Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. 16 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as the second-youngest player in the overall class. Post-Draft IDP Rookie Linebacker Rankings for 2022 Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. 16 at his position by PFF Click here for PFF's full list of top 100 free agents. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. 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. Best Linebackers in the NFL 2022: Fred Warner, Bobby Wagner and Demario He has not graded above 70.0 since. The top 10 linebackers in NFL currently are dynamic weapons and reliable leaders. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. 4. 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. 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. 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. He also made the absolute most of the occasional blitz, tallying 15 pressures, five sacks and three more quarterback hits on 70 pass-rush snaps. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 17 linebacker in the NFL going into 2022, placing him in the "young. 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. NFL Linebacker Rankings for 2022 - AthlonSports.com 2021 Snaps: 783 Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Jaguars linebacker corps doesn't fare well in PFF ranking - Black and Teal Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. 2021 Snaps: 717 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. Kendricks is one of the games best coverage linebackers, able to consistently squeeze throwing lanes and make plays on the ball once its in the air. Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 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. The 1B tier has just as much going for them, with zone-heavy defenses, expected positive tackle efficiency and an every-down roles. ECR VS. ADP. 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. 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. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. 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. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. Two former Tigers lower on this list of NFL's best receivers I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. 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. 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. 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. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Therefore, they are included in our. 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. Titans' David Long called a 'young ascending' LB in PFF's rankings #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. A pair of Saints defenders were selected for PFF's top 101 players of 2022 In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. PFF says the Eagles may have gotten the biggest steal of the 2022 NFL Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 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. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. Here are PFF's top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 NFL season. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football season - Wikipedia Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. 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. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. 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. For the purposes of these rankings, we are looking only at true off-ball linebackers, as 3-4 outside linebackers though designated as linebackers are in truth edge rushers. NFL 2022 Draft Positional Rankings: Linebackers - Sports Articles At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. 11 among linebackers,) his AV of 8 was tied for No. While Mike Zimmer is gone, new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is an experienced coach who can get the most out of Kendricks and this defense as a whole. 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. All Rights Reserved. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs the ball against Green Bay Packers inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (59) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. David also graded out as the No. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. 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. 1 as Bobby Wagner finally dethroned Ranking the top 10 linebackers for the upcoming NFL season By Jordan Dajani Jun 28, 2022 at. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. 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. 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. Subscribe to Sign Up 1. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. 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. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. 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. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. 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. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Meanwhile, David will have to get it there himself, given that the Bucs defense wasnt exactly bereft of talent last season. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). 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. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. 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. Login or Register Projections: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DEF | DL | LB | DB 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. 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. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. However, he earned an additional $500,000 in incentives along with a trip to the Super Bowl, so it couldve been worse, all things considered. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. 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. 12 among linebackers in 2021 with a PFF coverage grade of 70 in 295 coverage snaps. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . Click here to view PFF's full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. 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. . For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. David Long, meanwhile, was playing at a solid level before an injury forced him to miss most of the second half of the 2021 season. 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. Final Season Stats. 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. 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 Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Despite the inconsistent offense, the Chicago Bears had the No. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. He might not even start this season. Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season Kansas City Chiefs linebacker group ranked as 9th-best in NFL by PFF His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. 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. 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. Still one of the more underrated players in the league, This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. Elandon Roberts and Jerome Baker are average linebackers who have just one 70.0-plus season grade among their 10 combined years in the NFL.