Derrick Brooks is one of the greatest middle linebackers in NFL history, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 NFL Draft target Kyle Louis just got compared to the incomparable Super Bowl hero.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is by far one of the best talent evaluators and most respected analysts in the mainstream media, so when he says that Louis is going to be the next Brooks, you had better believe that fans around the league, especially those in Tampa Bay, are taking notice.
Louis was one of many touted NFL Draft prosects at the linebacker position to shine in Indianapolis, as the front seven stole the show. In the case of Sonny Styles, that may not have been good news for the Bucs, but in the case of everyone else like sleepers CJ Allen, Jacob Rodriguez, and Louis, it is brilliant news for a Bucs team in desperate need of help at the linebacker position.
Kyle Louis looks like a future star
Even with Lavonte David recording 114 tackles last season, the Buccaneers were terrible at the position. David was declining from his best in all phases, while the rest of the options at linebacker were an embarrassment to David, Brooks, Barrett Ruud, and any competent Bucs linebacker past or present.
Pittsburgh Panthers grad Louis is a guy worth drafting on Day 2, and he and Rodriguez will probably be the top two options in play for Tampa Bay in the second round of the draft. Louis shone in the interviews, in the drills, and, of course, before that all season long in college football as one of the best all around linebackers and overall defensive players.
With 10 sacks in the past two seasons and 6 interceptions, Louis already proved on the field that he can make plays, but teams, especially Jason Licht and the Bucs, do value the theoretical upside the Combine testing can provide insight on.
Louis is ranked second among linebackers in the NFL Network's athleticism score based on Combine results, and considering Styles was an insanely elite No. 1, being No. 2 is a big deal. The Pitt product ran the 40 in 4.53 seconds with a vertical approaching 40 inches.
With his leadership skill, intelligence, proclivity towards production against both the pass and run, and his understated athleticism, Louis really does look like he could be, on paper, a possible Brooks for the Bucs on Day 2. He is one of the biggest names to watch for Tampa Bay fans this year.