He finished with 22.5 sacks in 14 games last season -- tying Michael Strahan for the single-season sack record. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. Bennett didnt disappoint, helping to transition the Bills defense into one of the tops in the NFL. Both Barr and Danielle Hunter are keys to a bounce-back season for the defense in Minnesota. The lone holdover from the "Sacksonville" Era of the Jaguars defense, his play has been forgotten during the team's downturn and it has been a shame that Jack has never made a Pro Bowl in his career due to lack of team success. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. Meanwhile, David will have to get it there himself, given that the Bucs defense wasnt exactly bereft of talent last season. 24. Zach Arnett, Mississippi State -- $900,000 5. 2024 Top Linebacker Recruits. Yannick Ngakoue, who turns 28 in March, has recorded eight or more sacks in each of his first seven seasons, including 9.5 in 2022, his only season with the Indianapolis Colts. Here's a look at the top linebackers hitting the market, both edge rushers and traditional, inside linebackers. Monte Coleman 5. If he is drafted to play in a 4-3, he still will be a good player. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. He earned the same accolade again in 2020 and 2021. The lone holdover from the "Sacksonville" Era of the Jaguars defense, his play has been forgotten during the team's downturn and it has been a shame that Jack has never made a Pro Bowl in his career due to lack of team success. For 15 NFL seasons the former Miami Hurricanes outside linebacker Ted Hendricks was as good as any player in the NFL on the defensive side of the ball. Parsons actually finished No. Eileen is the mother one of the #Packers equipment staff members. Leonard burst onto the scene with 163 combined tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions in his rookie season back in 2018. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. It's also noteworthy that David is good in coverage, something other linebackers can struggle with. Put some respect on Demario Davis pic.twitter.com/4jzOf4GYS1. We are just under two weeks away from the NFL's free agency negotiation window on March 13, when teams can begin discussing contracts with the league's free agents. February 24, 2023 12:52 PM. Join the contest by ranking below. Today, all four men are enshrined in the Pro Football. Where T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and more of the best Outside Linebackers rank going into the 2021-2022 NFL Season. David Long Jr. could be one of the best values of this class at 26 years old since he is a three-down linebacker who is strong against the run and is a surefire tackler. Outside linebacker Jamir Jones is re-signing on a one-year deal, the team announced. Here are the rankings on who I think will be the best in 2021. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3-0'); The Cowboys' prized rookie out of Penn State is looking to change the shape of the defense that has the most points (473) and the second-most points allowed in team history. He tallied 77 sacks, a number that ranks him second in team history. Below is the latest list of Top 100 Right Outside Linebacks with their Madden 23 Ratings. He should be able to continue to get 100+ tackles per season if he is able to stay healthy. 1 on our list. And with free agency on the horizon, we continue to look at the top availble players at each position. with 1,383 total tackles since 2012, 161 more than second-place. Davis is proof that age does not matter. The Bills have stars all over their defense, but Milano is at the center of it all. Injuries are the only thing that could stop Watt from achieving his single-season record for sacks. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. The outside linebacker for these reasons, depending on the scheme, is the most important part of a defense. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. It is possible, I am sure. Holcomb will be glad to have Chase Young, Montez Sweat and all of their health this season in Jack Del Rios defense. TGT Tips! 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. He had 70 tackles in 2021 as well. Players like T.J. Watt, Matt Judon, Harold Landry and Shaquil Barrett are not included. Ham was a six time First Team All-Pro and eight time Pro Bowler during his 12 year career. Huff is a priority to the Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Sooners will have no easy fight trying to pull him . Bennett recorded 1,190 tackles, 71.5 career sacks and 31 forced fumbles over his career while winning the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988. This tool includes all signings that happen during the Free Agency window only. How would you rank the greatest Outside Linebackers in history? Brooks, Taylor, and Ham are the only outside linebackers of the Super Bowl era to be first ballot Hall of Famers. Coach Keys: Shows the ability to take over a game defensively. It was actually T.J. Watt that had the best . There is no debating who is the Top 10 Outside Linebacker All-Time. He can play in both the middle and outside linebacker positions. Considered one of the greatest pass rush threats of All-Time, Thomas racked up 126.5 sacks to go with 41 forced fumbles earning him nine Pro Bowl selections and three First Team All-Pro honors. UFA = Unrestricted Free Agent SFA = Street Free Agent Void = Voidable Year Contract. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. If a team needs at least eight sacks and more juice for its pass rush, Ngakoue should be the first call. Watt not only led the league in sacks, but also QB hits (39) and fumble recoveries (three). You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. His 913 snaps for the Raiders last season was a career-high mark and more than doubled his previous best. 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. 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 33-year-old Davis begins a string of veterans on this list. Neal Olkewicz FAQs Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. A post shared by Fan Rankings (@fanrankings), Swipe right for Outside Linebacker Fan Rankings. 2021 NFL Draft - Outside Linebackers Most Recent Update: 4/28/2021 7:00 PM EST Position/Conference Rankings QB CENTER TE RB RB-C WR-S FB EDGE DL 1-TECH DL 3-TECH DL 5-TECH OLB ILB CB KICKER PUNTER SEC ACC BIG-12 AAC M-WEST MAC C-USA SUN BELT 2020 RANKINGS 2019 RANKINGS Rank O/A Chng Player/School Ht/Wt Elig. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. Parsons is very similar to Leonard, except that he can play anywhere in front seven. Luke Kuechly: There aren't convenient counting stats to appreciate how . Landry was 25 when he made his first Pro Bowl appearance and is sure to continue making more. The strongest players are experts at open-field takedowns and make it hard for quarterbacks to feel comfortable throwing toward the middle of the field. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. Jack recorded 118 combined tackles in 2020. 11:03 am ET. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-banner-1-0'); Kevin Green often gets overlooked at the outside linebacker position despite a resume that is filled with great defensive statistics including ranking third All-Time in career sacks with 160 total. 99: 86: 2,167: 3. Vote up the best NFL linebackers in 2022, and help decide who is the best LB of 2022! Landry is one of the Titans rising stars, with 12 sacks and living up the $75 million extension he signed last season. 8:44 am ET. Isaiah Simmons, rJR, Clemson Isaiah Simmons is a freakish athlete who excelled at linebacker, safety, and even some defensive end with Clemson. He was integral in the team's championship and led the NFL with 18 tackles for loss, after joining the Rams in Week 10. He elevates every play, from creating impact in defending the pass to stopping the run. FromT.J. Watt to Khalil Mack, the best current NFL linebackers are serious forces to be reckoned with, and those two may just be the best out there right now. He seems to be always around the football and will benefit from the defensive line that lays in front of him. Over the past decade, virtually every stage of the offensive evolution has increased stress on linebackers, putting them in a bind and asking them to account for multiple things on the same play. Smith had recorded 26 sacks over the last two seasons. Part 3. . People Who Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was Second-Team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021, and the former first-rounder has never finished a season with less than 100 total tackles. Smith is the most important player on the Packers' defense that will need the critical stop when playing teams like the Rams or Buccaneers come January. From that point forward he was plagued with injuries. Nevertheless, you also have to consider great linebackers like Shaq Barrett, Von Miller, Eric Kendricks, and Demario Davis, among plenty of other talented and fearsome outside and middle linebackers. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. The best linebackers in todays league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. 2. 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. In addition, Taylors other accolades include eight First Team All-Pro honors, 10 Pro Bowl selections and the 1981 Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Bears have fielded four of the best middle linebackers in NFL history: Dick Butkus, Bill George, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher. Honorable mentions: Nick Bolton (Chiefs); Jordyn Brooks (Seahawks); Shaq Thompson (Panthers); Denzel Perryman (Raiders); Foye Oluokun (Jaguars), Ranking the best linebackers before the 2022 NFL season. Wills are often a bit lighter and faster than strong-side outside linebackers and middle linebackers. The longtime New Orleans Saints star put together a brilliant NFL career after being selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. Whether its from the Bears or someone else, Smith is sure to get paid next offseason when his rookie deal expires. He made the full-time switch to outside linebacker for the 2019 season, starting six games and recording 52 tackles that season. He also had three fumble recoveryies. Through the 2020 NFL Season, Miller has recorded 106 career sacks including a season high 18.5 during the 2012 NFL season as well as 25 forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. Junior T.J. Capers, No. He earned the same accolade again in 2020 and 2021. 1. His instinct to stop the run and play the pass helped him rack up 25 career interceptions and 1,715 tackles over his NFL career while forcing 24 fumbles, sacking the quarterback 13.5 times and returning seven defensive plays for touchdowns. Follow. Brent Venables, Clemson -- $2.4 million 2. The overall defensive scheme of 4-3 allows the outside linebackers to focus on what they're good at, stopping the run and pass. 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. He led the NFL in tackles as a rookie, which gave him First-Team All-Pro honors. He went from having a one-year contract worth $2 million to signing a five-year deal that carries an AAV of $10 million! Gildon saw limited action during the Steelers' Super. For contending teams needing help on the cheap, there's a number of established veterans to choose from in this class, including Jason Pierre-Paul, Carlos Dunlap, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Justin Houston, Robert Quinn and Bruce Irvin. Its a shame that Jack has not been able to play in a Pro Bowl and was not an All-Pro Selection because of the shortcomings of the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is likely a polarizing selection. 2022 NFL Draft Linebacker Rankings - Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak It's an interesting group of linebackers. Sammy Brown Jefferson (Jefferson, GA) LB. The former No. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Out of that group of four, outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith has turned out to be the best. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. He is a fantastic story of earning a job the hard way. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. What Watt's accomplished in his first five seasons has been historic, as his 150 QB hits over his first 77 games trail only his brother J.J. Watt for the most in league history. Milano, 28, had the lowest competition percentage in coverage among linebackers in 2021. . Now, it remains to be seen if Campbell can replicate his 2021 campaign, but based off of how he played last year, Campbell deserves a place on this list. Ware recorded 138.5 sacks over his NFL career while forcing 35 fumbles and intercepting three passes. 1. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. 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. Ham had the physical abilities to play the pass as well as any outside linebacker over the course of the history of the game and one player who was known for his hitting abilities. He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. When we look at outside linebackers in the NFL we look at two types. , Smith remains one of the leagues top linebackers. Campbell resurrected his career with the Packers in 2021 after five mediocre seasons with the Falcons and Cardinals. Now with the, , Wagner has the chance to compete for a second Super Bowl. Over his career Bell recorded nine defensive touchdowns including two on fumble recoveries, six interception returns and one onside kick return. . The first major step in the offseason process is free agency. For an optimal experience please rotate your device to portrait mode. Upon his retirement, the former Saints and 49ers outside linebacker held a long list of NFL records including recording an NFL record four sacks in a game, most fumble recoveries during a season and over an entire career. Los Angeles Rams inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, an All Pro who was scheduled to earn a $7.5 million base salary and count $12.7 million against the . 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