Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 16 at his position by PFF 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. 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. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. The 2022 season was Long's first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but he's made the most of opportunities in the past. To create this list, we took into consideration basic statistics, Pro Football Reference/Stathead's Approximate Value, PFF grades and a guess on how the player will perform moving forward. 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. may surprise some based on his age. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. NFL Linebacker Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. A quick thread on the most efficient coverage scheme for linebacker tackling since 2019, per @PFF: Cover-2 has allowed for >15% tackle efficiency for LBs since 2019 (average being 11-13%) acting as a true edge for #FFIDP leagues! "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. 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 . 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. Al-Shaair is in line to get paid as a free agent after teammatesFred Warner and Dre Greenlawfind themselves among the 16 highest-paid off-ball linebackers in the NFL. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. 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. 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. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the - PFF 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . PFF ranks 49ers Fred Warner as the top linebacker in the NFL According to PFF's Sam Monson, the 49ers have the best linebacker in the NFL and another top-20 player at the position. 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. 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. After missing most of the regular season, Dre Greenlaw came back for the end of the regular season and playoffs to form the perfect linebacker tandem with Warner. . 88 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Cody Barton is another interesting player who will finally get a chance to start this season. Now, it remains to be seen if Campbell can replicate his 2021 campaign, but based off of how he played last year, Campbell deserves a place on this list. 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. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. He has not graded above 70.0 since. at Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. He rarely leaves the field, having never played less than 90% of defensive snaps when healthy in a season, and is a lock for triple-digit tackles as a result. More Stats. Meanwhile, David will have to get it there himself, given that the Bucs defense wasnt exactly bereft of talent last season. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. Within 2021 and 2022's class, Detroit made use of the later rounds to nab names such as wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and edge James Houston. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . Parsons actually finished No. 2021 Snaps:444 2021 Snaps: 717 He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season - Wikipedia 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. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. That's still a very good grade, but there should be concerns about his age and a potential decline going forward. Milano has put up outstanding PFF grades in both coverage and against the run but has struggled to put it all together over one season. Pundit Says Ravens Are 'Perfect Spot' for Yesterday's Combine Standout In 2022, he boasted a pass . Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. He is set to play next to Anthony Walker, who is a solid if unspectacular player. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. 4. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. 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. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. He was. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . In 10 seasons, he has been named an All-Pro eight times, made the Pro Bowl eight times and led the NFL in tackles twice. Still one of the more underrated players in the league, Demario Davis has been the heartbeat of one of the league's best defenses over the past five seasons. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. 1. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. Adam Holt. 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. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Friday Round-Up: Seahawks' Ryan Neal, Geno Smith Named To PFF Top-101 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. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. That hypothetical AAV of $17.6 million would make Smith the third highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. 2021 Snaps: 82 Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players in an effort to defeat them during the year and perhaps sign them in the offseason. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. Falcons linebacker core ranked dead last by PFF 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. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. NFL 2022 Draft Positional Rankings: Linebackers - Sports Articles 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. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. Linebacker Rankings 2022 NFL Draft Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. 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. NFL's top 10 linebackers in 2022 - sportskeeda.com 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. 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 A pair of Saints defenders were selected for PFF's top 101 players of 2022 What a find he was for the Packers last year. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. 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. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 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. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 . Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. The strongest players are experts at open-field takedowns and make it hard for quarterbacks to feel comfortable throwing toward the middle of the field. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. PFF ranks college football's Top 10 linebacker candidates for the - On3 Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. 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. 2021 Snaps: 712 The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker group ranked as 9th-best in NFL by PFF Post-Draft IDP Rookie Linebacker Rankings for 2022 Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF Subscribe to Sign Up 1. 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. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner playing very good football well into their 30s on recently signed contracts of their own. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 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. 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. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . 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. 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. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. 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. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. 2022 Draft Linebacker Prospects: PFF Grades And Big Board Ranks Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. He was arguably the best player on the best college defense of all time but slipped into the third round of the draft with some potential medical red flags. White has had four straight seasons with coverage grades above 60.0, which is not an easy feat for an off-ball linebacker in todays NFL against so many hi-lo concepts and the increase in run-pass options putting a ton of stress on the position. Let's have a look at them. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. Chiefs' young linebacker unit breaks into top 10 in PFF rankings The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. How the 2022 Lions finished in each PFF grading category 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. 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. However, he will have to get better in coverage. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. 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. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. 6 defense in the league last year, and Smith was a big reason why. 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. NFL Defensive Line Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. 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. Best Cornerbacks in the NFL 2022: Rookie Sauce - Pro Football Network Getting outside the . 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. 2022 NFL Free Agency Rankings: Linebackers - PFF Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer: Tight Ends (2023 Fantasy Football)