These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. This is likely a polarizing selection. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 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. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. 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. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. This past offseason,San Francisco 49erslinebackerFred Warnerand subsequentlyIndianapolis ColtslinebackerDarius Leonardreset the market at the position just under $20 million per year after years of stagnation. Smith is a complete athletic projection. 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. 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. With both Bengals starting safeties in Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell pending free agents, a big extension for wide receiver Tee Higgins likely in play and fellow off-ball linebacker Logan Wilson also eligible for an extension after the season, its possible Pratt hits the market even after a career year. 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 has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. 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. Adam Holt. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. Foyesade Oluokun was brought in from Atlanta, but there is certainly hope that the team's two rookie picks at the position, Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, can play early. The 30-year-old linebacker will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career after a delayed start to his NFL career, and now hell be working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle injury. The Tennessee Titans are set to sport a talented and exciting inside linebacker duo in 2022 with David Long and Zach Cunningham, but where do they rank as compared to others in the NFL?. 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. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . His 913 snaps for the Raiders last season was a career-high mark and more than doubled his previous best. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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. 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. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. 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. 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. 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. despite dropping into coverage at times. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this 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 Denver Broncos. 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. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. Drue Tranquill. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. 1 as Bobby Wagner finally dethroned Ranking the top 10 linebackers for the upcoming NFL season By Jordan Dajani Jun 28, 2022 at. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, he has legit NFL size and athleticism. 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. 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). for the folks who say Micah Parsons is an edgethere were four games where he played basically edge only because of injuries, and the rest of the games he was predominantly an off-ball linebackerMicah Parsons is a linebacker who can play edge defender pic.twitter.com/rcjJlM00MS. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. Okereke was particularly stout against the run, with his 13 defensive stops against the run tied for the 13th most. He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. 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. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . 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. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. 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. Just 25, he's on his way. 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. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. 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). He can chase down the fastest of running backs. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. 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. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. 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 even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). Parsons actually finished No. 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. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 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. Las Vegas brings in Jayon Brown from the Titans to play alongside Denzel Perryman. Oluokun leads the way for a very underwhelming free-agent class at off-ball linebacker, though his timing of reaching unrestricted free agency could work out nicely in his favor. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 2021 Snaps: 1,148 Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. 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. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Offensive Line | Quarterback | Backfield | Pass-Catcher | Secondary | Linebackers | Special Teams) 2022 NFL Defensive Line Rankings Below is every team ranked 1-32 by how their defensive line shapes up for 2022. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Now its just a matter of how nice itll be. Let's have a look at them. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. His 89.0 run-defense grade in 2022 ranked fourth at the position, with his 13 tackles for loss or no gain tied for 12th. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). 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. Across the three years prior to joining Green Bay, Campbell hadnt earned a grade higher than 56.6 in any season. 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. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. AVG. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. 2021 Snaps: 82 In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. What a find he was for the Packers last year. Edmunds also missed just 6.5% of potential tackles, the lowest rate of his career and another huge sign of continued growth from a football intelligence and play recognition standpoint. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. 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. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. 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. Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. 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. Anthony Brown is an okay slot and Kelvin Joseph was actually the highest rated CB. The Steelers brought in former Jaguar Myles Jack to play alongside him. 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. 6 in the NFL in sacks and No. 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. 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. In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. The 12th. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). 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. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. 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. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. Over the past decade, virtually every stage of the offensive evolution has increased stress on linebackers, putting them in a bind and asking them to account for multiple things on the same play. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. Kansas City Chiefs News Chiefs' young linebacker unit breaks into top 10 in PFF rankings The Chiefs' top two linebackers are 22 (Bolton) and 24 (Gay), yet Pro Football Focus finds the. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed. 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 packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. 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. 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. 70 & No.71 on PFF's Top-101 players for the 2022 NFL season. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). 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. 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. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. 2022 (146 FBS TEs, minimum 20 targets) Yards per route run: 25th; PFF receiving grade: 12th; YAC: 7th; 2021 (133 FBS TEs, minimum 20 targets) Yards per route run: 94th; PFF receiving grade: 111th . Age: 28. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 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. Getting outside the . Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 8 in total pressures. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. 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). A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). He was everything for the Green Bay defense, and while he might be the next linebacker to rejuvenate his career with a new team ( la Demario Davis), he very well could also be a one-hit wonder. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. 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. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. 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. 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. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. 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. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. Defensively, the attrition was less significant; however, one of the unit's leaders did leave in free agency Foye Oluokun. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 More Stats. The 1B tier has just as much going for them, with zone-heavy defenses, expected positive tackle efficiency and an every-down roles. The former No. 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. 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. 2021 Snaps: 717 Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. 1 on our list. 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. Hes earned himself a nice raise. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. 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. 2021 Snaps: 987 on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. 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. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. 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. 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, A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie, The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from. PFF themselves had the Cowboys 2021 secondary in the top 10. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. 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. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. . Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. 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. 2021 Snaps: 679 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. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. You are not logged in. 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. 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. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. 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. 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. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Patrick Surtain II has been quite literally living up to his name as an elite cornerback and has helped the Denver Broncos maintain their position as a top-tier defense even after trading away their star edge rusher. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings

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