pff linebacker rankings 2022
Van Noy also has the complicating factor of being one of the multiple linebackers who only seems to function at a high level within the New England Patriots defense. 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. 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. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). However, he will have to get better in coverage. 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. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. 3 min read. The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. However, Georgia wide receiver Kearis Jackson is not ranked in Pro Football Focus' NFL draft big board rankings. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. 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. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. 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. s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Meanwhile, David will have to get it there himself, given that the Bucs defense wasnt exactly bereft of talent last season. 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. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . Drue Tranquill. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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. Wilson showed in the playoffs that he could finally have answered a real problem area for the Cincinnati Bengals, showing up with multiple excellent PFF game grades and making plays in coverage. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. Davids 72.3 overall PFF grade is the lowest mark he has posted in a single season since 2016, and Wagners 71.8 was his lowest since 2015. ECR VS. ADP. AVG. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. 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. No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. 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. 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. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Adam Holt. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. That's still a very good grade, but there should be concerns about his age and a potential decline going forward. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . Hightower opted out of the 2020 season, and after a bit of a slow start getting reacclimated to the speed of the NFL game, he was back to his old self for stretches of the 2021 season. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. More Stats. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 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. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Therefore, they are included in our. That 42.0 mark was his first time dropping below 70.0 since 2015. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. 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. 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. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. 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. 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. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 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. David has been consistent, as only one linebacker has recorded more tackles since he entered the league, and that player is found later on in this list. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. 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. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. 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. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. He told us last week that 15 sacks are the "minimum" in 2022. 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. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 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. 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. Davids 88.5 coverage grade this season ranked second among off-ball linebackers, and his elite 93.0 mark over the past four seasons is the top mark at the position. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. 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. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. Smith is a complete athletic projection. He had been one of the more consistent players at the position in the NFL, and so theres a chance he regains his form. Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. 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. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. There's no way he was going to get better, right? NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings 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. 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. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Perryman has been the embodiment of that in his NFL career, to the point where he was often kept off the field on passing downs. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. 10. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. 2021 Snaps: 717 Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. 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. His 89.0 run-defense grade in 2022 ranked fourth at the position, with his 13 tackles for loss or no gain tied for 12th. 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. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. Last but certainly not least, Pratt also peaked at the right time, with his 90.1 overall grade since Week 8 the top mark among linebackers. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. 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. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. He was All-Pro just one year ago, and has been a leader for this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense since the days when the franchise was going 2-14. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 The Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). 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. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (22nd of 89). 2021 Snaps: 987 The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. No. 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 . 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. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. 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. 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. 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. Here's why that is important: PFF's Fantasy Football Expected Points tool is primarily used for identifying potential over and undervalued players. Micah Parsons is one of the best young talents in the league, but he does split his time between off-ball linebacker and edge rusher, where he's at his best work. 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. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. 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. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). But in a vacuum, Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. However, he earned an additional $500,000 in incentives along with a trip to the Super Bowl, so it couldve been worse, all things considered. 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. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 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 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. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. 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. Clemson junior Trenton Simpson Simpson had a solid role as a freshman in 2020, totaling 28 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, in addition to a forced fumble. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. Edmunds 86.9 coverage grade in 2022 was the third-best mark among off-ball linebackers, and he forced an incompletion on 10.3% of targets into his coverage while allowing just four explosive receptions the entire season (0.9% of targets into his coverage, ninth among linebackers). 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. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. 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. 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. What a find he was for the Packers last year. All Rights Reserved. 17 linebacker in the NFL going into 2022, placing him in the "young. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th 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). Campbell was one of the big surprises of the 2021 NFL season, as he stepped his game up in a major way for the Green Bay Packers. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. 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. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. 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. His 94.1 run defense grade wasn't too far behindMicah Parsons (94.8) PFF college record. Aug 9, 2022. 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. After missing most of the regular season. 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. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. 2021 Snaps: 783 No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. Parsons was the No. 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! 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 . The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. 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). Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. 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 is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. David also graded out as the No. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. Here are the best available players remaining heading into Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. Parsons actually finished No. 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. 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. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 2021 Snaps: 82 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. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. He subsequently graded out to 76.5 in his first season. 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. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. 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. 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. I also gave a target round for your rookie drafts, these are just suggestions as all drafts are different. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. 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. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. 8:44 am ET. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker.