In the immediate aftermath of the NFL Draft, amid the ensuing wave of undrafted signings, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, unsurprisingly, was busy doing Howie Roseman things.
While quickly signing several promising undrafted prospects, including IPP rugby phenom Joshua Weru, Roseman raised eyebrows when he was able to reportedly ink Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson to a deal.
Eagles might have a great player in undrafted free agent Deontae Lawson
The two-time captain and All-SEC selection faced a tough ACL injury late in 2024, as well as a groin injury that slowed him down. But when fully healthy, he can definitely bring at the linebacker position.
When it comes to Lawson's background, the pedigree has always been powerful. Back in high school, Lawson was tabbed by 247Sports as a five-star prospect and the 45th best player in his entire recruiting class, and the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Mobile native made his mark while in Tuscaloosa.
Bill Miller over at NFLDraftBuzz - who ranked Lawson as the 10th best linebacker and projected third round talent in this draft class - honed in on the former Roll Tide captain:
"Lawson is a long, rangey linebacker with legitimate coverage tools and excellent run-defense instincts who needs to get stronger and tighten up his finishing. His best football on film comes when he is playing downhill with a clean read, staying square in his flow and using his length to stack blockers rather than absorbing them. The run defense across his final three seasons at Alabama was consistently strong, and his ability to scrape across the formation and arrive at the ball with enough speed to make a play is what separates him from the pack of mid-round linebacker prospects."
The reasons for his precipitous drop in draft value to general managers as the draft unfolded are debatable. He's definitely light for an ideal linebacker; that's one thing. But a tough obstacle that slowed him down was the torn ACL he suffered in late 2024, while the groin injury hampered his production. Lawson bounced back this past season, though, achieving recognition as a Butkus Award semi-finalist for the third time in his collegiate career. That's a remarkable feat, one that still leaves many fans wondering just how he didn't hear his name called during the draft.
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As the green dot wearer for the Bama defense and a two-time team captain, Lawson brings leadership and toughness that are not subject to debate. Now blessed with the opportunity to learn under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, while learning alongside veteran Zack Baun and former Tide teammate Jihaad Campbell, Lawson has a legitimate shot at being an undrafted gem in Philadelphia.
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