Sharar is the kind of high-IQ, low-ceiling linebacker who keeps defensive coordinators up at night debating whether to draft him or sign him as a UDFA. He diagnoses fast, triggers downhill with authority, and racked up 12 TFLs in his lone year as a starter — but a 6-2, 231-pound frame and questions about playing through blocks at the NFL level cap his projection as a full-time starter. The combine changed the conversation: a 4.56 forty, 40-inch vert, and a 9.54 RAS screamed more athlete than the tape initially suggested. He'll make a roster as a special teams ace with backup LB upside — the kind of Day 3 pick that sticks around the league for a decade if he stays healthy and keeps hitting on punt coverage units.
- Elite football IQ — eyes rarely betray him pre-snap, diagnoses run fits quickly and triggers decisively
- Proven special teams contributor with 571 career ST snaps and 13 ST tackles at Iowa — immediate NFL value on coverage units
- Better athlete than pre-combine tape suggested: 4.56 forty, 40-inch vert, 9.54 RAS provide legitimate NFL-caliber explosion
- Versatile alignment — played both WILL and MIKE at Iowa, giving defensive coordinators schematic flexibility
- Controlled zone dropper who limits YAC with quick trigger to the ball
- Undersized for an NFL linebacker at 6-2, 231 — struggles to play through blocks and slip blockers at the point of attack
- Man coverage ability is largely untested — Iowa's scheme didn't ask him to run with backs or TEs in space
- One-year starter with a thin tape sample — breakout season raises 'who is the real player?' questions
- Lacks functional play strength to stack and shed NFL offensive linemen consistently
Iowa-to-NFL pipeline comp: high-IQ, undersized linebacker who carved out a long NFL career primarily through special teams excellence and scheme-sound backup play. Both lack the physical profile of a full-time starter but compensate with instincts, effort, and reliability.