for the Giants and Chiefs.
- John PluymGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0Pluym's Week 1 straight-up picks for all 16 games.
- Gilberto ManzanoGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0Manzano's Week 1 straight-up picks for all 16 games.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Rob RangMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Rang ranks the four headline prospects from the Texas-Ohio State game in the order he'd draft them (Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Julian Sayin) and assigns each a draft grade: Smith and Manning as top-5 picks, Coleman top 10, and Sayin a third-rounder.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · Brandon DoughtyMiss · 3Rosenthal gave first reactions to Vegas win totals: overs on the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers and Cardinals, unders on the Falcons and Commanders, plus he expects Shedeur Sanders to start about 10-11 games and thinks the Cowboys' 9.5 is beatable.
- Peter BukowskiMock Draft Picks · Gennings DunkerHit · 100Bukowski breaks down Iowa offensive lineman Jennings Dunker as a Packers fit and puts a late second-/early third-round grade on him, noting that range overlaps where Green Bay picks.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Eli HeidenreichHit · 100Harrison delivers his only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast.
- Brian PeacockMock Draft Picks · Bud ClarkHit · 96In his final 2026 mock draft for the 49ers, Peacock projects San Francisco taking WR Kevin Concepcion (KC) at pick 27, then after trading out of round two, edge rusher Kieron Crawford and safety Bud Clark in round three, OL Trey Zune and RB Jonah Coleman in round four, CB Charles Demings in round five and guard Caden Barnett in round six. He also thinks Omar Cooper comes off the board before Concepcion.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Riley NowakowskiMiss · 13In his final mock draft Monday, Harrison has the Commanders trading back twice and selecting eight players: safety Dylan Thieneman at 16, WR Denzel Boston at 33, RB Mike Washington Jr. at 83, C Jagger Burton at 132, CB Julian Neal at 147, QB Cade Klubnik at 187, DB Lorenzo Styles Jr. at 209 and TE Riley Nowakowski in the seventh round.