Why Deontae Lawson is a Better Prospect than his NFL Draft Projection Suggests

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Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft is here, and yet one prospect who is still on the board stands out in a major way among the entire class.

Former Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson was projected as a late Day 2 to mid-Day 3 pick by numerous media outlets well before the draft kicked off. Sure, he's 23-years-old and has dealt with multiple injuries, but he accomplished something that not many in the history of college football have.

The draft class is loaded with captains of their respective college teams. It's a distinctive trait to have and one that NFL teams put as a plus on their scouting reports. But Lawson is one of very few to earn the "C" on his jersey twice.

"I would have to say my leadership," Lawson said at the NFL Combine when asked what teams should know about him. "If you were to ask me about my leadership two or three years ago, I'll tell you I was kind of a lead-by-example type of guy. But as I developed, went through adversity, I figured to be more vocal and share my experiences. That's a trait I'm definitely proud of.

"Just how great my character is. I care, my will to win is strong and I'm a pretty good football player too."

The Mobile, Alabama, native quickly worked his way up the depth chart and started in four of his 11 games played during his second season in 2022 and was the No. 1 option in 2023.

Lawson earned his first "C" in 2024, but late into the year, he tore his ACL. It allowed the Mobile, Alabama, native to learn more about himself ahead of Year 5 with the Crimson Tide, and the journey back to the gridiron is part of what earned him his second captain designation.

"During my recovery process, it just made me think about a lot of things," Lawson said on Aug. 13. "Just really reflect on how blessed I am. Just wake up and be able to do this. When I come here, I just try to be the same guy every day.

"I just try to have high energy, impact my teammates and inspire as best I can. That's really all I'm thinking about. I'm just trying to be the best teammate I can be. That comes from my past experiences and I think I'm doing a good job.

"Just going through my injury, it made me realize, 'You only have one shot at this.' You've just got to take every day one day at a time. No matter what's going on or how you feel, you've just got to be your best for the person beside you. That's what I'm trying to do and that's my main goal for this year."

Losing a starting inside linebacker to a season-ending injury can be detrimental to a defense. The position is widely regarded as the quarterback of the defensive side of the ball and often wears the green dot, which is an in-helmet device that allows on-field communication with the coaching staff.

Lawson decided to return to Alabama for the 2025 season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft and it resulted in him wearing the green dot and leading the Tide in tackles (89 – fourth-most in the SEC) this season. 4.5 of those tackles were for loss, as he also logged 1.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

Under Lawson's leadership, Alabama's defense allowed 19.2 points per game, which ranked 20th in the nation. The Crimson Tide also reached the College Football Playoff quarterfinal following a first-round win on the road against Oklahoma. Perhaps the top defensive performer, who had 10 tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a forced fumble, was the protagonist of our story.

A two-time captain at a premier program who came back from a season-ending injury, led his defense to football's version of the Elite Eight and earned All-SEC Second Team status in the process – sure sounds like a good fit for any NFL team.