The Georgia product was named second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021, and recorded a career-high 163 combined tackles last year -- which ranked fifth among all linebackers. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 Galina ranked the Colts at No. 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. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. Here are the best available players remaining heading into Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 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. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 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). 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. But in a vacuum, Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. 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 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. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. However, he will have to get better in coverage. 6 in the NFL in sacks and No. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. at 2021 Snaps: 979 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. Let's have a look at them. Seahawks rookie Ken Walker makes top 20 in PFF's RB grades for 2022 season Tim Weaver January 25, 2023 7:00 am PT Seahawks running back Ken Walker had a special rookie season, posting 1,050. Here are the top 10 linebackers scheduled to become free agents in March. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. With that being said, Warner is still an elite linebacker and has recorded at least 118 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. 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. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 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. Now, Brown hits free agency coming off a career-low 421 snaps, though he still maintained a 60.0-plus coverage grade, which is where he derives a lot of his value as an off-ball linebacker. 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. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. 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. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. One can make the case that both Wagner and David are still as good as it gets at the linebacker position despite getting up there in age, but each player is coming off a relative down year by their standards, which always brings up the looming specter of decline. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. 23 in 2021. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. 1. 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. San Francisco 49ers . his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. 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. The Vikings also brought in the underrated Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in free agency. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. It's good news, then,. White landed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $3 million flier last offseason after his market didnt pan out too well. 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. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. . Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. 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. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. . 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. 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. is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. 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. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. In Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have had a superb all-around linebacker for years. 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. 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 He was good as a true linebacker, but his ability to play two different roles on any given snap made him special and provided a hybrid ability that caused problems for offenses. 3 Rams make PFF's top 101 players of 2022 Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West Broncos Chargers. Just 25, he's on his way. 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. Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. The former No. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 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. The PFF grades aren't always right on point, but they do serve as a generally effective tool for comparisons . Projected contract: Two years, $18 million ($9M per year, $11.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 55 More Stats. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 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. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. 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. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. 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. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. I also gave a target round for your rookie drafts, these are just suggestions as all drafts are different. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! 2021 Snaps: 82 s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. The redshirt junior is a dominant run-stuffer, as his 49 run-defense stops in 2022 ranked second among all linebackers in the country while his 20 tackles for loss/no-gain were tied for third. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. 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. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. 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. 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. Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. Anthony Brown is an okay slot and Kelvin Joseph was actually the highest rated CB. His 170 combined takedowns ranked third among linebackers this past season. 8 in total pressures. 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. ECR VS. ADP. 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. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. The Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. 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. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. 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. Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. 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 Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? 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. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. It's funny how taking a "small step backwards" for Wagner is being a second-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowler and setting a career high in tackles even while missing a game. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. You must be logged in and create a league profile to apply custom fantasy scoring to the stats, projections and rankings pages. 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. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . 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. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. 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. He might not even start this season. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. 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. Some of it is because he's been a little bit dependent on good play from the defensive line in front of him, but a good deal of it has been his ability to more . 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. 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. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. may surprise some based on his age. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. 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. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. The second linebacker tier features 17 linebackers on teams that are expected to be less zone-heavy than those in the tier above. 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. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. 16 at his position by PFF Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. He missed just two tackles in coverage and allowed only four explosive receptions. 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. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). 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. Wagner is no longer with the Seattle Seahawks, signing with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Ramsthis offseason. 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. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. 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. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense.