PFFs Fantasy Strength of Schedule (SoS) metric provides a league-wide, season-long view of opponent matchups for each fantasy position. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season 2021 Snaps: 1,148 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. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah put together a great rookie season transitioning from more of an out-of-the-box linebacker at Notre Dame to an in-box linebacker. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. 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. 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. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. Therefore, they are included in our. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. 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. 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. 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. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. 2021 Snaps: 82 Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. How the 2022 Lions finished in each PFF grading category The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. 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. 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. However, he will have to get better in coverage. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 2021 Snaps: 783 Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. 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. 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. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). 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! Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. 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. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. 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. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. 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). This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Consequently, the list of consistently elite players is far shorter than for other positions, and there is much more volatility in this position group. AVG. While Bobby Okerekes grade has fluctuated over the years, Darius Leonard the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. 2022 Draft Linebacker Prospects: PFF Grades And Big Board Ranks Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. 1. Linebacker Rankings 2022 NFL Draft Home Positions LB ALL QUARTERBACK RUNNING BACK WIDE RECEIVER TIGHT END OFFENSIVE LINE DEFENSIVE LINE EDGE LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK #1 RANKED - SCOUTING REPORT 17 Nakobe Dean POSITION RANK #1 OUR RATING 90.4 ILB All Scouts Average Overall Rank 20.8 All Scouts Average Position Rank 2 Height Feet 6-0 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. 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022. The Tennessee Titans are set to sport a talented and exciting inside linebacker duo in 2022 with David Long and Zach Cunningham, but where do they rank as compared to others in the NFL?. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks Seattle's defense may have deteriorated around him, but Bobby Wagner remains the class of the linebacker position, especially since Luke Kuechly 's retirement. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Unfortunately for Vander Esch, he once again finds himself in the middle of the pack of a deep free-agent group at linebacker, but he should do a bit better this time around. Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 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. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. Jaguars linebacker corps doesn't fare well in PFF ranking - Black and Teal While Chicago lost Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mackin the offseason, this unit could be rather strong again with some of the additions made in the secondary, and with the defensive-minded Matt Eberflus taking over as head coach. The 30-year-old linebacker will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career after a delayed start to his NFL career, and now hell be working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle injury. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. 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. Titans' David Long called a 'young ascending' LB in PFF's rankings 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. Edwards has shown that as much as linebacker is one of the most athletic-traits-driven positions in football, prospects with marginal physical tools can still become solid NFL starters. Their tackle efficiency and every-down roles make them the most coveted players at the position. Projected contract: Two years, $18 million ($9M per year, $11.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 55 The folks over at PFF are going through the process of creating rankings and tiers for every position ahead of the 2022 NFL season. 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. Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. 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. Vander Esch has had an up and down first four years in the NFL, but the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2018 still flashes on occasion and will certainly draw attention. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS.
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