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. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. 88 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). Eichenberg was a PFF first-team All-American this past season and is the most valuable returning linebacker according to PFF's wins above average metric. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Anzalone has always shown promise but is probably better coming off the bench, especially after finishing with a bottom-10 overall grade among 94 qualifying linebackers in 2021. 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. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. The 12th. Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith should be the starters, with free agent signing Alex Singleton looking for snaps, as well. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. 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. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. 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. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. 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. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. 2021 Snaps: 712 His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. 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. 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. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. 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 transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 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. 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. 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. 2021 Snaps: 323 Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). 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. A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie Nakobe Dean and veteran Kyzir White to pair alongside T.J. Edwards, who had a breakout 2021 season. 10. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. 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. Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. 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. Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Campbell recorded the second-highest PFF grade of any linebacker with an 85, and also was the second-highest graded linebacker in coverage with an 82.2. 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. 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. No. The Steelers brought in former Jaguar Myles Jack to play alongside him. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. However, Georgia wide receiver Kearis Jackson is not ranked in Pro Football Focus' NFL draft big board rankings. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. 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. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following Kyzir Whites departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. His first season in Green Bay produced an overall PFF grade of 85.0 and earned him a $50 million extension, but before that, Campbells PFF grades fell between 49.0 and 69.1 for two different teams. 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). 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. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. From Week 9 of 2020 through Jewells injury in Week 2 of this season, his 79.8 overall grade ranked fourth among off-ball linebackers and his 79.5 coverage grade ranked fifth. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. Still, its an interesting group because of Ernest Jones, especially after his very good Super Bowl performance as he came back from an injury-plagued season. Campbell is a one-year wonder at the moment, but that year was All-Pro caliber and the most recent thing we have seen from him. The Saints had been looking for someone to play the linebacker position opposite him for years and seem to have found one in Pete Werner, who was outstanding as a rookie in 2021. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, he has legit NFL size and athleticism. 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! Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. . 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. You must be logged in and create a league profile to apply custom fantasy scoring to the stats, projections and rankings pages. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. He went from having a one-year contract worth $2 million to signing a five-year deal that carries an AAV of $10 million! After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. His 170 combined takedowns ranked third among linebackers this past season. Hightower will be 32 years old in Week 1 of 2022, but there's an argument that taking the 2020 season off has his body refreshed and revitalized. 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. 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. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. 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). With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. 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. 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. Now, Brown hits free agency coming off a career-low 421 snaps, though he still maintained a 60.0-plus coverage grade, which is where he derives a lot of his value as an off-ball linebacker. Perryman was signed to a two-year, $6.085 million contract before the 2021 season and promptly traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before the first week of the campaign. Sam Monson of PFF recently ranked the top linebackers in the NFL and organized them in tiers. 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. Pro Football Focus supported claims of San Francisco's top-end roster by putting seven of their players in the top 101 of the 2022 season. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. 8 in total pressures. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. 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. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. However, he will have to get better 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. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. Across the three years prior to joining Green Bay, Campbell hadnt earned a grade higher than 56.6 in any season. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. 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. 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 Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. This is likely a polarizing selection. 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. 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. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. It's funny how taking a "small step backwards" for Wagner is being a second-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowler and setting a career high in tackles even while missing a game. 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. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. 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. 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 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. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. 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). Kendricks is one of the games best coverage linebackers, able to consistently squeeze throwing lanes and make plays on the ball once its in the air. 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 In May, Sam Monson of PFF ranked as the league's No.16 linebacker coming into the 2022 NFL season. 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. 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. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. 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. Edwards was one of just four linebackers to earn grades above 75.0 in run defense and coverage, generating 11 quarterback pressures on just 26 pass-rush snaps, as well. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. 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. Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). 2021 Snaps: 987 Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed.
