Jones was an . Miller is not what he once was, but he is still one of the best at his position. Wilber Marshall 7. He can play in both the middle and outside linebacker positions. When you think of the outside linebacker position, it is hard to look past the long time Pittsburgh Steelers great Jack Ham. The biggest question about Leonard is his health, as hes missed time in each of his four seasons and, The No. Jack had another 100+ tackle season on his record, but it was being wasted by a horrible Jacksonville Jaguars team. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. Barrett was Tampa's best defensive player during their 2020 Super Bowl run and he got rewarded with a nice long-term extension this offseason. Tier 2: The Aging Elite 5. Kendricks is one of the game's best coverage linebackers, able to consistently squeeze throwing lanes and make plays on the ball once it's in the air. Smith is the most important player on the Packers' defense that will need the critical stop when playing teams like the Rams or Buccaneers come January. There aren't any superstars in this year's group of edge players and outside linebackers, but there is a solid starter whose sack totals have him in the company of all-time greats. View the best photos of the Vikings outside linebackers, ZaDarius Smith, Danielle Hunter, D.J. He returned to the lineup in 2018 and saw time at both safety and linebacker, making two starts at outside linebacker. Former five-star prospect Trenton Simpson is an athletic freak who despite weighing in at 240lbs reportedly runs a sub 4.4 forty-yard dash. He is a typical 4-3 linebacker who can cover, tackle, and run. Trent Williams LT | 49ers | Power. Knocks blockers and ball-carriers backward and/or off their feet. Considered one of the greatest pass rush threats of All-Time, Thomas racked up 126.5 sacks to go with 41 forced fumbles earning him nine Pro Bowl selections and three First Team All-Pro honors. After a stellar rookie season, Miller was selected as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. 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. As Buffalo continues to chase a Super Bowl, Milano could become more of a household name. Campbell resurrected his career with the Packers in 2021 after five mediocre seasons with the Falcons and Cardinals. Active and causes havoc all around the field. LAVONTE DAVID, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS FromT.J. Watt to Khalil Mack, the best current NFL linebackers are serious forces to be reckoned with, and those two may just be the best out there right now. One of our representatives will be in touch shortly. The overall defensive scheme of 4-3 allows the outside linebackers to focus on what they're good at, stopping the run and pass. ZaDarius Smith got a sack and flashed this We Eileen undershirt. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. The veteran has proven that he can thrive whether in Bill Belichick's system or beyond the system with 101 tackles and three forced fumbles last season for Detroit and will be a leader for new coach Dan Campbell. He had 70 tackles in 2021 as well. 1 T.J. Watt - LOLB - 96. For 10 seasons, Gildon tormented quarterbacks at outside linebacker. With all that said, let's jump in. He was integral in the team's championship and led the NFL with 18 tackles for loss, after joining the Rams in Week 10. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Coach Keys: Shows the ability to take over a game defensively. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. This guy. Bennett, who was drafted number two overall during the 1987 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts was traded to the Buffalo Bills before the start of the season. Thomas was a three time Defensive Player of the Year and is one of only two players to ever win the league MVP during the 1986 season. He finished with 22.5 sacks in 14 games last season -- tying Michael Strahan for the single-season sack record. Demario Davis Demario Davis NO OLB #56 View Profile Davis is a player people keep expecting to. Watt not only led the league in sacks, but also QB hits (39) and fumble recoveries (three). 12 pick in 2021, Parsons was the unanimous rookie of the year last season. He was good as a true linebacker, but his ability to play two different roles on any given snap made him special and provided a hybrid ability that caused problems for offenses. Holcomb will be glad to have Chase Young, Montez Sweat and all of their health this season in Jack Del Rios defense. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. Ware, who was a key member of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, was nearly unstoppable by just one offensive blocker. 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. 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. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. In the off-season, every football workout should be position specific. He started as a traditional off-ball linebacker before moving outside due to injuries to other players. The Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas -- $1.7 million 3. Brooks, Taylor, and Ham are the only outside linebackers of the Super Bowl era to be first ballot Hall of Famers. 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. Terrell Suggs = ageless wonder.pic.twitter.com/XuSH2fbv6I. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link: Top 10 Athletes past the age of 40: Where does Tom Brady rank? 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. On the other hand, we have the classic chase and run linebackers who chase down running backs, spy on mobile quarterbacks and cover tight ends and even wide receivers in the slot like Darius Leonard. What a find he was for the Packers last year. Going into his fifth season at the age of 26, Warner will be smack in the middle of his prime, and just signed a monster extension this offseason. February 24, 2023 12:52 PM. 5. 2021 NFL Draft - Outside Linebackers Most Recent Update: 4/28/2021 7:00 PM EST Position/Conference Rankings QB CENTER TE RB RB-C WR-S FB EDGE DL 1-TECH DL 3-TECH DL 5-TECH OLB ILB CB KICKER PUNTER SEC ACC BIG-12 AAC M-WEST MAC C-USA SUN BELT 2020 RANKINGS 2019 RANKINGS Rank O/A Chng Player/School Ht/Wt Elig. Here are some tips for players who want to be a good linebacker: 1. Players with 8+ sacks in each of first seven seasons of career (since individual sacks have been recorded in 1982): Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old. Judon was perhaps the most impactful agency signing of the last season. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? Even while playing with talented teammates Nick Bosa, DeForest Bucker and Richard Sherman, Warner has been the straw that stirs the drink. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. With a good performance at the Georgia Tech pro day and the NFL combine, Thomas could move up the draft boards . pic.twitter.com/wU3z3Om3JM. Buy Buckeyes Tickets. Linebackers are some of the most intense players in football, and with all the new schemes today - athletes are coming in all different shapes and sizes. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. Squat: 445 lbs. 10 among linebackers last year. Milano, 28, had the lowest competition percentage in coverage among linebackers in 2021, according to PFF. He also had three fumble recoveryies. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. Defensive coordinators who coach linebackers: 1. This is likely a polarizing selection. PTS. Here's a look at the top linebackers hitting the market, both edge rushers and traditional, inside linebackers. He got lucky being coached by Mike Vrabel who is one of the finest defensive coaches in the NFL. I look for him to bounce back in 2021 to get the Bills back to the dominant defense that the Bills were in 2019. What Watt's accomplished in his first five seasons has been historic, as his 150 QB hits over his first 77 games trail only his brother J.J. Watt for the most in league history. This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. Wagner, an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro, registered a career-high 6.0 sacks in 2022 at age 32, showing he still has plenty of gas in the tank. Honorable mentions: Nick Bolton (Chiefs); Jordyn Brooks (Seahawks); Shaq Thompson (Panthers); Denzel Perryman (Raiders); Foye Oluokun (Jaguars), Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season. 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. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Top247 247Sports Composite. While the former Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers star comes in at number six, it can be debated whether he is well worthy of a higher ranking. 2022 NFL Draft Linebacker Rankings - Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak It's an interesting group of linebackers. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings and to have a chance to win a gift card to LAZADA, Amazon, Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Running Backs of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Wide Receivers of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Tight Ends of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties of All Time Rankings. VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500, CO: CALL 1-800-522-4700, MI: CALL 1-800-270-7117 | Full T&C apply. 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. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. His third year in he recorded 18 sacks and followed that season up with 16.5 sacks the next year. Yes, Davis was a late-bloomer, but not many players can make the impact he does in stopping the run, tackling, rushing the passer and working in coverage. The lone holdover from the "Sacksonville" Era of the Jaguars defense, his play has been forgotten during the team's downturn and it has been a shame that Jack has never made a Pro Bowl in his career due to lack of team success. 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