His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. 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 Just 25, he's on his way. 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. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season San Francisco 49ers in PFF top 101 players of 2022 Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . Ranking Best NFL Defensive Linemen and Linebackers 2022 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. Edwards has posted 75.0 grades or better in two of his three NFL seasons and is one of the more underrated players in the league. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. 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. 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. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. 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. PFF ranks Ravens linebackers No. 17 - Baltimore Beatdown Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 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. 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. . Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). 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. 2022 NFL Draft prospects: Ranking top inside linebackers in this year's 4. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. 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. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. AVG. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. 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. 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. 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. PFF ranks 49ers Fred Warner as the top linebacker in the NFL Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. 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). Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. 10 among linebackers last year. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. No. 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. Wagner is no longer with the Seattle Seahawks, signing with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Ramsthis offseason. 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. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. 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. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). 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. He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. 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 ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. 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 one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. 16 at his position by PFF Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. By Marc. 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. Final Season Stats. Projected contract: One year, $6 million, $4.5 million guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 75 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. 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. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker group ranked as 9th-best in NFL by PFF Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans. Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. 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. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 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). Amid replacement-level cornerback and safety play at times, Warner's gravitas over the middle of the field allowed the team to play a high percentage of zone coverage to protect its outside cornerbacks. Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . 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. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. PFF's top 101 NFL players has top five ranking for former Nittany Lion on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 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. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. NFL 2022 Draft Positional Rankings: Linebackers - Sports Articles PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. Fantasy Football Draft Rankings (2023) 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). Since 2020, the Colts linebacker has twice the number of forced fumbles of any other off-ball linebacker, and he has four interceptions and eight pass breakups over that time. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. 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. 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. He didn't end the 2021 campaign in the best fashion, but did rebound to record 13 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, four QB hits and two passes defensed in Tampa Bay's two postseason games. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. 2021 Snaps: 783 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. Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking By Site Staff follow Feb 23, 2023 at 12:56 PM -- shares Seven San Francisco 49ers landed on Pro Football Focus' Top 101 Players. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). 2021 PFF grade: 60.4 (30th of 89). According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. 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. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. Drue Tranquill. Still, the. 1 on our list. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. 2021 Snaps: 987 PFF names 7 Ohio State players as top 10 returning at their position 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. 3 min read. Friday Round-Up: Seahawks' Ryan Neal, Geno Smith Named To PFF Top-101 January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season - FF Today He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. The 12th. 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. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. 10. 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. Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. Seahawks only have one player in PFF's top-40 graded edge defenders Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. 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. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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: 50.6 (51st of 89). Another player without elite physical tools, Jewell reads the game very quickly and is consistently in the right place at the right time against the run. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. 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. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. A pair of Saints defenders were selected for PFF's top 101 players of 2022 Wagner's resume speaks for itself. 2021 Snaps: 712 PFF ranks college football's Top 10 linebacker candidates for the - On3 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. He might not even start this season. In 2022, he boasted a pass . Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. Linebackers with the most INT's in both man and zone coverage last season Man: Bobby Okereke (2) Zone: Darius Leonard (4) pic.twitter.com/RJ4JbjcbYx PFF grades: Where Eagles' players ranked in NFL at their position Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. Projected contract: Two years, $14 million ($7M per year, $9 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 61 Now its just a matter of how nice itll be. 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. 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. 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. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. The scheme plays a part in them making some plays. 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.