Stephens brings a different level of intensity to the linebacker position, and his film shows a player who is always looking to make an impact. He plays with strong instincts, quickly identifies where the play is going, and has the ability to close in space before ball carriers can get comfortable. Stephens does a good job staying active through the play, fighting through traffic, and finishing when he gets the opportunity. His ability to consistently be around the action makes him an intriguing defender heading into the season.

Maliki is a relentless linebacker who totaled 148 tackles, including 85 solo stops, and averaged 12.0 tackles for loss. He plays with a downhill, attacking style, consistently diagnosing plays quickly and taking aggressive angles to the ball. Maliki’s physicality and ability to shed blockers allow him to control the line of scrimmage, disrupt plays in the backfield, and make high-impact stops. His combination of speed, strength, and awareness makes him a sideline-to-sideline force, capable of changing the momentum of a game with tackles, tackles for loss, and key defensive plays.