In his recent post on linebackers, PFF's Sam Monson ranked Nick Bolton No. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-linebackers-entering-2022-new-no-1-as-bobby-wagner-finally-dethroned | sport: football | route: article_single.us | Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. A quick thread on the most efficient coverage scheme for linebacker tackling since 2019, per @PFF: Cover-2 has allowed for >15% tackle efficiency for LBs since 2019 (average being 11-13%) acting as a true edge for #FFIDP leagues! This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. 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. Hes not great in other facets, but stopping the run is still an important aspect of the position. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. 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 Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports. A position of concern and potential weakness heading into last season has become a real strength for Kansas City. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. They happily scooped up the extremely talented Georgia linebacker. 1 linebacker according to PFF, with a grade of 89.7. Tae Crowder and Micah McFadden will look to compete for the spot opposite Martinez. Some may think Wagner is too high on this list, and while he took a small step backwards in 2021, he's still one of the best linebackers in the NFL. 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. Honorable mentions: Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Logan Wilson, Shaq Thompson, Alexander Johnson, Deion JonesJeremiah Owusu-Koramoah,Zach Cunningham, Anthony Walker, C.J. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 More Stats. Here are PFF's top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2021 NFL season. Okereke was particularly stout against the run, with his 13 defensive stops against the run tied for the 13th most. 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. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. Chenal is going to thrive in man-blitz-heavy schemes. PFF predicts Bears will sign three top-50 free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 2021 Snaps: 717 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. 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. Andersen is a converted running back and quarterback who, in his lone full season at linebacker, racked up an absurd 67 stops. At age 30, Kendricks should again be one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in 2022. He allowed 81.0% of passes thrown his way to be caught and missed 17 tackles in all. A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie Nakobe Dean and veteran Kyzir White to pair alongside T.J. Edwards, who had a breakout 2021 season. Tindall is a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. The former No. 2022 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Linebackers By Michael Renner Apr 22, 2022 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. Since entering the league, Warner has 118 or more total tackles in every season and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020. No. According to PFF, T.J. Edwards was the 10 th-ranked linebacker in 2021 but is still unproven and only has started 30 games in the NFL. 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. 2021 PFF grade: 65.1 (T-23rd of 89). 2021 PFF grade: 84.3 (2nd of 89). Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate. You dont want to line him up against an opposing receiving weapon in a one-on-one, but he demonstrated better recognition of route patterns and improved as a zone coverage backer. It's like your very own digital cheat sheet. Still, the. San Francisco 49ers . With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. Click here to view PFFs full IDP rankings for the 2022 season and tiers for the defensive linemen and defensive backs. Van Noy has now had stints in Detroit and Miami, but his good PFF grades are almost exclusively reserved for his time in the Patriots defense. 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. 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. 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. 2022 stats (Chargers): 5 sacks, 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. 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. Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie Christian Harris, who managed 34 run stops at Alabama in 2021 (tied for 36th among 374 qualifying FBS linebackers). Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. The Titans ask a lot of their off-ball linebackers, and Long can do it all. 6 in the NFL in sacks and No. Sam Monson of PFF recently ranked the top linebackers in the NFL and organized them in tiers. , who draws all the attention at the offensive line, opening up room for the linebackers for clean tackle opportunities. 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. He pairs with the solid Matt Milano, who posted the second-best season grade of his career (67.0) in 2021. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. 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. is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. Aug 9, 2022. 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. Here's the top 10 entering the 2022 season: 1. 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. David missed five games in 2021 due to injury, but he still had a solid season, recording 97 combined tackles. 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. 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. Now, Brown hits free agency coming off a career-low 421 snaps, though he still maintained a 60.0-plus coverage grade, which is where he derives a lot of his value as an off-ball linebacker. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. 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. 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. The Penn State product ranked No. both project to be every-down linebackers on ideal defenses for expected production. White landed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $3 million flier last offseason after his market didnt pan out too well. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. What a find he was for the Packers last year. 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. He is a truly freakish athlete and will be 25 years old throughout his entire sixth NFL season in 2023 after being selected No. February 24, 2023 7:45 am CT. A couple of New Orleans Saints standouts were recognized on the list of the top 101 NFL players of the 2022 season from Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson. After looking like he might be the next great linebacker earlier in his career. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. at 17 linebacker in the NFL going into 2022, placing him in the "young. 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. Projected contract: Two years, $14 million ($7M per year, $9 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 61 The Super Bowl has come and gone in 2022 and we have started to turn our attention to the next football season. Therefore, they are included in our defensive line rankings despite dropping into coverage at times. He subsequently graded out to 76.5 in his first season. A new defensive coordinator and scheme will help him, though. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports. That 42.0 mark was his first time dropping below 70.0 since 2015. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 2021 PFF grade: 83.5 (N/A). 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. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! He missed just two tackles in coverage and allowed only four explosive receptions. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing Myles Jack to the Steelers. Kendricks' grade did falter in 2021 a 59.9 mark that was down from 82.6 and 90.1 the past two years, respectively. However, he will have to get better in coverage. When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league. His All-Pro season in 2019 was special, but some might have thought it was just a one-year thing. 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. Last but certainly not least, Pratt also peaked at the right time, with his 90.1 overall grade since Week 8 the top mark among linebackers. 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. So, who's the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL today? It's good news, then,. on Pro Football Focus' Top-100 players of 2022 rankings. Chicago signed Nicholas Morrow from Las Vegas to fill the spot next to Smith for 2022. Projected contract: Two years, $9.5 million ($4.75M per year), $5.25 million total guaranteed. Typically, David is the ideal linebacker for IDP. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? 5 overall pick recorded 128 combined tackles, a career-high 18 QB hits in 2021 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection this past season. Al-Shaair is in line to get paid as a free agent after teammatesFred Warner and Dre Greenlawfind themselves among the 16 highest-paid off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Parsons is versatile, smart and instinctive. Al-Shaair missed a lot of time in 2022 but earned a career-best 67.8 overall grade and 79.7 run-defense grade. 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. 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. 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. Age: 28. Nakobe Dean is a dark horse with this group. Nevertheless, he may have to play on a one-year prove-it deal as he recovers. Devin Bush has not lived up to his draft status as a first-round pick, and 2022 might be his last chance to prove himself at the NFL level. 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. Pratt didnt miss many tackles as a run defender, either, whiffing on just 5.9% of opportunities after three straight seasons above 10% to start his career. 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. 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). 14 overall linebacker with a 72.3 PFF grade, and the No. 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. Final Season Stats. Smith is a complete athletic projection. Best Bets Tool, PFF Free Agency Rank: 27 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. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. He also registered an absurd pass-rushing grade of 93. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock An error occured while loading Position Grades. The Tennessee Titans are set to sport a talented and exciting inside linebacker duo in 2022 with David Long and Zach Cunningham, but where do they rank as compared to others in the NFL?. The grades for the Detroit Lions in their 9-8 campaign offer up an analytically-based glimpse of how the Lions performed. 2021 Snaps: 979 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 . He's been an All-Pro each year, and a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons now. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. 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. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. With that being said, Warner is still an elite linebacker and has recorded at least 118 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. 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. A couple of former Clemson stars made this ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers from the 2022 regular season. 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. Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) lines up over Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers (71) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. 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. Expect both young studs to push for 140-plus combined tackles, if healthy. Ranking 10 best NFL landing spots for Richardson, 2023 NFL combine: WR/TE winners and losers, Takeaways from NFL combine measurements for WR, TE, Pete Prisco's top 100 NFL free agents of 2023, NFL combine: Grading top QBs, plus winners and losers, NFL combine 2023 tracker: Top performances, highlights, Ranking the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022, NFL Combine: Grading top QBs; winners and losers, NFL Draft: Top landing spots for Richardson, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Colossal Richardson sets multiple QB combine records, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. You must be logged in and create a league profile to apply custom fantasy scoring to the stats, projections and rankings pages. Subscribe to Sign Up 1. Devin Lloyd, Utah BIG BOARD RANK: 15 A lot is riding on the development of Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons, who have simply not played well enough especially for first-round picks. 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. The rest of 1A should surprise no one, with this group almost filling out the consensus top-five linebackers in ADP terms,. Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. There is hope that Channing Tindall, Miami's rookie linebacker out of Georgia, can find his way on the field. While Warner recorded a career-high 137 combined tackles (T-No. The transition from college football to the NFL used to be smooth for linebackers, but even elite prospects can now struggle in Year 1. 2021 Snaps: 783 The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding. There may be no better all-around linebacker in the class. 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 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. 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. 1. There's no way he was going to get better, right? Harris is one of the most physical linebackers in the class who relishes the ability to hit anyone on the other side of the ball. He set career highs across the board, notching 146 combined tackles, six QB hits and two interceptions. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. Galina ranked the Colts at No. 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. 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. 2021 Snaps: 82 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. Why drafting Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons among the top-12 may not be the best decision. 2021 PFF grade: 53.0 (50th of 89). 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. Editor's note: For up-to-the-minute updates based on everythingwerehearing around the NFL, go to PFF's free agency rankings, where you can sort by position, team needs, and more all offseason long. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. He had a career year, helping turn around the Eagles' defense with the second-best grade among off-ball linebackers (84.4). The 12th. 10 among linebackers last year. The Rams attacked the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. Long plays a downhill, attacking brand of football that helps him blow up a lot of plays but also makes him particularly susceptible to over-committing on play-action passes and missing tackles when he takes a poor pursuit angle. Wagner gets a new opportunity on a new team with a lot more talent around him this season, so there is good reason to suspect that his grade might bounce back. He was All-Pro just one year ago, and has been a leader for this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense since the days when the franchise was going 2-14. He has not graded above 70.0 since. Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. He finished as the highest-graded linebacker in football, recording 140 tackles, two interceptions and a career-high six sacks. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. His 89.0 run-defense grade in 2022 ranked fourth at the position, with his 13 tackles for loss or no gain tied for 12th. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay, Blake Martinez rebounded with a solid season in 2020 in New York before succumbing to injury early in the 2021 campaign. 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. Jack is now trying to reboot his career in Pittsburgh after suffering similar ill-fortune in Jacksonville. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. But in a vacuum, Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray are just not good enough players. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. In two weeks, NFL GMs will begin negotiating with free . PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. 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. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. Hes aggressive, has a quick trigger and finds the ball carrier. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Pittsburgh Steelers (94/100) Cameron Heyward was second behind only Aaron Donald in PFF's grades of interior defensive linemen last season. Teams could do a lot worse than White if they are looking for a solid weakside linebacker who has the speed to stay with pass-catchers in coverage for the most part. They spent a lot of money on Roquan Smith at the linebacker spot, [so] why not bring in another Georgia guy?" . 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. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. 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. Christian Kirksey has not had a season of note since 2016 with the Browns, yet he projects as a starter in this defense once again. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are two young linebackers who came on strong last season. Perhaps most importantly in todays NFL, Tranquill followed up his 74.6 coverage grade in 2021 with a career-high 75.4 mark, with his 18 stops in coverage a top-20 figure among off-ball linebackers. Campbell recorded the second-highest PFF grade of any linebacker with an 85, and also was the second-highest graded linebacker in coverage with an 82.2. 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 . Although Parsons didn't walk away from the 2022 season with hardware to show off for his accomplishments in 2022 the way he did in his rookie season in 2021, Parsons continues to . Hes the complete package for a modern off-ball linebacker. 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. 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. 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. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. The Georgia Bulldogs have a 12 players participating at the 2023 NFL combine. One of the most underrated linebackers of the past several years, Demario Davis' late-career emergence as an elite LB has been fun to watch. He signed a monster five-year, $95 million extension last July, and is worth it considering he's just 25. However, both Mike Williams and Tee Higgins didn't get a whole lot of love and are lower on the list. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts . 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.