Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers, Lavonte David is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 2021 Snaps: 783 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. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. David has been consistent, as only one linebacker has recorded more tackles since he entered the league, and that player is found later on in this list. 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. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. Edmunds 86.9 coverage grade in 2022 was the third-best mark among off-ball linebackers, and he forced an incompletion on 10.3% of targets into his coverage while allowing just four explosive receptions the entire season (0.9% of targets into his coverage, ninth among linebackers). 2021 Snaps: 323 4. PFF ranks 49ers Fred Warner as the top linebacker in the NFL According to PFF's Sam Monson, the 49ers have the best linebacker in the NFL and another top-20 player at the position. Anzalone has always shown promise but is probably better coming off the bench, especially after finishing with a bottom-10 overall grade among 94 qualifying linebackers in 2021. 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. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. He subsequently graded out to 76.5 in his first season. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. Still, in a league that continues to throw more and more, Bentley remains best-suited as an early-down run defender who can generate the occasional quarterback pressure. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. Singleton earned a career-best 82.6 run-defense grade that ranked eighth among off-ball linebackers, tallying more than 100 tackles for the second year in a row, with his two-year total of 212 ranking sixth among off-ball linebackers. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! 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. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 10. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Van Noy has now had stints in Detroit and Miami, but his good PFF grades are almost exclusively reserved for his time in the Patriots defense. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? 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. 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. Overall, White has had an incredible start to his career, as he's picked up All-Pro honors, a Pro Bowl bid and a Super Bowl ring in just three years. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. 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. What a find he was for the Packers last year. 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. 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. Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. Micah Parsons is one of the best young talents in the league, but he does split his time between off-ball linebacker and edge rusher, where he's at his best work. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. From Week 9 of 2020 through Jewells injury in Week 2 of this season, his 79.8 overall grade ranked fourth among off-ball linebackers and his 79.5 coverage grade ranked fifth. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. Here's why that is important: PFF's Fantasy Football Expected Points tool is primarily used for identifying potential over and undervalued players. Wilson showed in the playoffs that he could finally have answered a real problem area for the Cincinnati Bengals, showing up with multiple excellent PFF game grades and making plays in coverage. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. Editor's note: For up-to-the-minute updates based on everythingwerehearing around the NFL, go to PFF's free agency rankings, where you can sort by position, team needs, and more all offseason long. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. He went from having a one-year contract worth $2 million to signing a five-year deal that carries an AAV of $10 million! 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 In 2019 and 2021 with the Ravens, he graded out to 80.0 and 74.8, respectively. 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. Galina ranked the Colts at No. The former No. 23 in 2021. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. 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. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. He was good as a true linebacker, but his ability to play two different roles on any given snap made him special and provided a hybrid ability that caused problems for offenses. The PFF grades aren't always right on point, but they do serve as a generally effective tool for comparisons . White was a reliable presence at linebacker following the loss of 2020 first-rounderKenneth Murrayduring Weeks 4-9 and when Murray was battling injuries over Weeks 11-15. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Just 25, he's on his way. Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. The league may be trending ever more toward the passing game, but there is still a place in the NFL for linebackers who are excellent run defenders first and foremost. San Francisco 49ers Projected Starters: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa The 49ers breed defensive linemen. That's still a very good grade, but there should be concerns about his age and a potential decline going forward. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. Parsons was the No. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. 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. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Kendricks has long been one of the consistent middle linebackers in the league, and he stepped up his game in 2021 with a career-high 143 combined tackles, five sacks and two interceptions. . 1. . 70 & No.71 on PFF's Top-101 players for the 2022 NFL season. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. 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. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Projected contract: Two years, $14.5 million ($7.25M per year), $8.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 99 "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . After missing most of the regular season. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. Las Vegas brings in Jayon Brown from the Titans to play alongside Denzel Perryman. The Penn State product ranked No. Going back to our introductory paragraph, versatility is needed at the linebacker position, and his versatility is the reason why Parsons comes in at No. His first season in Green Bay produced an overall PFF grade of 85.0 and earned him a $50 million extension, but before that, Campbells PFF grades fell between 49.0 and 69.1 for two different teams. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. 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. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (22nd of 89). AVG. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Defensively, the attrition was less significant; however, one of the unit's leaders did leave in free agency Foye Oluokun. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. The 2022 season was Long's first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but he's made the most of opportunities in the past. 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. Please try again later. He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. Perryman was signed to a two-year, $6.085 million contract before the 2021 season and promptly traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before the first week of the campaign. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah put together a great rookie season transitioning from more of an out-of-the-box linebacker at Notre Dame to an in-box linebacker. 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. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). The 12th. 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. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. David Long, meanwhile, was playing at a solid level before an injury forced him to miss most of the second half of the 2021 season. 2021 Snaps: 679 Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). Although Wagner might be on the downswing of a great career, this unit could push for a top-five spot by the season's end if he rebounds after a poor 2021. Final Season Stats. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. Devin Bush has not lived up to his draft status as a first-round pick, and 2022 might be his last chance to prove himself at the NFL level. at And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. 2021 Snaps: 712 2021 Snaps:444 Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City.