Veteran Portland State linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler brings size, experience, and tackling upside
In the 2025 season, Jaxton Helmstetler played in all 11 games with two starts, finishing with 15 tackles and two tackles for loss for Portland State, and he entered 2026 as a senior linebacker on the roster[5][6]. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he has the frame to play physical football, and the staff singled him out as a player who needs to elevate his game in 2025, suggesting real developmental room rather than a finished product[4][6]. He looks like a depth-to-rotation fit for a team that values effort, special-teams value, and upside over instant star power[4][5].
