Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). 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. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. 2021 Snaps: 717 2021 Snaps: 82 Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. 4. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. PFF names 7 Ohio State players as top 10 returning at their position For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 5 overall pick recorded 128 combined tackles, a career-high 18 QB hits in 2021 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection this past season. Still one of the more underrated players in the league, This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. 2021 Snaps: 679 Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. White landed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $3 million flier last offseason after his market didnt pan out too well. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. This means zone-heavy coverages and, more specifically, a Cover-2 heavy scheme, which proves to be the most effective coverage at propping up linebacker tackle numbers (as illustrated below). 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. February 24, 2023 7:45 am CT. A couple of New Orleans Saints standouts were recognized on the list of the top 101 NFL players of the 2022 season from Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. After missing most of the regular season, Dre Greenlaw came back for the end of the regular season and playoffs to form the perfect linebacker tandem with Warner. Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking Best Cornerbacks in the NFL 2022: Rookie Sauce - Pro Football Network He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. PFF ranks college football's Top 10 linebacker candidates for the - On3 Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. Nevertheless, there were several interested teams last time he was a free agent he came very close to signing with theNew York Jetsbefore ultimately returning to Minnesota so it seems defensive coaches think they can find a way to put him in positions to succeed and utilize his athletic ability. 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. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. The following tiers reflect which players are in the best situations to produce they're ranked based on the likelihood of doing so every single week. If he can play more consistently week to week, teams may view him as a low-risk, high-reward option in a weak linebacker class. His 913 snaps for the Raiders last season was a career-high mark and more than doubled his previous best. NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players in an effort to defeat them during the year and perhaps sign them in the offseason. Linebacker Rankings: The 32 best LBs entering the 2021 NFL season - PFF 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. However, he earned an additional $500,000 in incentives along with a trip to the Super Bowl, so it couldve been worse, all things considered. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Let's have a look at them. LB Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today Here are the top 10 linebackers scheduled to become free agents in March. In 2022, he boasted a pass . Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Linebackers By Michael Renner Apr 22, 2022 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. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. Best Linebackers in the NFL 2022: Fred Warner, Bobby Wagner and Demario The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Barr is a bit of a unique player, generally deployed as a Sam linebacker in a 4-3 scheme who occasionally gets his hand in the dirt. Lloyd can take on blocks, blitz and cover tight ends at a high level, which is why he earned a 90.2 grade this year with above-average grades in every facet. Galina ranked the Colts at No. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 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. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie Nakobe Dean and veteran Kyzir White to pair alongside T.J. Edwards, who had a breakout 2021 season. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. Edwards has posted 75.0 grades or better in two of his three NFL seasons and is one of the more underrated players in the league. 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. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Gay hasnt graded as well but possesses the characteristics to become a top linebacker. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker Shaquille Leonard, with his 72.9 grade ranking 23rd at the position. Meanwhile, David will have to get it there himself, given that the Bucs defense wasnt exactly bereft of talent last season. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. The strongest players are experts at open-field takedowns and make it hard for quarterbacks to feel comfortable throwing toward the middle of the field. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. No. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from, Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker, The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following. Muma was one of the most productive defenders in all of college football in 2021, generating 68 total defensive stops, three picks and 21 pressures for the Cowboys. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker group ranked as 9th-best in NFL by PFF Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans. Vander Eschs 70.8 grade is his best since his rookie season in 2018, and he also set career highs in missed tackle rate (6.5%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.49). There's no way he was going to get better, right? After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. PFFs Fantasy Strength of Schedule (SoS) metric provides a league-wide, season-long view of opponent matchups for each fantasy position. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 Vander Esch quietly played some good football in 2022 after signing a one-year flier to return to the Cowboys following a free agency period that didnt pan out as hed hoped. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. 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. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. With that being said, Warner is still an elite linebacker and has recorded at least 118 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons. 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. The Saints had been looking for someone to play the linebacker position opposite him for years and seem to have found one in Pete Werner, who was outstanding as a rookie in 2021. 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. He recorded 122 combined tackles, four interceptions and a whopping eight forced fumbles, which led the league. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. 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. Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Here are PFF's top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 NFL season. 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season - Wikipedia Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. With Smith entering the final year of his rookie deal, Spotrac believes he's in line to sign a five-year, $88.18 million extension. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 1. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. 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. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. 2021 Snaps: 979 He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. By Marc. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. Bentley improved considerably in his second season as a full-time player, as his 68.1 overall grade was almost 15 points better than his 2020 overall grade. 2022 NFL Draft prospects: Ranking top inside linebackers in this year's PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. Drue Tranquill. The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Linebackers - PFF Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. Two former Tigers lower on this list of NFL's best receivers Since 2020, the Colts linebacker has twice the number of forced fumbles of any other off-ball linebacker, and he has four interceptions and eight pass breakups over that time. Adam Holt. Login or Register Projections: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DEF | DL | LB | DB Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked on PFF's 2023 NFL draft big board? Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. He didn't end the 2021 campaign in the best fashion, but did rebound to record 13 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, four QB hits and two passes defensed in Tampa Bay's two postseason games. Parsons lined up as an edge rusher on 40.6% of his snaps as a rookie, and thats where he did the bulk of his damage. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. 8 in total pressures. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. 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. NFL's top 10 linebackers in 2022 - sportskeeda.com 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. ECR VS. ADP. It's funny how taking a "small step backwards" for Wagner is being a second-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowler and setting a career high in tackles even while missing a game. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 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. 2020 PFF draft position rankings: Linebackers 3 Rams make PFF's top 101 players of 2022 - autos.yahoo.com Jewell is the other Denver off-ball linebacker who missed the majority of the 2021 season with a torn pectoral muscle, but hes three years younger than Johnson. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . 16 at his position by PFF Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. Yes, Davis was a late-bloomer, but not many players can make the impact he does in stopping the run, tackling, rushing the passer and working in coverage. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. 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.