Alabama LB Deontae Lawson signs UDFA deal with Philadelphia Eagles after 2026 NFL Draft
Former Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson is expected to sign an UDFA deal with the Philadelphia Eagles following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. CBS’ Matt Zenitz reported the news. Lawson spent five seasons with the Crimson Tide and was a two-time team captain.
Lawson finished his college career as a two-time All-SEC performer. Most recently, he made second team all-conference after recording 89 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He started all 15 games for the Crimson Tide last year.
In all, the Mobile, AL native leaves college having played in 52 games during his career. He recorded 374 combined tackles over that stretch, including 16 pass breakups and 6.5 sacks.
Before college, Lawson was a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 48 overall recruit and sixth-ranked linebacker. Now, he’s heading to the NFL.
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What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Deontae Lawson
Now that Lawson has been drafted, his new fanbase may want to know what to expect out of their newest linebacker. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided in-depth analysis on the former Alabama standout.
“Lawson is twitchy and covers ground quickly when scraping to the football or knifing inside to disrupt as a run blitzer. His quick flow and pursuit is countered by a lack of play recognition/patience that can place him in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s much better at slipping blocks than he is at taking them on. He has the reactive agility to become an above-average open-field finisher, but his wrap-and-drive fundamentals run hot and cold.
“Lawson’s athleticism shows up in man coverage and when expanding his zone influence. He projects as a run-and-chase Will linebacker with three-down potential but a limited ceiling.”