At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, he has legit NFL size and athleticism. 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). 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. 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, A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie, The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from. Cole Holcomb could yet turn into a solid linebacker, while 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis could also improve after a poor first season. 2021 Snaps: 783 The folks over at PFF are going through the process of creating rankings and tiers for every position ahead of the 2022 NFL season. 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. 10 among linebackers last year. 3 linebackers Seahawks should . Micah Parsons this season: 0 TDs allowed in coverage (284 snaps) 88.7 PFF Grade (1st among all LBs) 93.0 pass-rushing grade (Best in NFL) pic.twitter.com/Lq7G9IVzuU. Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. Drafting Quay Walker out of Georgia in the first round also helps the Packers' cause. In this article, I list my top 20 rookie linebacker rankings for your IDP dynasty leagues. 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. Aug 9, 2022. For all the young players' struggles, there are a lot of promising linebackers who have the talent to become elite players at this level. 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. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Across the three years prior to joining Green Bay, Campbell hadnt earned a grade higher than 56.6 in any season. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. 2021 Snaps: 712 However, he will have to get better in coverage. Please try again later. Edmunds also missed just 6.5% of potential tackles, the lowest rate of his career and another huge sign of continued growth from a football intelligence and play recognition standpoint. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. 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. Monson ranked Long, who has been an absolute steal since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, as the No. Wilson showed in the playoffs that he could finally have answered a real problem area for the Cincinnati Bengals, showing up with multiple excellent PFF game grades and making plays in coverage. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. More Stats. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. White was a reliable presence at linebacker following the loss of 2020 first-rounderKenneth Murrayduring Weeks 4-9 and when Murray was battling injuries over Weeks 11-15. 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. Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles. He had been one of the more consistent players at the position in the NFL, and so theres a chance he regains his form. Jerome Baker, MIA: I love Baker this season as a Top 15-20 sleeper. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. PFF's top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft 1. 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. Turn on this feature to cross off players during your draft. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) reacts after a play against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. 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. 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. 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. 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. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022. His 33 run stops in 2020 were a top-10 mark at the position. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. 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. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers Projected Starters: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa The 49ers breed defensive linemen. The 49ers applied the second-round restricted free agent tender at a price tag of $3.986 million to Al-Shaair for the 2022 season, perhaps illustrating that they feared he would get signed to an offer sheet elsewhere if they went with the right of first refusal tender. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. Jayron Kearse was a top 10 strong safety by their own metric. This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro DeVondre Campbell back for another season in the same defense he broke out with. Smith is a complete athletic projection. 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. Jewell is the other Denver off-ball linebacker who missed the majority of the 2021 season with a torn pectoral muscle, but hes three years younger than Johnson. He is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. Here's why that is important: PFF's Fantasy Football Expected Points tool is primarily used for identifying potential over and undervalued players. 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. 10. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). Johnson finds himself in one of the most unique contract situations in NFL history. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. 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. He recorded 122 combined tackles, four interceptions and a whopping eight forced fumbles, which led the league. Campbell was one of the big surprises of the 2021 NFL season, as he stepped his game up in a major way for the Green Bay Packers. . He started in 16 games after starting in only 11 total in his previous three NFL seasons. 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. As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . That flexibility is tremendously valuable to the Dallas defense, but Parsons could take his game to another level if he shows development off the ball in Year 2. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. His PFF grade of 77.9 ranked eighth last year among linebackers, and he once again showed he's a well-rounded linebacker that doesn't get the kind of credit he deserves. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. His first year with the Packers resulted in a whopping 85.0 mark. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. 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 . 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. 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. San Francisco 49ers . And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Here are PFF's top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 NFL season. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. Rookie Devin Lloydand sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. With all that said, let's jump in. Edwards was one of just four linebackers to earn grades above 75.0 in run defense and coverage, generating 11 quarterback pressures on just 26 pass-rush snaps, as well. 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. 2021 Snaps: 323 Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. Nakobe Dean was widely considered to be a potential first-round pick before the 2022 NFL Draft. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. Both players posted the highest grades of their career, helping the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. 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. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Speed and Matthew Adams late-round dart throws. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. 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. 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). 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. Perryman has been the embodiment of that in his NFL career, to the point where he was often kept off the field on passing downs. 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. 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. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. Still, the Rams ranked fourth in the NFL last season in zone coverages (82.60%). 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. PFF themselves had the Cowboys 2021 secondary in the top 10. His 94.1 run defense grade wasn't too far behindMicah Parsons (94.8) PFF college record. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. He also registered a fourth-best 79.4 PFF coverage grade among linebackers despite playing a whopping 680 coverage snaps. at January 18, 2023 8:22 pm ET. Lavonte David is still one of the best linebackers in the game . Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. 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. 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. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. However, he's still a work in progress in coverage and didn't tally a single interception or pass breakup in his college career. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. In 2021, Davis was given a career-high AV of 15 while again being named an All-Pro after he recorded 105 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks. The 12th. The only season in which he did not record at least 100 tackles was his rookie campaign, when he missed two games. 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 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. Even, Parsons is already one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL as he enters just his second season in the league, but its difficult to rank him purely as an off-the-ball linebacker. #1 - Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner The San. By Marc. 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. Wagner's resume speaks for itself. 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. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. 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. The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. . 1 on our list. He may be coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in recent memory, but he also missed five games with injury. 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. Getting outside the . 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). 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. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings 1. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. 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. According to training camp reports, that is paying off big time for the Eagles. PFFs Fantasy Strength of Schedule (SoS) metric provides a league-wide, season-long view of opponent matchups for each fantasy position. Only Micah Parsons graded out higher than Werner among first-year linebackers last season. NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats NFL Player Grades Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 Brown appeared to be on his way to a strong free agency in the 2021 offseason after three solid seasons as a starter, but he may have been an unfortunate victim of the salary cap drop, as he ultimately agreed to return to the Titans on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. 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. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league.
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