The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.
Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis has one of the more unique profiles at his position in this year’s draft. How will his skills translate to the NFL?
The basics on Kyle Louis
- Position: Linebacker
- Class: Redshirt junior
- Size: 6’0, 220 pounds
- Age: 22
- Projected draft round: 3
Defensive stats via Sports Reference
Kyle Louis scouting report
The first thing that stands out when scouting Kyle Louis is that he doesn’t
look like a typical NFL linebacker. At 6’0, 220 pounds, he’s both light and short for the position, and on tape he can be easily mistaken for a defensive back due to his build and usage as a Will linebacker/big nickel.
In short, Louis looks like a coverage linebacker, but the good news is he can do exactly that. I wouldn’t say I’m very high on him as a prospect, but his upside is undeniable as a passing-down defensive weapon.
Louis tested with a 9.10 RAS (including agility testing, so it’s legitimate), recording a 4.53-second 40-yard dash that definitely shows on the field. But what might be more impressive is that he doesn’t look lost in coverage like so many other linebacker prospects.
In zone, where Louis spent most of his coverage reps in college, he shows above-average feel, shutting down passing windows and sprinting to actually cover receivers rather than just sitting in a spot. His ball skills are also well above usual standards, with six interceptions in the past two years.
In man coverage, Louis didn’t get quite as much work, but what I saw, I liked. He can flip his hips and easily keep up with tight ends and running backs, and even held his own against wide receivers.
Louis was considered one of the Senior Bowl’s biggest standouts, and much of that hype came from his performance in one-on-ones. Usually, those drills are slanted towards the offense, but Louis dominated in coverage.
Louis’ aggressive coverage style can lead to him getting fooled — especially on RPOs where he’d start sprinting to a coverage spot before realizing the play was a run — but overall it’s a massive positive of his game.
The concerns start piling up in Louis’ run defense. He’s not horrible near the line of scrimmage, but at his size it’s simply a physics issue. Louis struggles to break free from blocks, and even tight ends tend to get the better of him.
That said, Louis is a high-effort player who has developed some counters, dipping his shoulder to get around some blocks and generally doing everything he can to break free. The result means he can still make plays near the line of scrimmage, but he’ll never be a thumper or any sort of plus run stuffer.
Louis succeeds more as a run-and-chase linebacker, where his athleticism gives him great range. Like his coverage issues, he tends to come in uncontrolled, and due to his lack of size he’s more of a lunger than a form tackler. Overall, this is another strength of Louis’ game, but he’ll need to improve at breaking down when he goes in to make a tackle.
While this report on Louis might sound a little more lukewarm than expected, make no mistake that he’s been an electric playmaker in his two years as a college starter. Over those 24 games he amassed six interceptions, 10 sacks, 182 tackles, and 24 tackles for loss.
As a blitzer, his quickness and closing speed stand out, and he’s had success wreaking havoc through the middle of opposing offensive lines.
There are plenty of things to like about Louis’ game despite his clear limitations, and his standout Senior Bowl further proved he can be a difference maker against top competition. With the right scheme fit, he could be a solid late Day 2/early Day 3 pick.
Strengths
- Impressive movement skills for a linebacker; good closing speed, range
- Above-average feel in coverage
- High upside in man coverage
- Fights to get off of blocks with some successful counters
- Speed results in some successful pass rushes
- All-around production last two seasons
Weaknesses
- Clearly undersized; will be a tweener or safety at the next level
- Can’t win blocks head-on, often washed out of plays
- Uncontrolled and inconsistent as a tackler
- Often fooled on RPOs; can be moved in coverage
What others are saying about Kyle Louis
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
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.
Joshua Queipo, Pewter Report
Louis lacks the mass and pop to handle starting duties as a linebacker in the NFL. … He would struggle to detach from offensive linemen, and his speed would largely be negated in phone booths. But he could stick as a sub-package overhang dime linebacker who can match tight ends in pass-obvious situations and contribute on special teams. He best profiles as a weakside linebacker that will leverage his speed in space as a point and shoot player.
Hogs Haven
Kyle Louis profiles as a coverage linebacker who is versatile enough to play multiple roles at the pro-level. Optimists view him as a future three-down linebacker. Pessimists believe Louis will need to switch to safety to make an NFL roster. But what Kyle lacks in ideal build and strength, he makes up for with speed and instincts. Kyle Louis can be a core part of a defensive scheme that allows him to operate in space and win with speed.
Kyle Louis’ fit with the Steelers
Louis is one of the players in this year’s draft who I’m the most confident will end up as a Steeler. He just checks too many boxes: pre-draft visit, played football at Pitt, saw Steelers attention at his pro day, and he plays the hybrid safety/linebacker position new Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has had an affinity for in recent years.
But even if Louis screams future Steeler, I’m not sure where he fits in the team’s plans if they are truly interested. While he could develop into the best coverage linebacker on the team by far, he largely fits the mold of starters Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson — rangy defenders who still struggle to take on blocks. And with Malik Harrison and Cole Holcomb both under contract, there isn’t much room on the depth chart, either.
And if you prefer Louis as a future box safety at the NFL level, Pittsburgh already has two effective names that fit that mold in DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker.
Again, at his best Louis could develop into a valuable Swiss Army Knife for a coordinator such as Patrick Graham, but the Pitt linebacker might struggle to make the rotation right away unless the Steelers plan on moving on from Queen or Harrison.
TL;DR: Louis is the classic undersized, athletic linebacker prospect whose NFL role is hard to predict. He’ll likely be a situational linebacker, or he could pursue the higher risk/reward path of a switch to safety. His flashes in coverage hint at higher upside in that role than you might expect.
What are your thoughts on Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
