Davids 88.5 coverage grade this season ranked second among off-ball linebackers, and his elite 93.0 mark over the past four seasons is the top mark at the position. 3 linebackers Seahawks should . The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. ECR VS. ADP. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. Last but certainly not least, Pratt also peaked at the right time, with his 90.1 overall grade since Week 8 the top mark among linebackers. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is a solid all-around off-ball linebacker who has three straight seasons logging at least 750 snaps, and he took a major leap in 2022 with the. The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following Kyzir Whites departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. Christian Kirksey has not had a season of note since 2016 with the Browns, yet he projects as a starter in this defense once again. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. A lot is riding on the development of Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons, who have simply not played well enough especially for first-round picks. 4. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. White backed up his first season as a starter in 2021 with another solid campaign in 2022, earning grades of at least 62.0 against the run and in coverage. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. For IDP fantasy football leagues, there is a ton of variance in preseason player rankings, but utilizing tiers can help us properly value each group of players in. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. Unfortunately for Vander Esch, he once again finds himself in the middle of the pack of a deep free-agent group at linebacker, but he should do a bit better this time around. White has had four straight seasons with coverage grades above 60.0, which is not an easy feat for an off-ball linebacker in todays NFL against so many hi-lo concepts and the increase in run-pass options putting a ton of stress on the position. Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons just wrapped up his second season in the NFL, and he continues to leave little doubt the Dallas Cowboys made the smart decision using a first-round draft pick on him. Milano has put up outstanding PFF grades in both coverage and against the run but has struggled to put it all together over one season. Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. His PFF grade of 77.9 ranked eighth last year among linebackers, and he once again showed he's a well-rounded linebacker that doesn't get the kind of credit he deserves. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Campbells 90.4 tackling grade is his fifth straight such mark above 75.0, and that sure tackling goes a long way in Green Bay. The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner playing very good football well into their 30s on recently signed contracts of their own. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. Pratt didnt miss many tackles as a run defender, either, whiffing on just 5.9% of opportunities after three straight seasons above 10% to start his career. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. Van Noy also has the complicating factor of being one of the multiple linebackers who only seems to function at a high level within the New England Patriots defense. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. Now, it remains to be seen if Campbell can replicate his 2021 campaign, but based off of how he played last year, Campbell deserves a place on this list. It's good news, then,. Elandon Roberts and Jerome Baker are average linebackers who have just one 70.0-plus season grade among their 10 combined years in the NFL. He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). To create this list, we took into consideration basic statistics, Pro Football Reference/Stathead's Approximate Value, PFF grades and a guess on how the player will perform moving forward. Some of the players in this group have been All-Pro caliber linebackers in the past, but Jones is coming off a PFF grade in the 30s after once looking like the next great young linebacker in the league. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay, Blake Martinez rebounded with a solid season in 2020 in New York before succumbing to injury early in the 2021 campaign. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean will be the talk of the class and likely the only two first-round linebacker prospects in 2022, but there's still a lot of talent at the position on Days 2 and 3 of the draft. His PFF run-defense grade over the last two seasons has been in the 30s, and last seasons 47.1 overall grade was the worst of his NFL career. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. San Francisco 49ers . 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). All Rights Reserved. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). That's because he's both a speedy 240 pounds and one of the best tacklers in the class, having missed only seven times on 138 career attempts. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). Some may think Wagner is too high on this list, and while he took a small step backwards in 2021, he's still one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. Al-Shaair is in line to get paid as a free agent after teammatesFred Warner and Dre Greenlawfind themselves among the 16 highest-paid off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. His 2021 campaign wasn't his best, but he seems like a player that's just going to get better, and someone who could end up becoming the next Lavonte David for the Bucs. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. Wagner gets a new opportunity on a new team with a lot more talent around him this season, so there is good reason to suspect that his grade might bounce back. Now that we're at the end of the 2021-22 NFL season, the free agency picture is coming into focus and teams are beginning to identify potential targets to improve their roster weaknesses. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. The 49ers applied the second-round restricted free agent tender at a price tag of $3.986 million to Al-Shaair for the 2022 season, perhaps illustrating that they feared he would get signed to an offer sheet elsewhere if they went with the right of first refusal tender. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . Now, Brown hits free agency coming off a career-low 421 snaps, though he still maintained a 60.0-plus coverage grade, which is where he derives a lot of his value as an off-ball linebacker. 88 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Kendricks is one of the games best coverage linebackers, able to consistently squeeze throwing lanes and make plays on the ball once its in the air. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. Let's have a look at them. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. Jack had hovered near 70.0 overall grades before a down 2021 season, and the Steelers will hope that those good years arent behind him. PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 2021 Snaps: 783 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89) Barr agreed to a pay cut before the 2021 season that also voided the 2022 and 2023 seasons on his five-year extension signed in 2019. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. Getting outside the . Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. His 170 combined takedowns ranked third among linebackers this past season. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Ranking 10 best NFL landing spots for Richardson, 2023 NFL combine: WR/TE winners and losers, Takeaways from NFL combine measurements for WR, TE, Pete Prisco's top 100 NFL free agents of 2023, NFL combine: Grading top QBs, plus winners and losers, NFL combine 2023 tracker: Top performances, highlights, Ranking the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022, NFL Combine: Grading top QBs; winners and losers, NFL Draft: Top landing spots for Richardson, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Colossal Richardson sets multiple QB combine records, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Barr agreed to a pay cut before the 2021 season that also voided the 2022 and 2023 seasons on his five-year extension signed in 2019. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed. For IDP fantasy football leagues, there is a ton of variance in preseason player rankings, but utilizing tiers can help us properly value each group of players in 2023 fantasy football drafts. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Linebackers with the most INT's in both man and zone coverage last season Man: Bobby Okereke (2) Zone: Darius Leonard (4) pic.twitter.com/RJ4JbjcbYx Hightower opted out of the 2020 season, and after a bit of a slow start getting reacclimated to the speed of the NFL game, he was back to his old self for stretches of the 2021 season. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. Pro Football Focus supported claims of San Francisco's top-end roster by putting seven of their players in the top 101 of the 2022 season. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. Davids 72.3 overall PFF grade is the lowest mark he has posted in a single season since 2016, and Wagners 71.8 was his lowest since 2015. If the Cardinals had spent those picks elsewhere and held on to Jordan Hicks in free agency, they would be in a much better spot. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. Roquan Smith has had an up-and-down NFL career so far, and the team will be hoping he can bounce back from a 47.1 grade last season. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. San Francisco 49ers Projected Starters: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa The 49ers breed defensive linemen. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. Leonard was a beast in stopping the run, as his 91.1 PFF run defense grade was second among all defenders in 2021 -- not just linebackers. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. Leighton Vander Esch has not lived up to the hype he created for himself after a monstrous rookie season, and so we may see another linebacker eventually fill in for him. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . He was All-Pro just one year ago, and has been a leader for this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense since the days when the franchise was going 2-14. Alabama linebacker Christian Harris is the last player in PFF's top 100, with a plus 60 overall, pass rush, and run defense grade but just above 50 for his coverage grade. His past two years against the run have been horrid, with him posting 39.8 and 30.0 run-defense grades. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. He missed just two tackles in coverage and allowed only four explosive receptions. In 2021, Davis was given a career-high AV of 15 while again being named an All-Pro after he recorded 105 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. He was. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. More Stats. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. This is likely a polarizing selection. Still one of the more underrated players in the league, Demario Davis has been the heartbeat of one of the league's best defenses over the past five seasons. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Those traits have allowed him to make a lot of tackles, but tackles are not always good plays for linebackers if they come after a big gain on the ground or because they were out of position in coverage. 6 in the NFL in sacks and No. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. Even, Parsons is already one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL as he enters just his second season in the league, but its difficult to rank him purely as an off-the-ball linebacker. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) reacts after a play against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. You dont want to line him up against an opposing receiving weapon in a one-on-one, but he demonstrated better recognition of route patterns and improved as a zone coverage backer. Teams could do a lot worse than White if they are looking for a solid weakside linebacker who has the speed to stay with pass-catchers in coverage for the most part. He was arguably the best player on the best college defense of all time but slipped into the third round of the draft with some potential medical red flags. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. Perryman has been the embodiment of that in his NFL career, to the point where he was often kept off the field on passing downs. For the purposes of these rankings, we are looking only at true off-ball linebackers, as 3-4 outside linebackers though designated as linebackers are in truth edge rushers. Just 25, he's on his way. Then there's the added bonus of playing behind Aaron Donald, who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. What a find he was for the Packers last year. Like the Chiefs, the Bengals also went into last season with a lot of unknowns surrounding the linebacker position but found a really good pair in Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt. Harris is one of the most physical linebackers in the class who relishes the ability to hit anyone on the other side of the ball. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . 2021 Snaps: 712 That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. Adam Holt. "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . Perhaps most importantly in todays NFL, Tranquill followed up his 74.6 coverage grade in 2021 with a career-high 75.4 mark, with his 18 stops in coverage a top-20 figure among off-ball linebackers. Campbell was one of the big surprises of the 2021 NFL season, as he stepped his game up in a major way for the Green Bay Packers. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. With the new league year just around the corner, it's time for all 32 NFL teams to turn their attention to NFL free agency in a bid to improve their rosters for a new campaign. Anthony Brown is an okay slot and Kelvin Joseph was actually the highest rated CB. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and Lee Smith (don't hate on the importance of the old school tight end) will no longer be suiting up for the team in 2022. . Still, its an interesting group because of Ernest Jones, especially after his very good Super Bowl performance as he came back from an injury-plagued season. Cunningham is one of the most run-focused linebackers in the game, but his PFF coverage grade has declined throughout his career, dripping from average at best to outright poor over the last two seasons. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. 8 in total pressures. Even Micah Parsons a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as a rookie put up middling run-defense and tackling grades in his first year in Dallas. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. Final Season Stats. The main contributors to a linebackers IDP success are the volume of defensive snaps combined with playing in zone-heavy defenses, which rack up tackles more efficiently. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. He set career highs across the board, notching 146 combined tackles, six QB hits and two interceptions. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. Hes expected to return for Dallas playoff run after a shoulder injury knocked him out down the stretch, which will provide a big boost to the ferocious Cowboys defense. 3 Rams make PFF's top 101 players of 2022 Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West Broncos Chargers. Edwards has shown that as much as linebacker is one of the most athletic-traits-driven positions in football, prospects with marginal physical tools can still become solid NFL starters. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 We have already seen that play from Smith in Chicago, but the decline of the defense around him and perhaps more importantly directly in front of him has led to a decline in his play. Philadelphia brought Edwards back in 2022 on a one-year, $2.15 million deal at a position they have all but refused to invest in with top draft capital or free-agent dollars in many years, but Edwards may put the Eagles positional value to the test this offseason if they want to keep him around. There's no way he was going to get better, right? The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. 2021 Snaps: 717 He is set to play next to Anthony Walker, who is a solid if unspectacular player. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. According to PFF, T.J. Edwards was the 10 th-ranked linebacker in 2021 but is still unproven and only has started 30 games in the NFL. Over the past three seasons, his 19.8% pass-rush win rate and 23.8% pressure rate are both the second-best marks among off-ball linebackers with at least 100 pass-rush snaps over the span. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. His 18 quarterback pressures ranked fourth among off-ball linebackers, as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick continued to deploy the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder all over the place in his constantly evolving defense. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Edwards was one of just four linebackers to earn grades above 75.0 in run defense and coverage, generating 11 quarterback pressures on just 26 pass-rush snaps, as well. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. 1. Over the past three seasons, his 19.8% pass-rush win rate and 23.8% pressure rate are both the second-best marks among off-ball linebackers with at least 100 pass-rush snaps over the span.