Karson
Sharar.
Karson
Sharar.
Iowa· 6'2"· 231 lb· 4.56s 40
R6 · #183 · Arizona Cardinals"One-year Iowa starter with plus-athlete range and 12 TFLs as a senior — a special-teams-ready MIKE whose Combine testing (4.56 forty, 40-inch vertical) validated the tape."Pre-draft read
This off-ball linebacker plays a downhill MIKE role, demonstrating anticipation and closing burst. He reads guard pulls and back-flow cleanly, flattening to the sideline with exceptional stride length. His primary win is trigger and pursuit, finishing plays by wrapping low through the frame and driving his feet on contact, rarely conceding second-effort yardage at the tackle point.
His take-on technique is functional, but he prefers slicing and squeezing, which can leave him susceptible to down-blocks and pulling centers. In coverage, he opens his hips quickly to carry seams and exhibits loose ankles redirecting under crossers, though his zone-drop depth tends to drift. When blitzing, he times snaps well with a defined plan, converting pressure into tackles for loss through gap timing.
The Arizona Cardinals play a 4-3, Cover-3 match scheme from the Vic Fangio tree, emphasizing downhill run fits from their linebackers and a deep safety rotation to guard against explosive plays.
Immediate core special-teamer who could develop into a contributing Will or Mike linebacker in sub-packages by Year 2 given his trigger and burst.
A more passive, two-gap front that asks its linebackers to consistently stack-and-shed rather than use their burst to beat blocks to the POA.
Sharar’s single-season production spike and plus athleticism fit the mold of a late-round flyer for an attacking defense emphasizing speed and blitzing from the second level.
Karson Sharar Highlights | Iowa LB | 2026 NFL Draft
Career highlight reel showing sideline pursuit, downhill triggers and schemed blitz wins that fueled his 12-TFL senior year.
Karson Sharar 4.56 40-yard dash — 2026 NFL Combine
Official Combine 40 confirming the closing burst evaluators saw on tape (paired with a 40-inch vertical).
Karson Sharar on his Iowa Senior Day performance
Post-game interview from his breakout senior year that offers a window into his makeup and program pedigree.
This linebacker projects as a core special teams contributor with clear defensive upside, offering a team immediate value while developing his game. His rare burst for the position, evidenced by his testing, suggests he can become a productive sub-package player who wins with acceleration and timing, rather than relying on point-of-attack dominance.
After redshirting and playing three seasons primarily on special teams, he emerged as a full-time starter in 2025, embracing the green dot role as a fifth-year senior. This single season of production included 83 tackles, 12 tackles for loss (eighth in the Big Ten), and 4 sacks, showcasing his ability to translate his athleticism to impactful defensive plays once given extended snaps. His usage centered on downhill attacks and timely blitzes, rather than extensive coverage responsibilities.
The primary concern for evaluators was his limited sample size as a starter and his relatively undeveloped coverage resume, leading to questions about his ability to sustain production over a full NFL season. He was generally projected as a late Day 3 selection, a projection that materialized with his selection at pick 183 in the sixth round.
- 01
Sideline Range
— His speed and explosiveness allow him to chase down runs to the boundary and close on ball carriers.
- 02
Trigger & Instincts
— He diagnoses plays quickly, reading guard pulls and back-flow to attack downhill and beat blockers to the gap.
- 03
Blitz Timing
— He converts schemed pressures into tackles for loss and sacks by timing the snap and bursting through unblocked.
- 04
Special Teams Value
— He contributed on kickoff coverage and punt teams for three seasons, providing immediate value on a roster.
- 05
Program Pedigree
— He is a Ferentz-program captain type, with a reputation for detail and fitting successful Iowa linebackers.
- 01
Limited Sample Size
— As a one-year starter, there are questions about his ability to endure a full 17-game NFL season workload.
- 02
Take-On Strength
— His arm length and point-of-attack power can result in him being walled off by blockers at the line of scrimmage.
- 03
Zone Drop Depth
— His zone-drop depth tends to drift to fixed landmarks within coverage shells, which indicates underdevelopment.
- 04
Coverage Resume
— One career interception and three career passes defensed leave questions about his man-match capabilities.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.56sp50
- Vertical
- 40inp50
- Broad jump
- 123inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Iowa | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Iowa | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Iowa | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Iowa | 13 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | — | 44 | 104 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Instincts-and-effort MIKE without ideal length who carved out a starting role through processing and finishing tackles.
Another one-year Iowa starter whose special-teams background and elite range translated into a productive NFL starting job.
Undersized Big Ten linebacker who stuck as a core special-teamer and spot-start defender rather than a full-time starter.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
**Pre-draft context.** Karson Sharar arrived at Iowa in 2021 as a lightly recruited linebacker from Iowa Falls and did what most Ferentz-program backers do — redshirted, embraced special teams and waited his turn. He played 25 special-teams-heavy games from 2021 through 2024 with only 21 defensive tackles to show for it, then broke out as a fifth-year senior in 2025: 83 tackles, 12 TFLs (eighth in the Big Ten), 4 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble on the way to honorable-mention All-Big Ten. Combine testing confirmed the burst — 4.56 forty, 40-inch vertical, 10-3 broad — and moved him from priority-free-agent territory to a lock-in Day 3 selection.
**NFL fit — Arizona.** Arizona's defense needs to establish its linebacker room, which is currently built around Mack Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither with rookie-scale depth pieces underneath. Sharar’s rookie job is unambiguous: the special teams unit, where the Iowa résumé travels directly and where the vertical and broad numbers project as an immediate coverage-team standout. Defensively he projects as the WILL and dime backup behind Wilson, with a real path to sub-package snaps by midseason if the coverage growth carries. The team's defensive approach, featuring simulated pressures and stunt-heavy fronts, should let him keep converting timing and burst into TFLs the way he did at Iowa without asking him to two-gap against downhill NFL runners early.
**Retrospective.** The pick makes sense in the sixth-round math: proven core special-teamer, elite testing at the position, a full year of real production and a program pedigree that scouts trust. The bet is that 2025 was who Sharar is going forward rather than a late bloomer plateauing at 23. If the take-on strength never catches up to the range, he settles in as a lifer core-four contributor and third-safety-style dime backer — a Jack Sanborn arc. If the coverage reps stick, Arizona found a starting WILL on a rookie contract in the sixth round, which is exactly what late Day 3 is designed to hit.