# Power Echols
**Power Echols** (born 2003) is an American professional football linebacker who played college football at North Carolina and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the [Chicago Bears](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bears) after the 2025 draft.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) • [2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks) A Charlotte, North Carolina native, he was a four-year contributor and three-year starter for the Tar Heels, earning All-ACC recognition and serving as a team captain.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) • [3](https://d141rwalb2fvgk.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/power-echols/25558)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, size | Linebacker; 5'11 3/8", 237 lbs, 30 5/8" arms, 9 1/8" hands at the 2025 scouting process[4](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/lb_all) |
| College career | 52 games at North Carolina (2021–2024), 307 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 4 interceptions[5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html) |
| Honors | Third-Team All-ACC (2023), honorable mention All-ACC (2022)[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) • [6](https://www.seahawks.com/team/players-roster/power-echols/logs/2026/pre/) |
| 2022 season | Started all 14 games, 103 tackles with 70 solo (fifth in the Power 5), two sacks, five TFL, one interception, team captain[3](https://d141rwalb2fvgk.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/power-echols/25558) |
| Testing | 4.73-second 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical, 1.59-second 10-yard split at the NFL Combine; Hula Bowl invite[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) |
| NFL path | Undrafted 2025; Bears practice squad and Texans practice squad in 2025; signed by the Seattle Seahawks in August 2026[2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks) |
## Background and recruitment
Echols attended Julius L. Chambers [High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-school) in Charlotte (formerly Zebulon B. Vance), where he totaled 389 tackles, 28 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles over three years and earned multiple defensive player of the year honors.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) As a junior he led Vance to a 4AA state title, and in five playoff games the defense allowed only three touchdowns.[7](https://www.si.com/college/unc/football/echols-review) He was rated a four-star recruit and ranked among the top 160 players nationally by major recruiting services, and he committed to North Carolina in December 2020.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina)
He comes from an athletic family: his father Brian played football at Michigan State and in the NFL, and his mother Astarlove was a basketball player at Western Michigan.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina)
## College career at North Carolina
Echols appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2021, recording 25 tackles and an interception.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) • [5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html) His sophomore season in 2022 was his most productive: he started all 14 games, made 103 tackles including 70 solo stops, added two sacks, five tackles for loss, an interception, two passes defended, and a forced fumble, and was voted a team captain.[3](https://d141rwalb2fvgk.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/power-echols/25558) His 70 solo tackles ranked fifth among Power 5 defenders, and he earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition.[3](https://d141rwalb2fvgk.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/power-echols/25558) • [1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina)
As a junior in 2023 he posted 103 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors.[5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html) • [1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) His senior season in 2024 produced 76 tackles in 12 games, with an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown against his career line of four interceptions.[5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html) He finished his career with 307 combined tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, and four interceptions in 52 games.[5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html)
## Draft evaluation
At the 2025 scouting process Echols measured 5'11 3/8" and 237 pounds with 30 5/8" arms, and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds with a 37-inch vertical.[4](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/lb_all) • [1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) His size was the recurring concern: evaluators described him as undersized for an NFL off-ball linebacker, a "tweener" whose length and play strength at the point of attack limited his ability to take on and shed blocks from offensive linemen.[8](https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/06/13/power-echols-scouting-report-nfl-draft) • [9](https://nfldraftdiamonds.com/2024/07/power-echols/)
Evaluators agreed on his athletic traits. Range and coverage were his strengths: reports cited excellent sideline-to-sideline speed, a quick closing burst, effective blitz timing, and the ability to carry short and intermediate routes, with four interceptions and seven pass breakups over his last two college seasons.[8](https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/06/13/power-echols-scouting-report-nfl-draft) • [1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina) Tackling technique was a shared criticism; one report called him a wrap-up tackler without much thump who missed easy tackles in the games reviewed.[9](https://nfldraftdiamonds.com/2024/07/power-echols/)
The overall assessments diverged. Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network projected a Day 3, scheme-specific contributor whose floor was core special teams, and compared his playing temperament to Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.[8](https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/06/13/power-echols-scouting-report-nfl-draft) NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein was more critical, writing that Echols had adequate eyes and below-average instincts as a playmaker, struggled to take on blocks and plug run fits, and needed to star on third downs or special teams to become an NFL player; NFL.com's score breakdown gave him 60.65 overall, with 60.27 for production and 61.95 for athleticism.[4](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/lb_all) NFL Draft Buzz projected him as an undrafted free agent, ranking him 34th among linebackers in the 2025 class, with his best fit as a WILL in a 4-3 or a nickel linebacker in sub-packages.[1](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina)
## Professional career
Echols went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.[2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks) He appeared in preseason action for the Bears, including a game against the [Miami Dolphins](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-dolphins) in August 2025.[2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks) During the 2025 season he spent time on the practice squads of the Bears and the [Houston Texans](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-texans).[2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks)
In August 2026 the [Seattle Seahawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-seahawks) signed him, first on August 7 and again on August 17, 2026, after a brief earlier stint in their training camp.[10](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols) • [2](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks) Seattle's player page credits him as a three-time All-ACC honoree, including a third-team selection in 2023.[6](https://www.seahawks.com/team/players-roster/power-echols/logs/2026/pre/)
## References
1. [Power Echols LB North Carolina, NFL Draft Buzz profile](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Power-Echols-LB-NorthCarolina)
2. [Seahawks Sign LB Power Echols, RB Anthony Hankerson & WR Julian Hicks, Seahawks.com](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols-rb-anthony-hankerson-wr-julian-hicks)
3. [Power Echols, Football, University of North Carolina Athletics roster](https://d141rwalb2fvgk.cloudfront.net/sports/football/roster/power-echols/25558)
4. [All Colleges 2025 LB Draft Prospects, NFL.com (Lance Zierlein analysis)](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2025/prospects/lb_all)
5. [Power Echols College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/power-echols-1.html)
6. [Power Echols player logs, Seahawks.com](https://www.seahawks.com/team/players-roster/power-echols/logs/2026/pre/)
7. [Recruit Review: Power Echols, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/unc/football/echols-review)
8. [Power Echols NFL Draft Scouting Report, The Draft Network](https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/06/13/power-echols-scouting-report-nfl-draft)
9. [2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Power Echols, NFL Draft Diamonds](https://nfldraftdiamonds.com/2024/07/power-echols/)
10. [Seahawks Sign LB Power Echols, Seahawks.com](https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-sign-lb-power-echols)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Linebackers › Active professional linebackers › NFC linebackers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license