14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. He had been one of the more consistent players at the position in the NFL, and so theres a chance he regains his form. 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. The following tiers reflect which players are in the best situations to produce they're ranked based on the likelihood of doing so every single week. 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). 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. 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. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. 6 defense in the league last year, and Smith was a big reason why. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. 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. despite dropping into coverage at times. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, he has legit NFL size and athleticism. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Please try again later. His 913 snaps for the Raiders last season was a career-high mark and more than doubled his previous best. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. 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. 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. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. 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. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. 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 Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Linebackers By Michael Renner Apr 22, 2022 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. 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. 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. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). 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. ECR VS. ADP. 8:44 am ET. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. 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. This is likely a polarizing selection. 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. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. 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. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. 2021 Snaps: 717 The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two 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. 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 the Cardinals had spent those picks elsewhere and held on to Jordan Hicks in free agency, they would be in a much better spot. 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. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. 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. David Long, meanwhile, was playing at a solid level before an injury forced him to miss most of the second half of the 2021 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. 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 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. 10. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 2021 Snaps: 987 The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. 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. 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. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. White landed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $3 million flier last offseason after his market didnt pan out too well. He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. 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. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. 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 . 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. Okereke was particularly stout against the run, with his 13 defensive stops against the run tied for the 13th most. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. 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. 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. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. Smith is a complete athletic projection. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 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. Galina ranked the Colts at No. 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. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. San Francisco 49ers Projected Starters: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa The 49ers breed defensive linemen. 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. 4. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. 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. 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. The Penn State product ranked No. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. New: Draft Mode! Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 In Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have had a superb all-around linebacker for years. Micah Parsons this season: 0 TDs allowed in coverage (284 snaps) 88.7 PFF Grade (1st among all LBs) 93.0 pass-rushing grade (Best in NFL) pic.twitter.com/Lq7G9IVzuU. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . 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. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. Defensively, the attrition was less significant; however, one of the unit's leaders did leave in free agency Foye Oluokun. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). 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. 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. 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. He was. More Stats. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. His 94.1 run defense grade wasn't too far behindMicah Parsons (94.8) PFF college record. 1. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. 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. 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. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. 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. s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports (Dean); Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports (Ojabo) 1. 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. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. may surprise some based on his age. And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. 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. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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 Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . Here are PFF's top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 NFL season. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . Now its just a matter of how nice itll be.

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