From that point forward he was plagued with injuries. Madden 23. Miller is not what he once was, but he is still one of the best at his position. He returned to the lineup in 2018 and saw time at both safety and linebacker, making two starts at outside linebacker. He earned the same accolade again in 2020 and 2021. Trent Williams LT | 49ers | Power. , Smith remains one of the leagues top linebackers. Tremaine Edmunds is the youngest of this group at 25, and he put on a clinic against the Dolphins on Super Wild Card Weekend. A post shared by Forever 80's Giants Football (@forever80sgiantsfootball). Furthermore, Watt's 111 quarterback hits are second only to Donald. However, we regard the top traditional linebackers as Clemson's Trenton Simpson and Oregon's Noah Sewell - both have a chance to hear their name called on day one of the draft. Ham was a six time First Team All-Pro and eight time Pro Bowler during his 12 year career. Kendricks continues to get better with age, as he totaled a career-high 143 total tackles and five sacks in 2021 his seventh NFL season. View Ranking History 2/18/23: In 2022, Anderson totaled 51 tackles, 10 sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown. Every snap, these mighty run stuffers must stymie the most athletic skill players, while demolishing any blockers who stand in their way, which sounds easier than it is. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. So, who are the best linebackers of 2022? Projected 40 Time: 4.60. Where T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and more of the best Outside Linebackers rank going into the 2021-2022 NFL Season. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. 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. Ware, who was a key member of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, was nearly unstoppable by just one offensive blocker. If he is drafted to play in a 4-3, he still will be a good player. On 50 attempts here are the results for each archetype: Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: Top 10 Outside Linebackers for the 2022 NFL Season. 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. Time will tell if he stays in Los Angeles or he will return to Denver to help Russell Wilson Receive another ring. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. His first season in Green Bay produced an overall PFF grade of 85.0 and earned him a $50 million extension, but before that, Campbells PFF grades fell between 49.0 and 69.1 for two different teams. Whether its from the. Brent Venables, Clemson -- $2.4 million 2. or someone else, Smith is sure to get paid next offseason when his rookie deal expires. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. The Yellow Jackets need to bounce back to make a bowl game in 2022, but having a versatile player like Thomas helps. If a team needs at least eight sacks and more juice for its pass rush, Ngakoue should be the first call. He should be able to continue to get 100+ tackles per season if he is able to stay healthy. This demand however came easily for some of the Greatest Outside Linebackers All-Time including the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Brooks, Jack Ham, Terrell Suggs, Derrick Thomas and DeMarcus Ware. Team Spending. 2. 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. Miller however has proven that he is still a dominant pass rusher when healthy, and at only 32 he still has a few years left to add to his Hall of Fame resume. In the first round, the team tabbed Fred McNeill of USC, who became a fixture at the outside linebacker spot for many . 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. He was integral in the team's championship and led the NFL with 18 tackles for loss, after joining the Rams in Week 10. Bosa missed four games last season due to concussions, and he has a little injury history. Parsons actually finished No. Johnson got off to an unusually late start to his NFL career and has battled injuries, but he has been an excellent linebacker when he has been on the field. for the folks who say Micah Parsons is an edgethere were four games where he played basically edge only because of injuries, and the rest of the games he was predominantly an off-ball linebackerMicah Parsons is a linebacker who can play edge defender pic.twitter.com/rcjJlM00MS. On the other hand, we have the classic chase and run linebackers who chase down running backs, spy on mobile quarterbacks and cover tight ends and even wide receivers in the slot like Darius Leonard. His third year in he recorded 18 sacks and followed that season up with 16.5 sacks the next year. Part 3. . Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, JR, Notre Dame. Thomas would go on to play 11 NFL seasons before his career and life was cut short after an automobile accident. He managed to surpass his rookie season, notching 13.5 sacks despite defenses running plays to the opposite side of the field.. There's no way he was going to get better, right? 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. Both Barr and Danielle Hunter are keys to a bounce-back season for the defense in Minnesota. And even though he hasnt quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500, CO: CALL 1-800-522-4700, MI: CALL 1-800-270-7117 | Full T&C apply. Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 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. 12 pick in 2021, Parsons was the unanimous rookie of the year last season. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. By Brandon Walker | August 27, 2021 - 11:49 AM. Now that the 2022 NFL season is over, it's time to look ahead to an . 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. Only four others have done that since individual sacks have been recorded, since 1982: three Hall of Famers (DeMarcus Ware, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White) and Los Angeles Rams defensive Aaron Donald, a future Hall of Famer. The Ramsrecently releasedWagner just one season into a five-year, $50 million contract due to salary cap issues. Monte Coleman 5. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Projecting ceilings and floors are never an exact science, but there are a number of reasons to believe Campbell has the highest-floor of any linebacker in the class. Top 10 NFL Outside Linebackers of All Time Rankings Honorable Mention Rickey Jackson Team (s): New Orleans Saints & San Francisco 49ers The longtime New Orleans Saints star put together a brilliant NFL career after being selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. We thought about if Parsons should even be included in this list since he played a fair amount of pass-rusher last season, but the bottom line is that Parsons is a great linebacker who can wear several different hats on defense. A post shared by Fan Rankings (@fanrankings), Swipe right for Outside Linebacker Fan Rankings. Despite not getting the contract extension he wanted, Smith remains one of the leagues top linebackers. 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. Something to note is that 3-4 pass-rushers will not appear on this list. 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. Neal Olkewicz FAQs Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. HONORABLE MENTION: Bob Breunig, Greg Ellis. That number one option is the former New York Giants great Lawrence Taylor who the team selected number two overall during the 1981 NFL draft. He led the NFL in tackles as a rookie, which gave him First-Team All-Pro honors. 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. Fan Rankings is a registered trademark of Fan Rankings LLC. 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. The Buffalo Bills will be getting a great team leader. David also graded out as the No. Then, he was named All-Pro again in 2020 with an AV of 14 for the second straight season. The 33-year-old Davis begins a string of veterans on this list. Miller and Aaron Donald could not be blocked with Miller recording two sacks. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star, Derrick Thomas became the face of the Chiefs defense after being selected fourth overall during the 1989 NFL draft. I look for him to bounce back in 2021 to get the Bills back to the dominant defense that the Bills were in 2019. Parsons is very similar to Leonard, except that he can play anywhere in front seven. Since 2011, J.J. Watt has without question been among the best left outside linebackers in the NFL. 2024 High School Pos Rankings State Rankings. Leighton Vander Esch isn't the same electrifying that he was during his lone Pro Bowl season as a rookie in 2018, but his ability to read and react against opposing offenses remains. Parsons shined in both roles, totaling 13 sacks and being named First-Team All-Pro. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings and to have a chance to win a gift card to LAZADA, Amazon. 1. One of our representatives will be in touch shortly. Nick Bolton (Chiefs); Jordyn Brooks (Seahawks); Shaq Thompson (Panthers); Denzel Perryman (Raiders); Foye Oluokun (Jaguars). The defense might decide on . Chuck Drazenovich 10. Bradie James was one of the more productive defensive players of the Bill Parcells/Wade Phillips era. One player on each defense is allowed to wear the green dot, a helmet device that allows communication between a player and coach. Will Anderson*, OLB/DE, Alabama Height: 6-4. 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. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings and to have a chance to win a gift card to LAZADA, Amazon, Fanatics.com, or more that is specific to you. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. The Rams have a great defense, and the 32-year-old Wagner could find himself rejuvenated in 2022. PTS. Watt . There is no debating who is the Top 10 Outside Linebacker All-Time. . It is possible, I am sure. 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 Bills have stars all over their defense, but Milano is at the center of it all. Hes proven to be capable of defending both the run and the pass. Over his career Ware led the NFL in sacks in both 2008 and 2010, made nine Pro Bowl teams and was a four time First Team All-Pro. This tool includes all signings that happen during the Free Agency window only. Many are still waiting for Warner to fully show out and showcase the incredible potential he has shown at times on the field. Those traits have allowed him to make a lot of tackles, but tackles are not always good plays for linebackers if they come after a big gain on the ground or because they were out of position in coverage. Packers team historian Ray Nitschke notwithstanding, the Green Bay Packers have been much stronger at outside linebacker than middle or inside linebacker since the 4-3 defense became popular. Now with the, , Wagner has the chance to compete for a second Super Bowl. 1. # Player OVR GEN TOTAL; 1. 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. 6 defense in the league last year, and Smith was a big reason why. Feb 27, 2023. Barrett was Tampa's best defensive player during their 2020 Super Bowl run and he got rewarded with a nice long-term extension this offseason. Ware, who was a key member of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, was nearly unstoppable by just one offensive blocker. The league continues to transition towards smaller yet faster linebackers, and Owusu-Koramoah epitomizes this trend. Using a combination of power, strength, and brute force, the best NFL linebackers punish elite offenses so the NFL's best defenses can get turnovers and claim glory. This is likely a polarizing selection. Bennett didnt disappoint, helping to transition the Bills defense into one of the tops in the NFL. He has prototype size for the position at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds in addition to extensive experience taking on blocks. LAVONTE DAVID, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Leonard was a beast in stopping the run, as his 91.1 PFF run defense grade was second among all defenders in 2021 -- not just linebackers. Yes, that means Bobby Bell was not a first-ballot choice. , NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS he should be the first round the! A rookie, which gave him First-Team All-Pro honors neal Olkewicz FAQs next on... Of the leagues top linebackers is not what he once was, but having versatile... Extension this offseason extension this offseason top 10 Outside linebacker Fan Rankings ( @ fanrankings,. That point forward he was plagued with injuries @ fanrankings ), Swipe right Outside. James was one of the best off-ball linebacker in the first round, the team tabbed Fred McNeill USC! Linebackers in the NFL today he has a little injury History pass rush, Ngakoue should be able to healthy. 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Tool includes all signings that happen during the Free Agency window only where T.J. Watt Khalil.

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