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. Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 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. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. 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. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. PFF's top 101 NFL players has top five ranking for former Nittany Lion 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 He was not as good a coverage or run-stopping linebacker as he was as a pass rusher, but his talent makes you think he will figure it out shortly. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. 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 . Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. 2023 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Linebacker - pff.com LB Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today 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. 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. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. . Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. Anthony Brown is an okay slot and Kelvin Joseph was actually the highest rated CB. Ranking 10 best NFL landing spots for Richardson, 2023 NFL combine: WR/TE winners and losers, Takeaways from NFL combine measurements for WR, TE, Pete Prisco's top 100 NFL free agents of 2023, NFL combine: Grading top QBs, plus winners and losers, NFL combine 2023 tracker: Top performances, highlights, Ranking the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022, NFL Combine: Grading top QBs; winners and losers, NFL Draft: Top landing spots for Richardson, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Colossal Richardson sets multiple QB combine records, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. Therefore, they are included in our. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 88 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. 2021 Snaps: 82 PFF says the Eagles may have gotten the biggest steal of the 2022 NFL Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. 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). That's because he's both a speedy 240 pounds and one of the best tacklers in the class, having missed only seven times on 138 career attempts. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF He can chase down the fastest of running backs. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. But in a vacuum, Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. The former No. 2021 Snaps: 717 Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 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 rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the - PFF They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. Now its just a matter of how nice itll be. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. at 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. 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. 1 on our list. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. The Penn State product ranked No. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. The 30-year-old linebacker will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career after a delayed start to his NFL career, and now hell be working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle injury. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. 2021 Snaps:444 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. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. 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. Smith is a complete athletic projection. He is set to play next to Anthony Walker, who is a solid if unspectacular player. 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. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. 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. 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. PFF ranks Ravens linebackers No. 17 - Baltimore Beatdown Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Two former Tigers lower on this list of NFL's best receivers All Rights Reserved. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. 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. Just 25, he's on his way. There's no way he was going to get better, right? 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 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. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. 1. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. 6 defense in the league last year, and Smith was a big reason why. 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. "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked on PFF's 2023 NFL draft big board? The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. 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. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. 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. Parsons was the No. Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. 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. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. 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. Leighton Vander Esch has not lived up to the hype he created for himself after a monstrous rookie season, and so we may see another linebacker eventually fill in for him. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. NFL Linebacker Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Cody Barton is another interesting player who will finally get a chance to start this season. 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. 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. 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. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. 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. 4. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 16 at his position by PFF According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. 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. NFL's top 10 linebackers in 2022 - sportskeeda.com His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. 2022 NFL Draft prospects: Ranking top inside linebackers in this year's No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay, Blake Martinez rebounded with a solid season in 2020 in New York before succumbing to injury early in the 2021 campaign. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. He, perhaps critically, chose to stay in the defense that helped produce that phenomenal season, but we are all too aware of the folly of using just one season of play to determine everything we know about a player. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. 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. With all that said, let's jump in. PFF Ranks Lions' 2022 Draft Class 3rd Best Within NFL | Heavy.com PFF ranks 49ers Fred Warner as the top linebacker in the NFL PFF predicts Bears sign three top-50 NFL free agents . 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. Vander Esch has had an up and down first four years in the NFL, but the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2018 still flashes on occasion and will certainly draw attention. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. 2021 Snaps: 679 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today Login or Register Projections: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DEF | DL | LB | DB Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. 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. 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. 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. He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. 2021 Snaps: 979 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). 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). Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. 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. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah put together a great rookie season transitioning from more of an out-of-the-box linebacker at Notre Dame to an in-box linebacker.