Pitt's Kyle Louis Ranked Among Top NFL Draft Prospects

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have numerous players heading to the 2026 NFL Draft, but none as big as star linebacker Kyle Louis.

Louis is coming off a huge week of practice at the Senior Bowl at the end of January, where the NFL media raved about Louis' coverage skills.

"His skills in coverage set him apart, though. In one-on-one drills against running backs, Louis basically ran the option route for the runner and nabbed the quarterback's pass with his quick hands. He was tight in coverage throughout that portion of the practice, showing why he should be a rising prospect in this draft," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein and Eric Edholm wrote after Day 1 of practice.

Kyle Louis has had a heck of a week. 32 GMs will have his name highlighted as you work into Day 2 at the LB spot.

Just a heck of a ballplayer. pic.twitter.com/9pzNQBjNrT
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 29, 2026

Louis was already seen as a top 100 draft prospect before the Senior Bowl, and he further proved that he was worthy of the designation. And it seems his stock even climbed some, too.

Sports Illustrated's top 100 prospects list in December ranked Louis as the No. 88 player, and now, Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Louis as the No. 70 prospect heading into April's pro draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh.

Louis' Draft Stock Rises

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis (9) in pass coverage against Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Louis ranked No. 8 of the 10 linebackers included on Brugler's list. He was also the only linebacker representing the ACC.

"A see-ball, get-ball hunter, Louis is undersized but quick to trigger and has explosive closing speed. He was primarily a curl/flat zone defender in coverage but has the athletic tools to handle more man-to-man responsibilities," Bugler wrote. "He won’t be for every scheme, but he’ll shine for the team that has the right vision for him."

The last sentence of Brungler is what's most important. Louis brings a unique skill set at 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker, and likely won't fit as a pass rusher or a run-stuffing linebacker immediately. The best fit would be in a role similar to what he ran at Pitt as the "Sam" or "Star," as Pitt calls it, linebacker position in a 4-3 defense. Louis could even be moved to strong safety or a nickel back role probably find similar success.

According to Pro Football Focus, Louis played 244 of his 668 snaps (36.5%) in the slot, which was the most of any player on the team in 2025. Pitt generally doesn't run much nickel coverage, so Louis occupied the slot from his outside linebacker position.

In coverage at Pitt, Louis forced six interceptions, one pick-six and 12 pass breakups in four seasons.

All of this isnt't to say Louis is one-dimensional either. Louis recorded 201 total tackles, 25.5 for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over his career. In 2025, Louis forced 18 pressures when rushing the passer and only missed 10.9% of his tackles, which was the third-best rate on the Panthers' defense, according to PFF.

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