Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. What a find he was for the Packers last year. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . 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. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. You are not logged in. His 62 run stops over the last two seasons ranks ninth among off-ball linebackers, and his 18 tackles for loss or no gain is tied for 14th. Projected contract: Two years, $14 million ($7M per year, $9 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 61 Anthony Brown is an okay slot and Kelvin Joseph was actually the highest rated CB. PFF ranked him as one of the 30 best players in the NFL last season, which he certainly was. 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. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 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. 23 in 2021. 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. 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). Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 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. 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. 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. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). This is likely a polarizing selection. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. 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 Pratt didnt miss many tackles as a run defender, either, whiffing on just 5.9% of opportunities after three straight seasons above 10% to start his career. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: San Francisco 49ers claim the top spot, Seattle Seahawks crack the top 10 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: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. Philadelphia brought Edwards back in 2022 on a one-year, $2.15 million deal at a position they have all but refused to invest in with top draft capital or free-agent dollars in many years, but Edwards may put the Eagles positional value to the test this offseason if they want to keep him around. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. 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 was particularly stout against the run, with his 13 defensive stops against the run tied for the 13th most. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 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. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. Next to him is the underrated Josh Bynes, who returned to Baltimore in 2021 after one season in Cincinnati. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 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. 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. No. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. 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. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. 88 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. 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. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Leonard was a beast in stopping the run, as his 91.1 PFF run defense grade was second among all defenders in 2021 -- not just linebackers. Vander Eschs 70.8 grade is his best since his rookie season in 2018, and he also set career highs in missed tackle rate (6.5%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.49). The entire schedule was released on January 31, 2022. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. The former third-round pick still has room to grow as a coverage player, but at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he moves well enough in space to not be a liability in coverage. 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. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . 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. 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. Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 1 on our list. However, he will have to get better in coverage. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. Murray surrendered a near-perfect passer rating into his coverage in 2021, allowing 14 catches on 15 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. 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. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. 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. Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 Some may think Wagner is too high on this list, and while he took a small step backwards in 2021, he's still one of the best linebackers in the NFL. 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. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. 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. He subsequently graded out to 76.5 in his first season. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 4. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. New: Draft Mode! Therefore, they are included in our. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. 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. 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. 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. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. Those traits have allowed him to make a lot of tackles, but tackles are not always good plays for linebackers if they come after a big gain on the ground or because they were out of position in coverage. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. Still, the. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. 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. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 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 | 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. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. Let's have a look at them. 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. He has not graded above 70.0 since. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. 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. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. By Marc. After missing most of the regular season. 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. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. 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. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. 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. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. 2021 Snaps: 979 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. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. 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. may surprise some based on his age. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. 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. Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. We thought about if Parsons should even be included in this list since he played a fair amount of pass-rusher last season, but the bottom line is that Parsons is a great linebacker who can wear several different hats on defense. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Offensive Line | Quarterback | Backfield | Pass-Catcher | Secondary | Linebackers | Special Teams) 2022 NFL Defensive Line Rankings Below is every team ranked 1-32 by how their defensive line shapes up for 2022. 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. 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. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $14.5 million ($7.25M per year), $8.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 99 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 2021 Snaps: 679 Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. There's no telling what he could be with more reps at the position. 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. Drue Tranquill. 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. Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports (Dean); Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports (Ojabo) 1. 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. 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. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. He might not even start this season. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. 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. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . 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. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. There's no way he was going to get better, right? 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. 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. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. 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. 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. 2021 Snaps: 82 2021 Snaps:444 Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. 17 linebacker in the NFL going into 2022, placing him in the "young. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. 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. His 94.1 run defense grade wasn't too far behindMicah Parsons (94.8) PFF college record. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. 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. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. 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. 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. 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. In 2022, he boasted a pass . The Falcons defense has fallen apart around him, and he no longer has a free run to the football as often as he did when he was playing his best football. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. Nevertheless, there were several interested teams last time he was a free agent he came very close to signing with theNew York Jetsbefore ultimately returning to Minnesota so it seems defensive coaches think they can find a way to put him in positions to succeed and utilize his athletic ability. 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. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. Here's why that is important: PFF's Fantasy Football Expected Points tool is primarily used for identifying potential over and undervalued players. Las Vegas brings in Jayon Brown from the Titans to play alongside Denzel Perryman. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. 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. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (22nd of 89). 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, in 2015. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. 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. And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. 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 Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt. 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. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. With both Bengals starting safeties in Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell pending free agents, a big extension for wide receiver Tee Higgins likely in play and fellow off-ball linebacker Logan Wilson also eligible for an extension after the season, its possible Pratt hits the market even after a career year. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No.