Why Deontae Lawson is a Better Prospect than his NFL Draft Projection Suggests

Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft is here, and yet one prospect who is still on the board stands out in a major way among the entire class.

Former Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson was projected as a late Day 2 to mid-Day 3 pick by numerous media outlets well before the draft kicked off. Sure, he's 23-years-old and has dealt with multiple injuries, but he accomplished something that not many in the history of college football have.

The draft class is loaded with captains of their respective college teams. It's a distinctive trait to have and one that NFL teams put as a plus on their scouting reports. But Lawson is one of very few to earn the "C" on his jersey twice.

"I would have to say my leadership," Lawson said at the NFL Combine when asked what teams should know about him. "If you were to ask me about my leadership two or three years ago, I'll tell you I was kind of a lead-by-example type of guy. But as I developed, went through adversity, I figured to be more vocal and share my experiences. That's a trait I'm definitely proud of.

"Just how great my character is. I care, my will to win is strong and I'm a pretty good football player too."

The Mobile, Alabama, native quickly worked his way up the depth chart and started in four of his 11 games played during his second season in 2022 and was the No. 1 option in 2023.

Lawson earned his first "C" in 2024, but late into the year, he tore his ACL. It allowed the Mobile, Alabama, native to learn more about himself ahead of Year 5 with the Crimson Tide, and the journey back to the gridiron is part of what earned him his second captain designation.

"During my recovery process, it just made me think about a lot of things," Lawson said on Aug. 13. "Just really reflect on how blessed I am. Just wake up and be able to do this. When I come here, I just try to be the same guy every day.

"I just try to have high energy, impact my teammates and inspire as best I can. That's really all I'm thinking about. I'm just trying to be the best teammate I can be. That comes from my past experiences and I think I'm doing a good job.

"Just going through my injury, it made me realize, 'You only have one shot at this.' You've just got to take every day one day at a time. No matter what's going on or how you feel, you've just got to be your best for the person beside you. That's what I'm trying to do and that's my main goal for this year."

Losing a starting inside linebacker to a season-ending injury can be detrimental to a defense. The position is widely regarded as the quarterback of the defensive side of the ball and often wears the green dot, which is an in-helmet device that allows on-field communication with the coaching staff.

Lawson decided to return to Alabama for the 2025 season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft and it resulted in him wearing the green dot and leading the Tide in tackles (89 — fourth-most in the SEC) this season. 4.5 of those tackles were for loss, as he also logged 1.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

Under Lawson's leadership, Alabama's defense allowed 19.2 points per game, which ranked 20th in the nation. The Crimson Tide also reached the College Football Playoff quarterfinal following a first-round win on the road against Oklahoma. Perhaps the top defensive performer, who had 10 tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a forced fumble, was the protagonist of our story.

A two-time captain at a premier program who came back from a season-ending injury, led his defense to football's version of the Elite Eight and earned All-SEC Second Team status in the process — sure sounds like a good fit for any NFL team.

Deontae Lawson's Measurements

Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 226 pounds
Arm Length: 31 7/8
Hand Size: 9 1/4"

Lawson only participated in non-measured drills at the 2026 NFL Combine.

Lawson could become the 54th Alabama linebacker drafted in program history. Here's a look at the preceding 53.

Jihaad Campbell, 2025
Dallas Turner, 2024
Chris Braswell, 2024
Will Anderson Jr., 2023
Henry To'oTo'o, 2023
Christian Harris, 2022
Terrell Lewis, 2020
Anfernee Jennings, 2020
Christian Miller, 2019
Mack Wilson, 2019
Rashaan Evans, 2018
Shaun Dion Hamilton, 2018
Reuben Foster, 2017
Ryan Anderson, 2017
Tim Williams, 2017
Reggie Ragland, 2016
Xzavier Dickson, 2015
C.J. Mosley, 2014
Nico Johnson, 2013
Dont'a Hightower, 2012
Courtney Upshaw, 2012
Rolando McClain, 2010
Brandon Deaderick, 2010
DeMeco Ryans, 2006
Cornelius Wortham, 2005
Derrick Pope, 2004
Saleem Rasheed, 2002
Dwayne Rudd, 1997
Ralph Staten, 1997
Lemanski Hall, 1994
Antonio London, 1993
Derrick Oden, 1993
Keith McCants, 1990
Derrick Thomas, 1989
Greg Gilbert, 1989
George Bethune, 1989
Phillip Brown, 1988
Cornelius Bennett, 1987
Wayne Davis, 1987
Robbie Jones, 1983
Thomas Boyd, 1982
E.J. Junior, 1981
Wayne Hamilton, 1980
Barry Krauss, 1979
Rich Wingo, 1979
Paul Harris, 1977
Woodrow Lowe, 1976
John Mitchell, 1973
Robin Parkhouse, 1972
Mike Hall, 1969
Bill Davis, 1969
Cecil Dowdy, 1967
Lee Roy Jordan, 1963

List of Every Alabama Player Picked in 2026 NFL Draft and Where They're Headed

Sports Illustrated draft tracker: https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/tracker

Bama in the NFL Database

Contract Info, Status of Former Alabama Crimson Tide Players
Active Crimson Tide Players by Team, Position
All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players in the NFL
All-Time Crimson Tide Draft Selections
Team-by-Team History of Crimson Tide Players in the NFL

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google