Iowa LB Karson Sharar Could Be Popular Late-Round NFL Draft Pick

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Karson Sharar may have only started one season in college, but he could provide value in the NFL.

Sharar will likely either be a seventh-round selection or go undrafted, but his experience as a special teamer and the impact he made in his final season defensively may incline a team to spend a pick on him.

Spending all five seasons at Iowa and working his way up the ladder to earn a starting role is also a bonus.

Recapping Sharar's Time at Iowa

Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar — Linebacker Karson Sharar (left) and Linebacker Jaden Harrell (right) stand for a photo on Aug. 8, 2025, in Iowa City. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sharar joined the Hawkeyes after flipping his commitment from Northern Iowa. He was a three-star recruit out of Iowa Falls, Iowa and an all-state linebacker who totaled 81 tackles, 1,325 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns as a senior.

Sharar appeared in four games as a true freshman and redshirted. He then appeared in seven games in 2022 before suffering an injury.

The 2023 season was Sharar's first in which he played in every single game. He recorded eight tackles, half a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

Sharar posted similar numbers in 2024 with 12 tackles and one for a loss in 10 games.

Sharar's breakout year came in his final season with the Hawkeyes in 2025. His All-Big Ten honorable mention season saw him total 83 tackles, 12 for a loss, four sacks, force one fumble and break up one pass.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sharar played the most snaps on Iowa's defense and the third-most snaps on the entire team. He tallied 15 total pressures and a team-best 42 run stops while allowing just 14.6 yards per game and no touchdowns in coverage.

Sharar's Combine Results

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Karson Sharar — Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar (LB23) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In Indianapolis, Sharar measured in at 6-foot-2, 231 pounds with 31-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He received the fifth-best athleticism score of the linebackers at the combine, the 16th-best production score and the 10th-best overall score.

Drill	Result (LB Ranking)
40-Yard Dash	4.56 seconds (5th)
10-Yard Split	1.59 seconds (T-5th)
Vertical	40" (T-2nd)
Broad Jump	10'3" (9th)

Sharar received a prospect grade of 5.68, which placed him in the category of "Candidate For Bottom Of Roster Or Practice Squad."

"Sharar is a one-year starter whose production masks inconsistencies in the box," NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. "For having so few starts, he’s rarely fooled by misdirection and scrambles to recover when it gets the best of him. He lacks size/strength to play effectively through contact and hasn’t learned to slip blocks often enough. He’s a willing chance taker but subpar pursuit speed and tackle-finishing shrink his margin for error.

"Sharar’s best chance of making a roster will be as a special-teams star, but he’ll need to prove he’s trustworthy as a functional backup."

Sharar's Draft Projection

Sharar had an impressive 2025 in his first season as a starter, displaying quick reaction time, great backfield vision, and speed in space. But his lack of experience and his relatively small frame hurt his draft stock.

There are hardly any seven-round mock drafts available that project Sharar to be drafted, but 'The Beast' by The Athletic does have Sharar as a projected seventh-round pick.

Sharar does provide value as a special teamer, and that will likely be his avenue to making an NFL roster.