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12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. Hes earned himself a nice raise. 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. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. 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. 8 in total pressures. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. AVG. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. 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. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. 1 on our list. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the top spot, Seattle Seahawks crack the top 10 Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) lines up over Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers (71) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. The Packers long searching for a reliable off-ball linebacker brought Campbell aboard on a one-year, $2 million contract, and his 86.7 overall grade was second among linebackers through Week 8 while his 90.7 run-defense grade ranked first, leading to a Pro Bowl nod. Nevertheless, he is clearly an ascending young player contributing immensely to Tennessees defense that finished first in expected points added per rush allowed on the season. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. 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. 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. David also graded out as the No. Adam Holt. s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. 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. While Chicago lost Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mackin the offseason, this unit could be rather strong again with some of the additions made in the secondary, and with the defensive-minded Matt Eberflus taking over as head coach. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. 2021 Snaps: 82 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Darius Leonard (53) reacts to a play in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. The PFF grades aren't always right on point, but they do serve as a generally effective tool for comparisons . One can make the case that both Wagner and David are still as good as it gets at the linebacker position despite getting up there in age, but each player is coming off a relative down year by their standards, which always brings up the looming specter of decline. 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. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. In 2019 and 2021 with the Ravens, he graded out to 80.0 and 74.8, respectively. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. The six players in the 1A tier figure to be the favorites to post the highest tackle numbers in the league based on their expected role in their defenses. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Some of it is because he's been a little bit dependent on good play from the defensive line in front of him, but a good deal of it has been his ability to more . 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. 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. While Mike Zimmer is gone, new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is an experienced coach who can get the most out of Kendricks and this defense as a whole. 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. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. The Penn State product ranked No. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. 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. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. The former third-round pick still has room to grow as a coverage player, but at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he moves well enough in space to not be a liability in coverage. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. He also has 30 quarterback pressures over 135 pass-rush snaps the past three seasons and took a quantum leap in coverage in 2022 en route to a 73.0 grade. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. 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. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Darius Leonard (53) reacts to a play in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Singleton has had quite the career path to this point, finally reaching unrestricted free agency ahead of the 2023 season after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent of the, in 2015. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 2021 Snaps:444 Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. 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. The 12th. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. 1. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. 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. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. 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. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 The Steelers brought in former Jaguar Myles Jack to play alongside him. He has not graded above 70.0 since. 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. 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. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. 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. Seahawks only have one player in PFF's top-40 graded edge defenders Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC. 10 among linebackers last year. Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. 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. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. 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. 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. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. Although Parsons didn't walk away from the 2022 season with hardware to show off for his accomplishments in 2022 the way he did in his rookie season in 2021, Parsons continues to . This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. 2021 Snaps: 679 Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. The second linebacker tier features 17 linebackers on teams that are expected to be less zone-heavy than those in the tier above. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. It was his first season missing fewer than 10% of his tackle opportunities, and he put up an 86.8 overall grade with seven tackles and two defensive stops during a strong playoff run. After missing most of the regular season. In 2022, he boasted a pass . 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie Christian Harris, who managed 34 run stops at Alabama in 2021 (tied for 36th among 374 qualifying FBS linebackers). He's a Hall of Famer, no doubt, but the reason he's so high on this list is because he's not done just yet. 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. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. He also made the absolute most of the occasional blitz, tallying 15 pressures, five sacks and three more quarterback hits on 70 pass-rush snaps. Getting outside the . After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. 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. Still, the. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. In 10 seasons, he has been named an All-Pro eight times, made the Pro Bowl eight times and led the NFL in tackles twice. 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. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro DeVondre Campbell back for another season in the same defense he broke out with. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. It's good news, then,. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks Seattle's defense may have deteriorated around him, but Bobby Wagner remains the class of the linebacker position, especially since Luke Kuechly 's retirement. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? . 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022. What a find he was for the Packers last year. 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. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. 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. Micah Parsons this season: 0 TDs allowed in coverage (284 snaps) 88.7 PFF Grade (1st among all LBs) 93.0 pass-rushing grade (Best in NFL) pic.twitter.com/Lq7G9IVzuU. 2021 Snaps: 712 He had been one of the more consistent players at the position in the NFL, and so theres a chance he regains his form. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking By Site Staff follow Feb 23, 2023 at 12:56 PM -- shares Seven San Francisco 49ers landed on Pro Football Focus' Top 101 Players. Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Las Vegas brings in Jayon Brown from the Titans to play alongside Denzel Perryman. Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 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. Edmunds made huge strides in coverage in 2022, a major weakness in his game through his first four seasons. 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. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. . Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. 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. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. The 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season, was the 70th season of college football played for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). No. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. 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. The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. 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. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. 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). This is likely a polarizing selection. 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. The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . 2021 Snaps: 987 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. James Bradberry (74.1) 2022 PFF Grade 20th ranked Darius Slay (73.1) 2022 PFF Grade 25th ranked Avonte Maddox (71.3) 2022 PFF Grade 33rd ranked Josiah Scott (58.4) 2022 PFF Grade. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. 3 min read. 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. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . Amid replacement-level cornerback and safety play at times, Warner's gravitas over the middle of the field allowed the team to play a high percentage of zone coverage to protect its outside cornerbacks. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner in free agency this offseason, but Wagner seemed to be on the downslope of his career. Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. 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. Here are the top 10 linebackers scheduled to become free agents in March. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. In Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have had a superb all-around linebacker for years. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Murray surrendered a near-perfect passer rating into his coverage in 2021, allowing 14 catches on 15 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). Cody Barton is another interesting player who will finally get a chance to start this season. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level.