Rating NFL’s high linebackers getting into 2021: Bobby Wagner retains high spot, Buccaneers boast two in high 10

Right here at CBS Sports activities, now we have been rating the highest 10 gamers in every place group this offseason. After dedicating final week to offense, now we have turned our consideration to protection. Patrik Walker touched on the cornerbacks earlier this week, Tyler Sullivan ranked the safeties and Jared Dubin took the edge rushers together with inside defensive lineman. In the present day, we’ll take a look at the highest linebackers who captain their respective defenses. 

Our high 10 reasoning will primarily give attention to 2021 outlook together with how these gamers carried out in 2020. We issue of their talents as an athlete, a run stopper and naturally how effectively they fare in defending the move. One other issue might be Sports activities Reference’s Approximate Worth instrument, which is an try to put a single quantity on the seasonal worth of a participant at any place from any 12 months (since 1950). We unnoticed veterans like C.J. Mosley and Dont’a Hightower after they opted out final season as a result of pandemic, and likewise unnoticed a few tackling monsters reminiscent of Blake Martinez and Zach Cunningham. This text is bound to generate good dialog amongst your folks and a few indignant emails in my inbox, so let’s go forward and bounce in.

Edmunds injured his shoulder within the season opener final 12 months, however rebounded to complete with one other spectacular marketing campaign. His 119 mixed tackles have been tied for No. 8 amongst inside linebackers, and he tied his profession excessive with two sacks. Edmunds, whereas extremely athletic, did not dominate in protection, however completed with an Approximate Worth (AV) of 9 — which ranked No. 7 amongst inside linebackers. If we have been rating linebackers simply off of final 12 months’s stats, Edmunds in all probability would not make our high 10. Nonetheless, we anticipate him to take a step ahead in 2021. 

Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo Information famous that Edmunds stood out on the ultimate day of minicamp due to his protection abilities. He reportedly used his 83-inch wingspan to cease Josh Allen from hooking up with Emmanuel Sanders deep down the sphere, which is one thing Buffalo Payments followers definitely need to hear. Edmunds is athletic sufficient to be one of the crucial well-rounded linebackers within the NFL, and he is getting into his fourth season at simply 23 years previous! The Payments are a workforce on the rise, and Edmunds is a participant that’s doing the identical. With the Payments drafting two move rushers with their first two picks this offseason, I am excited to see what Edmunds can do shifting ahead.  

Jones entered the NFL as a high cowl linebacker, however his 2020 marketing campaign proved it is onerous to be constant in that function — particularly when you do not have assist round you. His protection stats regarded higher in his first two seasons, as Jones recorded six interceptions and 21 passes defended, however he nonetheless recorded an AV of 9 in 2020, which was the second-highest of his profession. Jones noticed extra motion pressuring the quarterback in 2020, and recorded a career-high 10 quarterback hits and a team-leading 4.5 sacks. He has recorded not less than 106 tackles in seasons the place he has performed in not less than 15 video games, and has confirmed to be a well-rounded linebacker open to doing no matter is requested of him. 

Another excuse Jones makes this listing is due to his playmaking skill — not in simply selecting off passes, however with what he does after recording an interception. No linebacker has recorded extra interceptions (11) than he has since getting into the NFL in 2016, and he additionally has two extra touchdowns than another linebacker throughout that very same time span. He recorded 84 return yards off of two picks in 2020, and had 165 yards in his rookie season to associate with two touchdowns. He’s averaging one landing per season. That is fairly spectacular for a linebacker. 

Some thought Davis could have reached his apex at age 30 together with his inaugural All-Professional choice, however he did not regress in 2021. The previous third-round pick of Arkansas State recorded 119 mixed tackles, 4 sacks and earned an AV of 14 — which ranked fifth amongst linebackers. Davis could have been a late bloomer, however he has advanced into the chief of what has been among the finest defenses over the previous few years. He does not miss tackles a lot, is stable in protection, and is aware of how you can learn and react to motion rapidly. He has additionally performed a few totally different positions in New Orleans’ scheme, and has performed so effectively. 

After Smith burst onto the NFL scene with 121 mixed tackles in 2018, he took a little bit of a step backward in 2019. Fortunately, he returned to kind in 2020 with a profession 12 months. His 139 mixed tackles ranked No. 5 amongst inside linebackers, his 4 sacks ranked No. 3 and he led all inside linebackers with 18 tackles for loss. He additionally ranked third with a career-high seven passes defended. He is nonetheless ready on that first Professional Bowl choice, however Smith was named an All-Professional in 2020. 

Based on the Bears’ official web site, Smith was the one participant to file not less than 100 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and two interceptions final season. He additionally intercepted two passes in Week 16, which made him the primary Bears linebacker to file two picks in a sport since Lance Briggs did so in 2008. He is a star within the making, and final 12 months confirmed that. His AV of 15 was tied for second amongst all inside linebackers in 2020. 

White was an absolute monster in his second NFL season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His 140 mixed tackles ranked fourth within the NFL amongst inside linebackers, his 9 sacks ranked first, his 15 tackles for loss ranked second and his 16 quarterback hits ranked first. His AV of 15 was additionally tied for second within the league. Whereas White missed Tampa Bay’s first postseason matchup towards Washington, he nonetheless recorded 38 mixed tackles, two interceptions and recovered two fumbles in three playoff video games. 

Solely 4 gamers have recorded over 200 tackles and not less than 10 sacks of their first two seasons (since sacks grew to become an official stat in 1982), and White is certainly one of them. Simply 23 years previous, White is an rising star on this league — and he is not the one Buccaneers inside linebacker on this listing. 

David has spent his whole profession with the Buccaneers, and his manufacturing hasn’t slowed down at age 31. In 2020, he recorded 117 mixed tackles, 1.5 sacks, three pressured fumbles and 12 tackles for loss. In 9 seasons, he has didn’t file 100 mixed tackles simply as soon as! Whereas the Bucs picked up legendary quarterback Tom Brady final offseason, it was David who captained Tampa Bay’s protection by way of the postseason. In his first 4 playoff video games, he recorded 26 mixed tackles, one sack and 4 passes defended whereas taking part in each defensive snap doable.  

David suffered by way of horrible seasons with the Buccaneers, however remained motivated and confirmed up when he lastly bought the possibility at a Tremendous Bowl. Just one NFL participant has recorded extra tackles than David within the final decade, and he is discovered afterward on this listing. Moreover, in keeping with PFF, solely three linebackers have earned a protection grade of 80.0-plus whereas seeing not less than 90 targets since 2011. David has performed it twice within the final two seasons. 

Leonard’s rookie season in 2018 was unforgettable, because the South Carolina State product led the NFL with 163 mixed tackles and likewise ranked within the high 10 amongst rookies in tackles for loss, sacks, passes defensed, interceptions and compelled fumbles. In 2019, Leonard missed three video games as a consequence of a concussion, however nonetheless recorded 121 mixed tackles, a career-high 5 interceptions and 7 tackles for loss — which warranted his first Professional Bowl bid. Leonard earned his second All-Professional honor in 2021 after racking up 132 mixed tackles and three sacks to associate with seven passes defensed. He proved in his first NFL season that he was among the finest linebackers within the sport, and our opinion has not modified. 

Linebackers who can cowl extraordinarily effectively assist their defenses in a giant means, and Kendricks is among the finest. He has the highest PFF Grade (90.6) of all linebackers since 2019, and was tied for first amongst all linebackers in interceptions final 12 months with a career-high three picks regardless of lacking 5 video games. Even with missed time, he nonetheless recorded 107 mixed tackles, as he is a vital piece in stopping the run as effectively. Based on Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, the Vikings gave up not less than 390 yards in 4 of their ultimate 5 video games final season with Kendricks out as a consequence of damage, and allowed 463 speeding yards in back-to-back losses to the Bears and Saints. 

No linebacker has recorded extra passes defended over the previous 5 seasons than Kendricks. Now again wholesome, anticipate him to have one other enormous season in 2021. Based on the Star Tribune, Minnesota’s star linebacker had three huge performs in move protection throughout the second day of the Vikings’ obligatory minicamp earlier this month that have been price writing about. 

We went forwards and backwards on whether or not Warner ought to be the highest linebacker on our listing, however we in the end landed at No. 2. Warner was a participant we ranked at No. 9 final 12 months, saying that he was flying beneath the radar since he was a part of a proficient protection. He is turning into extra of a family title now, nevertheless, as a few of the 49ers‘ defensive expertise has left whereas Warner simply continues to get higher. Even after two spectacular seasons, Warner managed to place up profession numbers in 2020 with 125 mixed tackles, two interceptions, seven quarterback hits and a sack. He warranted an AV of 19, which was much better than another inside linebacker, and earned his first Professional Bowl nod in addition to an All-Professional choice.

Based on PFF, Warner was the highest-graded linebacker of 2020 with an 89.1 grade. He’s a constant tackler, and got here in at No. 9 this 12 months amongst all gamers together with his 125 mixed takedowns. His 367 profession tackles are tied for No. 7 within the NFL since he entered the league in 2018. With him being simply 24 and having by no means missed a sport as a consequence of damage, do not be shocked to see him are available in at No. 1 on our listing for 2022. 

Whereas he simply turned 31, Wagner continues to be the perfect inside linebacker in soccer. Whether or not it is stopping the run or making an affect in defending the move, Wagner can do both at a excessive stage. His consistency is one more reason he earns the No. 1 spot on our listing, as he has missed only one sport over the past 5 seasons. Lavonte David and Demario Davis have been constant presences over the previous 10 seasons, however no participant has recorded extra tackles than Wagner in that time-frame (1,213). 

Wagner was our high linebacker final 12 months, and people anticipating him to regress in 2020 have been sadly mistaken. He recorded 138 mixed tackles, three sacks, seven tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. As beforehand talked about, we thought-about calling our shot by placing Warner as our No. 1 linebacker this 12 months, however Wagner outperformed him in a number of classes final season that made it troublesome for us to get cute on the high spot.   

AV	12 (sixth)	19 (1st)
Tackles	138 (sixth)	125 (seventh)
Sacks	3 (T-Fifth)	1 (T-Nineteenth)
Tackles for loss	7 (T-Tenth)	5 (T-Sixteenth)
Interceptions	0	2 (T-Third)
Passes defended	8 (T-1st)	6 (T-4th)

It is doable this might be Wagner’s final 12 months atop our listing of the perfect linebackers, however do not anticipate any sort of steep drop-off. Wagner is the guts and soul of this Seahawks protection and has been named an All-Professional 5 years in a row for good purpose.