Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. 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. 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 Denver Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Chicago Bears Roquan Smith and Indianapolis Colts Shaquille (Darius) Leonard stock is falling due to availability concerns, making E.J. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. 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. This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro DeVondre Campbell back for another season in the same defense he broke out with. 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. 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). 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. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . He might not even start this season. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. 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. Parsons was the No. Parsons actually finished No. . 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. Lloyd can take on blocks, blitz and cover tight ends at a high level, which is why he earned a 90.2 grade this year with above-average grades in every facet. Still one of the more underrated players in the league, This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. San Francisco 49ers Projected Starters: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa The 49ers breed defensive linemen. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. 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. A lot is riding on the development of Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons, who have simply not played well enough especially for first-round picks. 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. 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. Some of the players in this group have been All-Pro caliber linebackers in the past, but Jones is coming off a PFF grade in the 30s after once looking like the next great young linebacker in the league. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. 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. 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. 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. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 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. 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). Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. 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. You are not logged in. Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. 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. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. Adam Holt. Projected contract: Two years, $18 million ($9M per year, $11.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 55 After sitting out in 2020, C.J. 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 ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . 4. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. You dont want to line him up against an opposing receiving weapon in a one-on-one, but he demonstrated better recognition of route patterns and improved as a zone coverage backer. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . 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. Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 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 Penn State product ranked No. 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. 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! And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. Still, in a league that continues to throw more and more, Bentley remains best-suited as an early-down run defender who can generate the occasional quarterback pressure. 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). 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. 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. 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. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers, Lavonte David is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. His past two years against the run have been horrid, with him posting 39.8 and 30.0 run-defense grades. Please try again later. 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. 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. 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 | #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. 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. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. 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. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. 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. 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. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. 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. 6 in the NFL in sacks and No. 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 2021 Snaps: 783 The entire schedule was released on January 31, 2022. Seahawks only have one player in PFF's top-40 graded edge defenders Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. 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. 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. 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. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. 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. 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. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 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. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career, Deion Jones play has fallen off a cliff. 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. 2021 Snaps: 323 Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022. 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. Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. 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. Smith is a complete athletic projection. 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. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. Getting outside the . This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. 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. 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. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. Even Micah Parsons a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as a rookie put up middling run-defense and tackling grades in his first year in Dallas. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. 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. Patrick Surtain II has been quite literally living up to his name as an elite cornerback and has helped the Denver Broncos maintain their position as a top-tier defense even after trading away their star edge rusher. 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. may surprise some based on his age. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith should be the starters, with free agent signing Alex Singleton looking for snaps, as well. The six players in the 1A tier figure to be the favorites to post the highest tackle numbers in the league based on their expected role in their defenses. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? 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. His 18 quarterback pressures ranked fourth among off-ball linebackers, as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick continued to deploy the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder all over the place in his constantly evolving defense. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). 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. 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. 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. Galina ranked the Colts at No. Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. 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. 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. 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. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. His 913 snaps for the Raiders last season was a career-high mark and more than doubled his previous best. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. 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 . Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. 1. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Alabama linebacker Christian Harris is the last player in PFF's top 100, with a plus 60 overall, pass rush, and run defense grade but just above 50 for his coverage grade. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . 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. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. Subscribe to Sign Up 1. 1. Therefore, they are included in our. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) reacts after a play against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, he has legit NFL size and athleticism. 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. Aug 9, 2022. 2021 Snaps: 1,148 The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Here's why that is important: PFF's Fantasy Football Expected Points tool is primarily used for identifying potential over and undervalued players. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. 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. The 49ers applied the second-round restricted free agent tender at a price tag of $3.986 million to Al-Shaair for the 2022 season, perhaps illustrating that they feared he would get signed to an offer sheet elsewhere if they went with the right of first refusal tender. 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. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. 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. The Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. 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. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 24, 2022 Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. 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. By Marc. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes.
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