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. 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. His 94.1 run defense grade wasn't too far behindMicah Parsons (94.8) PFF college record. Age: 28. 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. 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. White backed up his first season as a starter in 2021 with another solid campaign in 2022, earning grades of at least 62.0 against the run and in coverage. If he can play more consistently week to week, teams may view him as a low-risk, high-reward option in a weak linebacker class. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. Okereke was particularly stout against the run, with his 13 defensive stops against the run tied for the 13th most. James Bradberry (74.1) 2022 PFF Grade 20th ranked Darius Slay (73.1) 2022 PFF Grade 25th ranked Avonte Maddox (71.3) 2022 PFF Grade 33rd ranked Josiah Scott (58.4) 2022 PFF Grade. 70 & No.71 on PFF's Top-101 players for the 2022 NFL season. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (22nd of 89). There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. 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. Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking Walker had a career year for the Browns in 2021, and his 78.2 PFF coverage grade was the highest of his career. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Lloyd, who earned a 90.0-plus grade at Utah in 2021, does look set to start. 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. Hightower opted out of the 2020 season, and after a bit of a slow start getting reacclimated to the speed of the NFL game, he was back to his old self for stretches of the 2021 season. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). 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. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. PFF Ranks Lions' 2022 Draft Class 3rd Best Within NFL | Heavy.com Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. Shaq Thompson is a bona fide star, and he may be playing alongside a diamond-in-the-rough partner in Frankie Luvu. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker Shaquille Leonard, with his 72.9 grade ranking 23rd at the position. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith should be the starters, with free agent signing Alex Singleton looking for snaps, as well. PFF names 7 Ohio State players as top 10 returning at their position Fantasy Football Draft Rankings (2023) This is likely a polarizing selection. 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. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. 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. Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. 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 posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. Now that we're at the end of the 2021-22 NFL season, the free agency picture is coming into focus and teams are beginning to identify potential targets to improve their roster weaknesses. 3 Rams make PFF's top 101 players of 2022 - autos.yahoo.com The entire schedule was released on January 31, 2022. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. However, he will have to get better in coverage. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from, Okereke stepped up in a major way in the absence of fellow off-ball linebacker, The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following. In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No. 2021 PFF grade: 50.6 (51st of 89). The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 Roquan Smith has had an up-and-down NFL career so far, and the team will be hoping he can bounce back from a 47.1 grade last season. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Two former Tigers lower on this list of NFL's best receivers 10 among linebackers last year. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Where are Georgia Bulldogs ranked on PFF's 2023 NFL draft big board? Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 Tuesday Round-Up: Seahawks No.8 In Pro Football Focus 2022 Linebacker 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. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. Still, its an interesting group because of Ernest Jones, especially after his very good Super Bowl performance as he came back from an injury-plagued season. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. He tallied a career-high six pass breakups in 2022. Friday Round-Up: Seahawks' Ryan Neal, Geno Smith Named To PFF Top-101 With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. 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. 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. 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. 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. These athletes are called upon to be run-stuffing defensive linemen on some downs, and hybrid cornerbacks on others. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. It had been three full seasons since his best play, and that best play was nowhere near elite. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. The 2022 season was Tranquills first as a full-time starter following Kyzir Whites departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. He went from having a one-year contract worth $2 million to signing a five-year deal that carries an AAV of $10 million! Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Parsons lined up as an edge rusher on 40.6% of his snaps as a rookie, and thats where he did the bulk of his damage. 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. [PFF] 2022 Linebacker Rankings and Tiers : nfl - reddit.com 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. 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. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . David also graded out as the No. The Steelers brought in former Jaguar Myles Jack to play alongside him. The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. 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. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. Murray surrendered a near-perfect passer rating into his coverage in 2021, allowing 14 catches on 15 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Parsons lined up as an edge rusher on 40.6% of his snaps as a rookie, and thats where he did the bulk of his damage. Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker are solid players, though, and the team will hope that rookie Troy Andersen can make an early impact. And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. Nevertheless, there were several interested teams last time he was a free agent he came very close to signing with theNew York Jetsbefore ultimately returning to Minnesota so it seems defensive coaches think they can find a way to put him in positions to succeed and utilize his athletic ability. In May, Sam Monson of PFF ranked as the league's No.16 linebacker coming into the 2022 NFL season. 8:44 am ET. The Penn State product ranked No. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. Tranquill is coming off a career year in L.A. Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. 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. PFF ranks Ravens linebackers No. 17 - Baltimore Beatdown on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. No linebacker recorded more coverage snaps than Warner in all of 2021. 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. Ranking Best NFL Defensive Linemen and Linebackers 2022 Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. s departure, and his 105 tackles were more than his first three seasons combined. You must be logged in and create a league profile to apply custom fantasy scoring to the stats, projections and rankings pages. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. NFL Linebacker Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com Let's have a look at them. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. 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. 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. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. Minnesota Vikings players on both sides of the ball, including Kendricks, have already opened up about the culture change they have felt early on this offseason with Kevin O'Connell. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. The main contributors to a linebackers IDP success are the volume of defensive snaps combined with playing in zone-heavy defenses, which rack up tackles more efficiently. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. 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. 23 in 2021. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. Gay hasnt graded as well but possesses the characteristics to become a top linebacker. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. Titans' David Long called a 'young ascending' LB in PFF's rankings section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-linebackers-entering-2022-new-no-1-as-bobby-wagner-finally-dethroned | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 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. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. His 75.9 grade two years marked a career high. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. Then there's the added bonus of playing behind Aaron Donald, who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. Chiefs' Nick Bolton ranked in PFF's 'young ascending' linebacker tier This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. Titans' LB duo lands smack-dab in the middle of PFF's rankings It was his first season missing fewer than 10% of his tackle opportunities, and he put up an 86.8 overall grade with seven tackles and two defensive stops during a strong playoff run. He also frequently lines up at safety, defensive line and nickel corner, and if he had his way . Here are the best available players remaining heading into Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. By Marc. NFL Defensive Line Rankings 2022 - ftnfantasy.com 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 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. Final Season Stats. 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. Cole Holcomb, WAS: Impressive young linebacker who could see the numbers improve in 2022. The Falcons defense has fallen apart around him, and he no longer has a free run to the football as often as he did when he was playing his best football. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. Foyesade Oluokun was brought in from Atlanta, but there is certainly hope that the team's two rookie picks at the position, Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, can play early. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. Brown has seen his play taper off after a really nice sophomore campaign in 2018 in which he posted an 81.2 grade. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. The second linebacker tier features 17 linebackers on teams that are expected to be less zone-heavy than those in the tier above. Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Post-Draft IDP Rookie Linebacker Rankings for 2022 Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. AVG. Kansas City Chiefs News Chiefs' young linebacker unit breaks into top 10 in PFF rankings The Chiefs' top two linebackers are 22 (Bolton) and 24 (Gay), yet Pro Football Focus finds the. . Please try again later. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). 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. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Parsons actually finished No. Still, the. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. NFL free agents 2023: Ranking top 10 linebackers Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. 10. 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. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 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. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. 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 | 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. More Stats. 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. 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. Singleton earned a career-best 82.6 run-defense grade that ranked eighth among off-ball linebackers, tallying more than 100 tackles for the second year in a row, with his two-year total of 212 ranking sixth among off-ball linebackers. The Saints had been looking for someone to play the linebacker position opposite him for years and seem to have found one in Pete Werner, who was outstanding as a rookie in 2021. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. 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 . 1 as Bobby Wagner finally dethroned Ranking the top 10 linebackers for the upcoming NFL season By Jordan Dajani Jun 28, 2022 at. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. 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. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. The Vikings also brought in the underrated Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in free agency. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? You are not logged in. 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. 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. 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. 2021 Snaps: 82 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. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). Colts linebackers receive high praise in latest linebacker rankings So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. 2022 Draft Linebacker Prospects: PFF Grades And Big Board Ranks Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer: Tight Ends (2023 Fantasy Football)