Aiden Fisher NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Houston Texans LB

Matt HolderJan 15, 2026

The Houston Texans selected Indiana LB Aiden Fisher with the No. 243 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

A team that's looking for a special teamer and backup linebacker who coaches can trust to be in the right spot consistently should have Aiden Fisher on its radar in the later rounds of the draft. He has impressive instincts in both phases of the game and is a good tackler to be relied on in those roles.

The 6'1", 231-pound backer began his college career at James Madison in 2022, the school's first year as an FBS program, and wasn't even ranked coming out of high school, per 247Sports. He played in 10 games, primarily on special teams, during his freshman season before exploding as a sophomore.

Fisher logged 108 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and seven passes defended in 2023, earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors. Then, he followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana and enjoyed another highly productive campaign with 118 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and four PDs.

That led to the Fredericksburg, Va. native becoming the Hoosiers' first All-American linebacker and a first-team All-Big Ten bid. He followed that up with another first-team All-Big Ten selection, racking up 97 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions (1 pick-six) this past season.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

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Scroll down for the full scouting report.

Where He Wins

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 15 Wisconsin at Indiana

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- Fisher takes command of the defense pre-snap, constantly communicating, pointing out potential threats, and helping get the entire defense on the same page.

- Quick to key and diagnose run plays and has decent quickness and linear speed to take advantage of his instincts by getting to the right spot. He's also good at mirror running backs against zone runs.

- Decent shoulder-dip move to occasionally make offensive linemen miss on the second level.

- Good tackler who uses good pad level and wraps up consistently, leading to very few misses.

- High football IQ allows him to recognize route concepts and effectively pattern match in zone coverage.

- Solid linear speed helps him close in coverage or on quarterbacks when blitzing.

Areas of Improvement

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- Fisher is on the smaller side and doesn't appear to have much room for growth on his frame.

- Lacks the strength and length to take on and disengage blocks from offensive linemen and good blocking tight ends. Also has issues holding his ground in the run game.

- Has a habit of working underneath blocks, creating rushing lanes on the second level.

- Tight hips, making it difficult for him to change directions in coverage and retrace or ROBOT against play-action.

- Not athletic enough to cover running backs on option routes in man coverage.

- Stiffness and lack of lateral movement skills will lead to misses when trying to tackle shifty running backs and wide receivers in the open field.