However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. 2021 Snaps: 712 David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. Even Micah Parsons a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as a rookie put up middling run-defense and tackling grades in his first year in Dallas. 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. The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. Smith is a complete athletic projection. 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. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith should be the starters, with free agent signing Alex Singleton looking for snaps, as well. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. 2021 Snaps: 323 He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. 10 among linebackers last year. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 1 as Bobby Wagner finally dethroned Ranking the top 10 linebackers for the upcoming NFL season By Jordan Dajani Jun 28, 2022 at. Galina ranked the Colts at No. Still, in a league that continues to throw more and more, Bentley remains best-suited as an early-down run defender who can generate the occasional quarterback pressure. 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. 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. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. 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. Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. That hypothetical AAV of $17.6 million would make Smith the third highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 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. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. Here are the top 10 linebackers scheduled to become free agents in March. He recorded 122 combined tackles, four interceptions and a whopping eight forced fumbles, which led the league. 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. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. 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. Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. He is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. He was. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $14 million ($7M per year, $9 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 61 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. 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. 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. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. 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. 2021 Snaps: 783 Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. Getting outside the . Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. Jewell is the other Denver off-ball linebacker who missed the majority of the 2021 season with a torn pectoral muscle, but hes three years younger than Johnson. In May, Sam Monson of PFF ranked as the league's No.16 linebacker coming into the 2022 NFL season. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. 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?. Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 Aug 9, 2022. The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. Cunningham is one of the most run-focused linebackers in the game, but his PFF coverage grade has declined throughout his career, dripping from average at best to outright poor over the last two seasons. 2021 Snaps: 82 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). 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. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. 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. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. His PFF run-defense grade over the last two seasons has been in the 30s, and last seasons 47.1 overall grade was the worst of his NFL career. . 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). 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. No. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. 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. 2021 Snaps: 679 That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. 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). Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. 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. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. 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). 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 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. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). That 42.0 mark was his first time dropping below 70.0 since 2015. He might not even start this season. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-linebackers-entering-2022-new-no-1-as-bobby-wagner-finally-dethroned | sport: football | route: article_single.us | JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. Now its just a matter of how nice itll be. Across the three years prior to joining Green Bay, Campbell hadnt earned a grade higher than 56.6 in any season. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. 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. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. 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. 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. 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. Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons just wrapped up his second season in the NFL, and he continues to leave little doubt the Dallas Cowboys made the smart decision using a first-round draft pick on him. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. 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. 6 defense in the league last year, and Smith was a big reason why. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. However, Georgia wide receiver Kearis Jackson is not ranked in Pro Football Focus' NFL draft big board rankings. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers, Lavonte David is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. 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. He set career highs across the board, notching 146 combined tackles, six QB hits and two interceptions. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. 10. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. 3 linebackers Seahawks should . Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. White was a reliable presence at linebacker following the loss of 2020 first-rounderKenneth Murrayduring Weeks 4-9 and when Murray was battling injuries over Weeks 11-15. Edmunds made huge strides in coverage in 2022, a major weakness in his game through his first four seasons. 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. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. Murray surrendered a near-perfect passer rating into his coverage in 2021, allowing 14 catches on 15 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker Shaquille Leonard, with his 72.9 grade ranking 23rd at the position. Projected contract: Two years, $18 million ($9M per year, $11.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 55 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 .
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