COLUMBIA, Mo. — New York Giants fans, you might want to look away. The name that haunted your nightmares for over a decade is back on the draft board. Josiah Trotter, the densely built linebacker who terrorized the SEC in 2025, has officially entered the 2026 NFL Draft. After a dominant transfer season at Missouri where he racked up 84 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, the youngest Trotter isn’t just relying on his last name—he’s looking to bury it under a pile of ball carriers.
The Tape Don’t Lie: A Run-Stopping Wrecking Ball
If you turned on the tape against South Carolina or Alabama this past season, you saw a player who treats opposing gaps like his personal property. Trotter is a throwback. Standing 6-foot-2 and a solid 240 pounds, he plays with the kind of violence that makes offensive coordinators flinch.
His game is built on pure instinct and twitchy violence. When he uncoils his hips, he doesn’t just meet blockers; he displaces them. In the run game, he’s a heat-seeking missile. He processes blocking schemes faster than a quarterback can hand the ball off, often beating linemen to the spot before they even get out of their stance.
Key metrics from his 2025 All-SEC campaign:
- Run Defense Grade: Elite. He ranked 15th nationally against the run.
- Tackles for Loss: 13.0 (Led Mizzou).
- First Move: nearly flawless. He wastes zero steps.
“He walks in and the standard changes. You see him hit a gap, and it reminds you of the old school. He doesn’t catch blocks; he destroys them. That’s the Axe Man DNA right there.”
— Missouri Defensive Coordinator, Post-Game vs. Oklahoma (2025)
The Red Flags: Can He Stay on the Field on 3rd Down?
For all his dominance between the tackles, the NFL is a passing league, and this is where the evaluation gets tricky. Trotter is a two-down hammer in a world that craves three-down Ferraris.
His coverage tape is… concerning. Against spread offenses, he looked uncomfortable dropping into zones, often biting on misdirection or losing track of athletic tight ends in space. While his short-area burst is elite, his long speed limits his range. If an offensive coordinator isolates him on a wheel route against a speedy back, it’s trouble. He fits the “thumper” mold perfectly, but teams will need to mask his coverage deficiencies early in his career.
Draft Stock & Playoff Implications
So, where does he land? He’s a Day 2 lock with upside. Teams looking for a cultural tone-setter at MIKE linebacker—think the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, or yes, the Philadelphia Eagles—will have him high on their board. He’s a plug-and-play starter for any defense that prioritizes stopping the run first.
The narrative is written in the stars: The Eagles drafted his brother, Jeremiah Jr., in 2024. Could we see a Trotter Brothers reunion in Philly? Or will a rival snatch him up to weaponize that family knowledge against them? Either way, the Trotter legacy is far from finished.
