Pratts 90.1 coverage grade was the best mark in the NFL. What a find he was for the Packers last year. [PFF] 2022 Linebacker Rankings and Tiers : nfl - reddit.com More Stats. 15 overall among NFL linebackers.Bolton was in his sixth tier, which was reserved for "young ascending" players at the linebacker position. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. PFF themselves had the Cowboys 2021 secondary in the top 10. 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. 2021 Snaps: 979 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. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. 1 as Bobby Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 2021 Snaps: 679 Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 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. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. . He's a Hall of Famer, no doubt, but the reason he's so high on this list is because he's not done just yet. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked on PFF's 2023 NFL draft big board? 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. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. Titans' David Long called a 'young ascending' LB in PFF's rankings Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. 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. 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. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. 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. his sure hands also need to be highlighted," PFF's Zoltn Buday wrote. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). Still one of the more underrated players in the league, Demario Davis has been the heartbeat of one of the league's best defenses over the past five seasons. Teams could do a lot worse than White if they are looking for a solid weakside linebacker who has the speed to stay with pass-catchers in coverage for the most part. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. 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. 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. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. David also graded out as the No. 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. 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. A pair of Saints defenders were selected for PFF's top 101 players of 2022 Age: 28. Johnson got off to an unusually late start to his NFL career and has battled injuries, but he has been an excellent linebacker when he has been on the field. . 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. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). 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 Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. PFF Ranks Lions' 2022 Draft Class 3rd Best Within NFL | Heavy.com Colts linebackers receive high praise in latest linebacker rankings Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. 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. 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. Milano has put up outstanding PFF grades in both coverage and against the run but has struggled to put it all together over one season. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. This is likely a polarizing selection. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. By Marc. Van Noy has now had stints in Detroit and Miami, but his good PFF grades are almost exclusively reserved for his time in the Patriots defense. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. Ranking Best Fits for Top Defensive Players in 2023 NFL Free Agency He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. 2021 Snaps:444 Projected contract: Two years, $14.5 million ($7.25M per year), $8.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 99 Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. PFF's top 101 NFL players has top five ranking for former Nittany Lion 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. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. Foyesade Oluokun, JAC: New team, new official scorer. Let's have a look at them. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. [PFF] 2022 NFL secondary rankings: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay - reddit 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). 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean will be the talk of the class and likely the only two first-round linebacker prospects in 2022, but there's still a lot of talent at the position on Days 2 and 3 of the draft. We have already seen that play from Smith in Chicago, but the decline of the defense around him and perhaps more importantly directly in front of him has led to a decline in his play. 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. NFL Linebacker Rankings for 2022 - AthlonSports.com Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. There's no way he was going to get better, right? Pundit Says Ravens Are 'Perfect Spot' for Yesterday's Combine Standout He missed just two tackles in coverage and allowed only four explosive receptions. The Vikings also brought in the underrated Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in free agency. Please try again later. Ranking Best NFL Defensive Linemen and Linebackers 2022 ECR VS. ADP. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. 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. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. "Latest Update" refers to when we last checked for . He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. 1 on our list. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. 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 . Final Season Stats. 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. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. 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. Seahawks RB Ken Walker makes top 20 in PFF's rankings for 2022 season His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. He might not even start this season. He was everything for the Green Bay defense, and while he might be the next linebacker to rejuvenate his career with a new team ( la Demario Davis), he very well could also be a one-hit wonder. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. 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. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. Hes great at every aspect of linebacker play. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. 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. Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. 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. 8:44 am ET. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. That hypothetical AAV of $17.6 million would make Smith the third highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. 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. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. After missing most of the regular season. We have seen elite play from the seventh-year pro, but we've not nearly seen enough of it, given his physical talents. 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. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. San Francisco 49ers in PFF top 101 players of 2022 Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. 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. This is bizarrely true even when he moves to a defense run by a former New England defensive coach. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers) earned the top spot and Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts). He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive.