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. Therefore, they are included in our. 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Pratt didnt miss many tackles as a run defender, either, whiffing on just 5.9% of opportunities after three straight seasons above 10% to start his career. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. 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. Subscribe to Sign Up 1. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. 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. 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. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. 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. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. 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. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. Barr is a bit of a unique player, generally deployed as a Sam linebacker in a 4-3 scheme who occasionally gets his hand in the dirt. 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. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. Login or Register Projections: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DEF | DL | LB | DB He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. 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. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. 8 in total pressures. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. 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. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. 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. 2021 Snaps: 979 The Penn State product ranked No. 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. Please try again later. He is set to play next to Anthony Walker, who is a solid if unspectacular player. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. 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. And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. 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. Sam Monson of PFF recently ranked the top linebackers in the NFL and organized them in tiers. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. 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. 8:44 am ET. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. 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. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). That hypothetical AAV of $17.6 million would make Smith the third highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. 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. 17 linebacker in the NFL going into 2022, placing him in the "young. 23 in 2021. Projected contract: Two years, $14.5 million ($7.25M per year), $8.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 99 However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). 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. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. No. The 49ers applied the second-round restricted free agent tender at a price tag of $3.986 million to Al-Shaair for the 2022 season, perhaps illustrating that they feared he would get signed to an offer sheet elsewhere if they went with the right of first refusal tender. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Defensively, the attrition was less significant; however, one of the unit's leaders did leave in free agency Foye Oluokun. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. 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 12th. 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. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. 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. 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 This is likely a polarizing selection. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). 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. 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. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. Next to him is the underrated Josh Bynes, who returned to Baltimore in 2021 after one season in Cincinnati. 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. 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. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. 2021 Snaps: 323 Leonard is another example of how hard it is to earn those elite PFF grades each season, but he is a turnover machine when he is at his best. 10. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. Getting outside the . He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. 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. Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. Thompson was back to his best in coverage this past season, posting a 74.5 PFF grade in that area, his best mark since his sophomore season. 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. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Clemson junior Trenton Simpson Simpson had a solid role as a freshman in 2020, totaling 28 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, in addition to a forced fumble. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 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. If you go back and watch him play throughout his rookie season, you'll not only see a talented pass-rusher, but a good linebacker that can read and react quickly. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. 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. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. 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. 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. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. . 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 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. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. Brown appeared to be on his way to a strong free agency in the 2021 offseason after three solid seasons as a starter, but he may have been an unfortunate victim of the salary cap drop, as he ultimately agreed to return to the Titans on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . 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. 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. 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. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. Long plays a downhill, attacking brand of football that helps him blow up a lot of plays but also makes him particularly susceptible to over-committing on play-action passes and missing tackles when he takes a poor pursuit angle. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Johnson got off to an unusually late start to his NFL career and has battled injuries, but he has been an excellent linebacker when he has been on the field. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. AVG. 1. 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. despite dropping into coverage at times. Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. He set career highs across the board, notching 146 combined tackles, six QB hits and two interceptions. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). Parsons actually finished No. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. 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. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. 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 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. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. . His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. His past two years against the run have been horrid, with him posting 39.8 and 30.0 run-defense grades. The Vikings also brought in the underrated Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in free agency. 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. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . While Bobby Okerekes grade has fluctuated over the years, Darius Leonard the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. Hightower will be 32 years old in Week 1 of 2022, but there's an argument that taking the 2020 season off has his body refreshed and revitalized. 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.