Parsons actually finished No. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. He has not graded above 70.0 since. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. 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. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. 10 among linebackers last year. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. ECR VS. ADP. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. 1 as Bobby They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Hes earned himself a nice raise. The Penn State product ranked No. That's still a very good grade, but there should be concerns about his age and a potential decline going forward. 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. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. PFF ranks Ravens linebackers No. 17 - Baltimore Beatdown He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. NFL Draft 2022: Best Available Players For Day 2 . 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. He is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. 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, A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie, The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . 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. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. . Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. The Steelers brought in former Jaguar Myles Jack to play alongside him. Now its just a matter of how nice itll be. Projected contract: Two years, $18 million ($9M per year, $11.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 55 Hes expected to return for Dallas playoff run after a shoulder injury knocked him out down the stretch, which will provide a big boost to the ferocious Cowboys defense. 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. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 5 overall pick recorded 128 combined tackles, a career-high 18 QB hits in 2021 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection this past season. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today 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. Gay hasnt graded as well but possesses the characteristics to become a top linebacker. PFF's top 101 NFL players has top five ranking for former Nittany Lion 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. 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. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 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. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. 3 linebackers Seahawks should . He might not even start this season. 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. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . 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. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. 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. Jaguars linebacker corps doesn't fare well in PFF ranking - Black and Teal 2021 Snaps: 679 But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. PFF Ranks Lions' 2022 Draft Class 3rd Best Within NFL | Heavy.com PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. 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. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. One of the most underrated linebackers of the past several years, Demario Davis' late-career emergence as an elite LB has been fun to watch. White backed up his first season as a starter in 2021 with another solid campaign in 2022, earning grades of at least 62.0 against the run and in coverage. Vander Esch quietly played some good football in 2022 after signing a one-year flier to return to the Cowboys following a free agency period that didnt pan out as hed hoped. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. [PFF] 2022 NFL secondary rankings: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay - reddit Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. LB Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. NFL Linebacker Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer: Tight Ends (2023 Fantasy Football) I also gave a target round for your rookie drafts, these are just suggestions as all drafts are different. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. Therefore, they are included in our. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. 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. Davids 88.5 coverage grade this season ranked second among off-ball linebackers, and his elite 93.0 mark over the past four seasons is the top mark at the position. He subsequently graded out to 76.5 in his first season. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. 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. 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. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner in free agency this offseason, but Wagner seemed to be on the downslope of his career. 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. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-linebackers-entering-2022-new-no-1-as-bobby-wagner-finally-dethroned | sport: football | route: article_single.us | In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. 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. February 24, 2023 7:45 am CT. A couple of New Orleans Saints standouts were recognized on the list of the top 101 NFL players of the 2022 season from Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. White landed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $3 million flier last offseason after his market didnt pan out too well. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Please try again later. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. 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. 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. 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. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. NFL Linebacker Rankings for 2022 - AthlonSports.com Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season - Wikipedia All Rights Reserved. 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. NFL free agents 2023: Ranking top 10 linebackers Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 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. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. 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. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. This is likely a polarizing selection. What a find he was for the Packers last year. 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. Since 2020, the Colts linebacker has twice the number of forced fumbles of any other off-ball linebacker, and he has four interceptions and eight pass breakups over that time. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. In 2022, he boasted a pass . Adam Holt. 2021 Snaps: 783 Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . 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. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. 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. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. No. Linebacker Rankings 2022 NFL Draft He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. 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. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Sam Monson of PFF recently ranked the top linebackers in the NFL and organized them in tiers. 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. This past offseason,San Francisco 49erslinebackerFred Warnerand subsequentlyIndianapolis ColtslinebackerDarius Leonardreset the market at the position just under $20 million per year after years of stagnation. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. 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. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. 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. Falcons linebacker core ranked dead last by PFF Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. 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. Chiefs' young linebacker unit breaks into top 10 in PFF rankings Edmunds also missed just 6.5% of potential tackles, the lowest rate of his career and another huge sign of continued growth from a football intelligence and play recognition standpoint. 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). 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. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. 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. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. Next to him is the underrated Josh Bynes, who returned to Baltimore in 2021 after one season in Cincinnati. 3 Rams make PFF's top 101 players of 2022 Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. That 42.0 mark was his first time dropping below 70.0 since 2015. The 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season, was the 70th season of college football played for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). 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. 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. Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. 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. 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. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the - PFF 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. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. 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. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. 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. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. Harris is one of the most physical linebackers in the class who relishes the ability to hit anyone on the other side of the ball. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. While Chicago lost Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mackin the offseason, this unit could be rather strong again with some of the additions made in the secondary, and with the defensive-minded Matt Eberflus taking over as head coach. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 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. 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. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 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. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. 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. 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. 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. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 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. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. 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. 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 23 in 2021. 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. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. 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. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. Pundit Says Ravens Are 'Perfect Spot' for Yesterday's Combine Standout He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. Galina ranked the Colts at No. 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 . Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker group ranked as 9th-best in NFL by PFF Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. 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. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. Titans' LB duo lands smack-dab in the middle of PFF's rankings