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. The criteria for making the top tier of IDP linebackers is relatively simple: be an every-down linebacker and play in a linebacker-friendly defense that breeds above-average tackle efficiency for the 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. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-linebackers-entering-2022-new-no-1-as-bobby-wagner-finally-dethroned | sport: football | route: article_single.us | s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. 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. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . 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. 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. 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. 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?. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. 3 linebackers Seahawks should . After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. Best Linebackers in the NFL 2022: Fred Warner, Bobby Wagner and Demario 2023 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Linebacker - pff.com Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. PFF Ranks Lions' 2022 Draft Class 3rd Best Within NFL | Heavy.com 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. Linebacker Rankings: The 32 best LBs entering the 2021 NFL season - PFF Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Titans' David Long called a 'young ascending' LB in PFF's rankings 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. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. 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. 2022 NFL Draft prospects: Ranking top inside linebackers in this year's Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . 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. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. 10. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. PFF themselves had the Cowboys 2021 secondary in the top 10. 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). San Francisco 49ers . Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. NFL Linebacker Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com The PFF grades aren't always right on point, but they do serve as a generally effective tool for comparisons . 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. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. 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. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 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. 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. NFL 2022 Draft Positional Rankings: Linebackers By Jacob Wayne | Mar 30, 2022, 1:34pm #1: Devin Lloyd - Utah #2: Nakobe Dean - Georgia #3: Chad Muma - Wyoming #4: Leo Chenal - Wisconsin #5: Christian Harris - Alabama #6: Brian Asamoah - Oklahoma #7: Brandon Smith - Penn State #8: Channing Tindall - Georgia #9: Damone Clark - LSU NFL LB Position Grades | PFF Galina ranked the Colts at No. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). Aug 9, 2022. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. In 2022, he boasted a pass . He recorded 122 combined tackles, four interceptions and a whopping eight forced fumbles, which led the league. 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. He rarely leaves the field, having never played less than 90% of defensive snaps when healthy in a season, and is a lock for triple-digit tackles as a result. Those tools caused Edwards to go undrafted despite an excellent college career, and he had to fight his way into a starting job by excelling in the preseason and on special teams. 2021 Snaps: 679 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. 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. Eichenberg was a PFF first-team All-American this past season and is the most valuable returning linebacker according to PFF's wins above average metric. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. NFL Linebacker Rankings for 2022 - AthlonSports.com Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. 2021 Snaps: 783 Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. He has not graded above 70.0 since. 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. 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. PFF ranks Ravens linebackers No. 17 - Baltimore Beatdown Sam Monson of PFF recently ranked the top linebackers in the NFL and organized them in tiers. 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. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. Lavonte David has been one of the best linebackers in the league for almost a decade, whereas teammate Devin White has not graded above the 51.9 mark he attained as a rookie. 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). Next to him is the underrated Josh Bynes, who returned to Baltimore in 2021 after one season in Cincinnati. PFFs Fantasy Strength of Schedule (SoS) metric provides a league-wide, season-long view of opponent matchups for each fantasy position. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? While those grades arent poor, by any stretch, they are a notable step down from these players' excellent career baselines and some way short of their elite best. 1. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. 1 as Bobby Wagner finally dethroned Ranking the top 10 linebackers for the upcoming NFL season By Jordan Dajani Jun 28, 2022 at. The 12th. Parsons was the No. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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. 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. 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. 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 Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. PFF ranks college football's Top 10 linebacker candidates for the - On3 Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today All Rights Reserved. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. 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. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. 8:44 am ET. . Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. The 1B tier has just as much going for them, with zone-heavy defenses, expected positive tackle efficiency and an every-down roles. 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. . 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. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. 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. 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. Chiefs' Nick Bolton ranked in PFF's 'young ascending' linebacker tier No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. 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. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. 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. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 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. Seahawks only have one player in PFF's top-40 graded edge defenders 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. You are not logged in. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. 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. NFL free agents 2023: Ranking top 10 linebackers However, he will have to get better in coverage. Campbell recorded the second-highest PFF grade of any linebacker with an 85, and also was the second-highest graded linebacker in coverage with an 82.2. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. 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. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the - PFF Getting outside the . Pundit Says Ravens Are 'Perfect Spot' for Yesterday's Combine Standout 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. 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. 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). The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. 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. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. 1. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. 2020 PFF draft position rankings: Linebackers 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. 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 Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). [PFF] 2022 NFL secondary rankings: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay - reddit Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. Parsons actually finished No. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. 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. 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. 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. 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. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season 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. His 62 run stops over the last two seasons ranks ninth among off-ball linebackers, and his 18 tackles for loss or no gain is tied for 14th. 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. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. Friday Round-Up: Seahawks' Ryan Neal, Geno Smith Named To PFF Top-101 Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. 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. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Ranking Best NFL Defensive Linemen and Linebackers 2022 The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 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. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. 1 on our list. 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. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season - Wikipedia The Falcons defense has fallen apart around him, and he no longer has a free run to the football as often as he did when he was playing his best football. 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. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. 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. NFL Draft 2022: Best Available Players For Day 2 That's still a very good grade, but there should be concerns about his age and a potential decline going forward. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. Minnesota Vikings players on both sides of the ball, including Kendricks, have already opened up about the culture change they have felt early on this offseason with Kevin O'Connell. 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. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. He, perhaps critically, chose to stay in the defense that helped produce that phenomenal season, but we are all too aware of the folly of using just one season of play to determine everything we know about a player. 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. 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. Smith is a complete athletic projection. 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. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. 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. Two former Tigers lower on this list of NFL's best receivers Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. Best Cornerbacks in the NFL 2022: Rookie Sauce - Pro Football Network 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. Las Vegas brings in Jayon Brown from the Titans to play alongside Denzel Perryman. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker.
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