Deontae Lawson, Alabama: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Lawson was a four-star recruit from Mobile Christian School in Mobile, Ala. in the class of 2021

Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson are the best linebacker duo in the 2025 NFL Draft. Lawson isn’t as athletic as Campbell but is still a top 100 talent because of his playmaking in the run game and upside in zone coverage.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.

Deontae Lawson, LB Alabama: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior middle linebacker from Mobile, Ala.

Background: Lawson was a four-star recruit from Mobile Christian School in Mobile, Ala. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 52 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 66 for Rivals, and No. 48 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 120th in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. As a senior, Lawson captained Mobile Christian, earned the Class 4A Linemen of the Year award from the Alabama Sports Writers Association, and received First Team All-State honors from several outlets. He took snaps at running back and wide receiver while making a significant impact on defense. Lawson was the Class 3A Lineman of the Year in 2019 when he led Mobile Christian to the Class 3A Championship Game. That year, he amassed 134 total tackles, including 101 solo tackles, and earned First Team All-State honors. He was a Second Team All-State selection as a sophomore. Lawson was invited to the All-American Bowl. He also played basketball for Mobile Christian.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed the 2022 Mississippi State and LSU games, missed the 2023 Mississippi State game with an ankle injury, missed 2023 Kentucky and Chattanooga games with an ankle injury

Awards: N/A

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, Alabama’s green dot on defense, swim move to defeat climbing linemen, push-pull, nice power in hands taking on climbing center Jake Renfro (2024), two-handed swipe on climbing linemen, makes tackles while absorbing contact from blockers, patient at the second level before triggering downhill, nice burst downhill, beats linemen to their landmarks in the run game, squares up and drives through ball carriers for tackle attempts, nice patience in coverage, recognition skills on routes, head on a swivel to ID threats in zone coverage, reads the QB’s eyes to choke off passing lanes, sits in second level throwing lanes, impressive read and react speed to earn PBUs, stays in phase on shallow crossers

Cons: Questionable arm length, inconsistent run fits, lacks lower body power to displace linemen and close running lanes down-to-down, driven out of plays by climbing linemen, block shedding is hit or miss, lacks power to break o-line clamps, lacks sideline-to-sideline range, lacking top end speed and range, some examples of diving low and missing tackles, shaken into missed tackles in the hole, struggles to bring down agile or quick playmakers in space, sucked downhill by play action, bites on eye manipulation, caught flat-footed vs. slot receivers, allows too much separation in man coverage, issues mirroring potential pass catchers in space

Overview: Lawson has special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He wears the green dot for Alabama’s defense. When facing linemen or tight ends in the run game, Lawson uses swims, push-pulls, two-handed swipes, and the power he channels through his hands to slip or shed blocks. He makes a fair number of tackles around the line of scrimmage while simultaneously taking on contact from a blocker. This is especially true when he steps down to fit the run and meets a pulling blocker in the hole. Lawson’s questionable arm length contributes to him getting stuck on some blocks. He has plenty of ways to avoid or redirect from blocks, but his true ability to stack, peak, and shed is inconsistent. The redshirt junior lacks the raw power to break an offensive lineman’s clamp and finds himself driven out of plays when linemen climb to his position at the second level and make solid contact. Lawson arrives with enough power to halt pulling linemen and set up a wall at the point of attack but lacks the play strength to displace established blockers. He patiently waits at the second level for the play to develop before identifying the run lane and triggering downhill with impressive burst. Lawson arrives quickly enough to beat offensive linemen to their landmarks. His best run fits are top shelf tape, but he’s guilty of fitting the wrong gap or overcommitting and opening cutback lanes. The Alabama native deals with some physical limitations. He lacks sideline-to-sideline range and doesn’t have elite speed. Lawson struggles to mirror and tackle twitchy playmakers in space because of some tightness in his frame and sometimes gets juked in the hole. He's generally a reliable tackler who squares up and drives through the ball carrier. Occasionally, he resorts to ducking his head and diving low, which results in missed tackles. Lawson lacks the athletic traits and anticipation to play man coverage, but he offers good value in zone. The former four-star recruit avoids overcommitting to routes early in the play and reads the quarterback’s eyes to adjust his coverage. This sometimes results in him falling for eye manipulation. Lawson recognizes developing routes at the short to shallow-intermediate levels and moves to undercut them. He reacts quickly enough to throws to make an impact at the catch point.

Overall, Lawson is a smart but physically limited middle linebacker who does his best coverage work in short to intermediate zones. He defeats climbing offensive linemen with various moves and his agility but is still developing ways to stack and shed blocks consistently. Lawson’s patience and football IQ make him a high floor contributor, but his athletic traits put a ceiling on his projection to the next level.

Role & Scheme Fit: MIKE in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: Third Round

Size: 6'2", 239 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-08-24

Updated: 11-18-24