One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos on day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft is Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis. He is a 6-0, 220-pound linebacker prospect who is one of the more athletic linebacker prospects in the entire draft.
If you are looking for a rangy and explosive coverage linebacker, Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis is for you. He does not have the ideal size for a linebacker, but he has the speed, range, and coverage ability to be a difference maker on passing downs. Due to being undersized,
some believe he is a safety instead of a linebacker, but either way, he is someone who can cover tight ends and running backs and do it well.
Louis played a total of four seasons at Pittsburgh and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons for them. During his four-year career, he totaled 201 tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 6 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. This past year, Louis totaled 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble. This earned him an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he was a standout player and showed off his coverage ability in the one-on-one drills.
The Broncos re-signed linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad this offseason, but a player like Kyle Louis could be someone they can use on third downs. He would be their most athletic and rangiest linebacker on the team and could help with their issues covering tight ends and running backs. If they view him as a safety prospect, he could potentially fill in for P.J. Locke, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.
Player Profile
Kyle Louis | Linebacker | Pittsburgh
- Height: 6-0
- Weight: 220 pounds
- Arm Length: 31 1/4 inches
- Hands: 9.5 inches
- 40-time: 4.53 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.58 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches
- Broad Jump: 10-9
- 3-Cone Drill: 6.97 seconds
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.26 seconds
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Explosive, athletic, and rangy player
- Productive disruptor in college ( 25.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, and 6 interceptions)
- Great instincts and can read and react quickly to a play
- A rangy player who closes in on a ball carrier quickly
- Excellent in coverage and has ball-skills
- Fluid hips, which help him stick with tight ends and running backs in coverage
- Shoots the gap quickly and can make plays in the backfield
- Was an effective blitzer
- Versatile player who played all over in college and looked comfortable doing it
- Reliable wrap-up tackler
- High-end sub-package potential
Weaknesses
- Undersized linebacker who might be a safety in the NFL
- Will have issues getting swallowed up by bigger offensive linemen and knocked out of the way by lead blockers
- Can you trust him as an early down run defender?
- Had issues with biting on play fakes and against RPO’s
- Not a big hitter and could have issues bringing down bigger and stronger ball carriers
What other analysts are saying about Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis
The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler on LB Kyle Louis
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. He won’t be for every scheme, but he’ll shine for the team that has the right vision for him.
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on LB Kyle Louis
Undersized linebacker/box safety who had more production and made fewer mental mistakes in 2024. Louis has the speed, athleticism and recognition to quickly find the football. Whether in lurker mode from zone or clinging to the route in man, he’s very decisive in coverage and has the ball skills to flip the field. He struggles to take on blocks and leverage his gap in the run game. He often catches contact and becomes a drag-down tackler near the line and in space. Teams need to have a plan for how to use him, but versatile sub-package defenders with speed and cover talent are valuable in the league.
Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis’s RAS
Does Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis make sense for the Denver Broncos on day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft?
I like Kyle Louis and what he would bring to the Broncos’ defense. They’re lacking a rangy linebacker who can cover tight ends and running backs in space. However, the NFL is trending away from spread-it-out/pass-heavy style offense, going back towards heavy formations with two tight ends, a fullback, and downhill running.
In the AFC West, you have the Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh, who are going to run the ball and probably run it well. The Chiefs just added Kenneth Walker to their backfield and plan on running it more, and the Raiders have a Kubiak running their offense and Ashton Jeanty as their running back. Then you have the Bills, a team the Broncos will need to beat if they want to reach the Super Bowl, that has run the ball effectively against the Broncos multiple times now.
So, while I like Louis’s skill set as a coverage guy, I believe the Broncos may need a linebacker who can be effective against the run. With that said, you still need a linebacker who can cover backs and tight ends on third downs, so he does have value as a sub-package guy. So, you can make an argument either way with him.
At the end of the day, he’s a rangy linebacker who is excellent in coverage and has cornerback-like ball-skills. He closes fast on ball carriers and could be an effective third-down/sub-package player for the Broncos. However, if they’re looking for a linebacker who can be effective against the run, they will probably be looking elsewhere.
