Josiah Trotter is a 6’2”, 237-pound linebacker from the University of Missouri who comes from a strong football lineage and has quickly built an impressive collegiate career. The son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, he brings both bloodline and experience, while his brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr, is currently playing in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles. Josiah attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Trotter began his career at West Virginia University. In his first year at WVU, he sustained a season-ending lower-leg injury during spring practice in spring 2023 and redshirted the following season. In the next year, he earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in his redshirt freshman year before transferring to Missouri and emerging as a starting middle linebacker. He earned First-Team All-SEC from the coaches and Second-Team from the AP, establishing himself as one of the top young linebackers in college football. He is a bit of a younger prospect; he will turn 21 years old right before the draft on April 15th.
Josiah Trotter plays with strong instincts and a high football IQ that consistently show up on film. He does a great job diagnosing plays quickly, especially against screens and run concepts, allowing him to trigger downhill and disrupt plays before they fully develop. He shows patience and discipline in situations like the read option, understands his assignment, and does not overcommit when responsible for the quarterback. Trotter also displays competitive toughness, never giving up on plays and consistently pursuing the ball. While he can occasionally be influenced by play action or backfield misdirection, these lapses are not constant and are correctable with more experience. Sometimes he can lose awareness of guys in his zone on pass plays but I think over time he will be able to correct that. His ability to process information quickly and play with awareness makes him a reliable presence in the middle of the defense.
Physically, Trotter possesses the ideal build and play strength for a traditional middle linebacker. He combines good short-area quickness with strong downhill burst, allowing him to close space rapidly and meet ball carriers at or near the line of scrimmage. His strength enables him to take on and shed blockers effectively, and he uses proper pad level to avoid getting driven back when linemen climb to the second level. Trotter also shows the ability to move sideline to sideline, giving him a solid range in the run game. As a tackler, he is reliable and physical, consistently finishing plays and rarely missing tackles. He can quickly close running lanes. While he may not possess elite top-end speed, his explosiveness, strength, and tackling ability make him a consistent and impactful force against the run.
Josiah Trotter projects as a physical, instinctive linebacker who thrives in stopping the run and controlling the box. While his coverage ability is still developing, his foundation of speed, toughness, and football IQ gives him clear upside to become a more complete player. With continued growth, he has the potential to evolve into a reliable three-down linebacker at the next level. His skill set and mentality make him a strong candidate to contribute early and develop into a key piece of an NFL defense. But early on, I think he can start on defenses that need linebacker help as a 1st- and 2nd-down linebacker, and as his coverage ability develops, he can become a 3-down linebacker.
Trotter is an instinctive and physical linebacker who excels at diagnosing plays and attacking downhill. He brings strong tackling ability, short-area quickness, and the toughness to consistently stop the run. While his coverage remains a work in progress, his speed and ability to stop the run provide a solid foundation for future development.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit:
Josiah Trotter projects best in a 4–3 defensive scheme as a traditional MIKE linebacker, where he can make an immediate impact against the run on early downs. His ability to diagnose plays, attack downhill, and play with physicality allows him to consistently disrupt rushing attacks and control the box. Early in his career, he may come off the field in obvious passing situations while he continues to develop his zone coverage awareness. Although he has the speed to improve in coverage, he is currently more effective as a run defender and play disruptor than in space. With development, he has the tools to become more scheme-versatile. Some teams that fit for Josiah are the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and the Dallas Cowboys.
NFL Player Comp: Nakobe Dean
Nakobe Dean is a strong comparison for Josiah Trotter due to their similar play styles built on speed, instincts, and physicality. Both players excel at diagnosing plays quickly, especially screens and run concepts, and triggering downhill to disrupt the play. They play fast in short areas and rely more on instincts and reaction time than elite top-end speed. Trotter has a slight size advantage, listed at 6’2” compared to Dean at 5’11”, but Dean entered the league as a more polished player in pass coverage. Both linebackers bring an explosive, high-motor presence against the run with strong football IQ.
Projection: High End Starter
Josiah Trotter has the potential to become a high-end NFL starter with the ability to contribute early in his career. Initially, he can provide immediate value as an early-down linebacker, particularly in run-heavy situations, while gradually improving his effectiveness in passing situations. As his coverage skills develop, he has the upside to evolve into a true three-down linebacker. His combination of speed, instincts, and physicality gives him a strong foundation to become one of the more impactful players at his position over time.
Grade and Round Projection: 4.56, Day 2 Pick
Josiah Trotter carries a solid mid-to-late Day 2 grade and possesses the tools to develop into a reliable starting linebacker at the next level. His physicality, instincts, and ability to consistently shut down the run make him an appealing option for teams looking to strengthen the middle of their defense. However, in today’s pass-heavy NFL, positional value and his current limitations in coverage could cause him to slide slightly in the draft, similar to what happened with Nakobe Dean and his brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. If he can improve his coverage ability and become more dependable on passing downs, Trotter has the upside to outperform his draft position and develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player over the course of his career.
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