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 . The six players in the 1A tier figure to be the favorites to post the highest tackle numbers in the league based on their expected role in their defenses. Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . 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. No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. 2021 Snaps: 717 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. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. 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. Van Noy also has the complicating factor of being one of the multiple linebackers who only seems to function at a high level within the New England Patriots defense. It's good news, then,. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. 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. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. 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. 3 min read. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (22nd of 89). This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. 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. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. 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. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. 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 Seattle Seahawks in 2015. 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. 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. 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. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 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. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. 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?. Although Parsons didn't walk away from the 2022 season with hardware to show off for his accomplishments in 2022 the way he did in his rookie season in 2021, Parsons continues to . 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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. For the purposes of these rankings, we are looking only at true off-ball linebackers, as 3-4 outside linebackers though designated as linebackers are in truth edge rushers. 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. Subscribe to Sign Up 1. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Still, the. His PFF grade of 77.9 ranked eighth last year among linebackers, and he once again showed he's a well-rounded linebacker that doesn't get the kind of credit he deserves. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. 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. For the purposes of these rankings, we are looking only at true off-ball linebackers, as 3-4 outside linebackers though designated as linebackers are in truth edge rushers. 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. Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 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. 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. 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. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. In Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have had a superb all-around linebacker for years. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. 2021 Snaps: 712 Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . 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. That 42.0 mark was his first time dropping below 70.0 since 2015. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. His past two years against the run have been horrid, with him posting 39.8 and 30.0 run-defense grades. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 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). He might not even start this season. But in a vacuum, Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. 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. 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. 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. That flexibility is tremendously valuable to the Dallas defense, but Parsons could take his game to another level if he shows development off the ball in Year 2. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports 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 second linebacker tier features 17 linebackers on teams that are expected to be less zone-heavy than those in the tier above. The Packers long searching for a reliable off-ball linebacker brought Campbell aboard on a one-year, $2 million contract, and his 86.7 overall grade was second among linebackers through Week 8 while his 90.7 run-defense grade ranked first, leading to a Pro Bowl nod. 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. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. 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. 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. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. He was. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 2021 Snaps: 987 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. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. All Rights Reserved. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. We thought about if Parsons should even be included in this list since he played a fair amount of pass-rusher last season, but the bottom line is that Parsons is a great linebacker who can wear several different hats on defense. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. What a find he was for the Packers last year. He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. 10 among linebackers last year. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? Getting outside the . 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. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Linebacker Rankings 2022 NFL Draft Home Positions LB ALL QUARTERBACK RUNNING BACK WIDE RECEIVER TIGHT END OFFENSIVE LINE DEFENSIVE LINE EDGE LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK #1 RANKED - SCOUTING REPORT 17 Nakobe Dean POSITION RANK #1 OUR RATING 90.4 ILB All Scouts Average Overall Rank 20.8 All Scouts Average Position Rank 2 Height Feet 6-0 Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro DeVondre Campbell back for another season in the same defense he broke out with. Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. 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. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. 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. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Campbell is a one-year wonder at the moment, but that year was All-Pro caliber and the most recent thing we have seen from him. 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. Devin Bush has not lived up to his draft status as a first-round pick, and 2022 might be his last chance to prove himself at the NFL level. Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports (Dean); Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports (Ojabo) 1. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. 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. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. 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. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. 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. 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. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from, Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker, The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 1. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. 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. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. His 2021 campaign wasn't his best, but he seems like a player that's just going to get better, and someone who could end up becoming the next Lavonte David for the Bucs. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . 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. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Philadelphia brought Edwards back in 2022 on a one-year, $2.15 million deal at a position they have all but refused to invest in with top draft capital or free-agent dollars in many years, but Edwards may put the Eagles positional value to the test this offseason if they want to keep him around. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 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. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. . 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. may surprise some based on his age. 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. 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. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. 2021 Snaps: 323 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. 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. He is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. 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. 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. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. 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. Therefore, they are included in our. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Smith is a complete athletic projection. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. He missed just two tackles in coverage and allowed only four explosive receptions. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. The Vikings also brought in the underrated Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in free agency. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. Another player without elite physical tools, Jewell reads the game very quickly and is consistently in the right place at the right time against the run. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs the ball against Green Bay Packers inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (59) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. 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. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues.