Mike Renner#28 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 4, 2026
A 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 they declare.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Mike Renner said
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.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Renner's 2027 NFL Draft scouting series: Ranking top 10 linebackers, with Clemson's Sammy Brown leading way
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mock Draft Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Top Player Lists | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Position Order Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
How each call scored
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 call.
It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Mock Draft Picks10 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Xavier Atkins to be picked “Early Day 2” (picks 33–67)
“Player type: Weakside linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 2”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jalen Graham to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Weakside linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Suntarine Perkins to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)
“Player type: To be determined / Early grade: Day 2”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Sammy Brown to be picked “Round 1”
“Early grade: Round 1 — Brown has all the makings of a first-round linebacker”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Fred Johnson to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Do-it-all middle linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
West Weeks to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Versatile linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to be picked “Early Day 2” (picks 33–67)
“Player type: Hybrid rusher / Early grade: Early Day 2”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jordan Hall to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Two-down linebacker / Early grade: Early Day 3”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Cade Uluave to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Heat-seeking missile / Early grade: Early Day 3”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Top Player Lists1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
“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".”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Position Order Calls2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
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.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Brian Peacock · Roster Spot Calls · Jalen Graham · Miss 0
Peacock lays out their projected 53-man roster for the 49ers, position by position: three specialists, three quarterbacks (including Curtis Rourke), five running backs, six receivers (cutting Christian Kirk), three tight ends (cutting Braden Willis), nine offensive linemen, ten defensive linemen (with Mykel Williams on PUP), five linebackers, six cornerbacks and four safeties. They also predict a new player will take center snaps in preseason week three.Tom Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jalen Graham · Miss 0
Jensen projects the 49ers' final 53-man roster ahead of the August 30 cutdown, naming a long list of players they expect to be released outright, another group they expect to be cut and return on the practice squad ("boomerang cuts"), and three borderline players (Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, James Thompson Jr.) they believe San Francisco will keep.Jeff Kerr · Roster Spot Calls · Fred Johnson · Hit 100
Kerr assesses which Eagles have played their way onto or off the initial 53-man roster, projecting roster spots for Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Ty Robinson and others, depth-chart placements for Kendall, Will Shipley, Markel Bell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and trouble for Andy Dalton, Rocco Underwood, Micah Morris and Andre Sam.Jeff Kerr · Roster Spot Calls · Fred Johnson · Hit 100
Previewing the Eagles' joint practices with the Patriots, Kerr identifies bubble players and where they stand: Will Shipley as the front-runner for RB3, Ty Robinson as the No. 5 defensive tackle, and both Fred Johnson and Kelee Ringo as likely to make the 53-man roster.Jeff Kerr · Roster Spot Calls · Fred Johnson · Hit 100
Kerr's updated 53-man roster projection for the Eagles after eight training camp practices, naming which players make the team at each position plus depth-chart placements like Wicks as WR2, Mundt as TE2, Kendall as third guard, Bell as third tackle, and Epps/Carter battling to start at safety.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; they also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore.Philip Hughes · Mock Draft Picks · Kyle Kennard · Miss 34
Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
Grisak argues the Rams should not trade a second-round pick for Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., calling it too great a risk and too high a cost. In an embedded tweet of their own from the 2024 pre-draft period, they suggested the Rams could select Thomas at pick No. 19.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
Campbell's draft stock report projects Indiana WR Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in 2027, Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones as a first-rounder, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick, and Texas OT Trevor Goosby as a top-10 pick, while suggesting Arch Manning could still be a first-rounder if they declare.