What exactly is a linebacker? Who will be the best NFL linebackers in 2022?
Linebackers are the team’s primary tacklers and run defenders. Furthermore, they are assigned a hybrid role in which they can play either defensivlinemenan or defensive back.
Because of the evolution of efficient and accomplished offensive gameplay, the linebacker position has suffered the most. While they had a slim chance of success, some of them stood out to become the best.
So, without further ado, here are the Top 12 NFL Linebackers for 2022.
2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings
The following list has been compiled using reliable sources such as NFL.com and PFF.
Before we get started, let’s take a look at the top 12 NFL linebackers in 2022.
| Name | Team |
| 12. Jayon Brown | Tennessee Titans |
| 11. Matt Milano | Buffalo Bills |
| 10. Alexander Johnson | Denver Broncos |
| 9. Dont’a Hightower | New England Patriots |
| 8. Roquan Smith | Chicago Bears |
| 7. Deion Jones | Atlanta Falcons |
| 6. Darius Leonard | Indianapolis Colts |
| 5. Demario Davis | New Orleans Saints |
| 4. Lavonte David | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 3. Eric Kendricks | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2. Fred Warner | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1. Bobby Wagner | Seattle Seahawks |
12. Jayon BrowJasonon Lee Brown is an American linebacker who currently plays for the Tennessee Titans.
Brown played collegiate football for UCLA before joining the NFL. Even further back, the California-born athlete was a student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
The Titans’ 27-year-old has emerged as a key player. Brown has significantly outperformed Rashaan Evans, the Titans’ former first-round pick, over the last two seasons.
Brown made his first NFL start a year after signing with the Titans in 2017. He made an immediate impact against the Philadelphia Eagles, recording ten combined tackles and one sack.
With impressive performances over the years, the NFL began to take notice of the strong linebacker. Furthermore, he lived up to his billing in the previous season with outstanding performances.
Not to mention, Brown had the highest forced incompletion rate of any linebacker in 2020, at 11.3%.
11. Matt Milano
Matthew Vincent Milano, also known as Matt Milano, is a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. Milano signed a four-year contract with the Bills on May 11, 2017.
Milano played collegiately for Boston Collegbeforeto his professional career. Unfortunately, there are no records indicating Matt’s involvement in football during his high school years.
On the field, Milano has consistently demonstrated his class and brute strength. Furthermore, his outstanding 2018 and 2019 seasons earned him 77.3 and 81.9 PFF coverage grades, respectively.
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Milano was eager to show his usual form in 2020 after putting up incredible numbers for the previous two seasons. However, he was sidelined in week 4 due to a pectoral injury.
Milano’s signed a four-year extension worth $44 million on March 11, 2021. Furthermore, the Bills intend to rely on their star defensive player for the 2021 season.
10. Alexander Johnson
Alexander James Johnson is an American linebacker for the Denver Broncos who was born in Gainesville, Georgia.
Johnson played collegiately for the University of Tennessee before entering the NFL. He had previously attended and played for Gainesville High School.
After going undrafted in 2018, it appeared that Johnson would have to wait a long time before being selected. He remained focused, however, and waited for an opportunity to strike.
In Week 5 of the 2019 season, Johnson made his first career start. He took off like a rocket, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with.
The year after that, in 2020, was not as exciting as his breakthrough year. Despite this, the 30-year-old recorded the third-most defensive stops in the NFL with 58.
9. Dont’a Hightower
Qualin Donta Hightower is an American inside linebacker for the New England Patriots. Hightower, who is well-known for his versatility, is one of the top NFL linebackers heading into 2022.
Before entering the NFL, Hightower was a collegiate standout at the University of Alabama, where he earned numerous honors.
His passion for football, however, began at Marshall County Tigers High School.
Hightower made his professional debut in 2012. Since then, he has not looked back, winning three Super Bowls in his nine-year NFL career.
The 32-year-old chose not to play in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns. The Patriots missed him in 2020, but they are hoping that his return will spark their push for 2022.
8. Roquan Smith
Roquan Daevon Smith is an American linebacker who currently plays for the Chicago Bears.
Smith was a collegiate standout, displaying tremendous talent from the start. The talented linebacker played for the University of Georgia, where he was named SEC Championship Game MVP in 2017.
On the professional side, Smith made his NFL debut against the Green Bay Packers in 2018. While the then-prodigy was slow to get off the ground in the NFL, he made an impact in the 2020 season.
Last season, he received an 84.0 PFF coverage grade. Furthermore, he allowed a passer rating of 75.8 into his coverage.
As a result, the Bears will be counting on their strong linebacker to be at his best again in 2022.
7. Deion Jones
Deion Jones, born November 4, 1994, is an American linebacker who currently plays for the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones played collegiately for Louisiana State University before making his NFL debut. Deion previously attended and played for Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Deion Jones from 2016. (Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)
Jones made his NFL debut for the Falcons in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016.
Jones is one of the league’s most well-known players, and he possesses elite coverage ability. He received a PFF coverage grade of 91.7 in 2017 and scored above 80.0 again in 2019.
While Jones has had a difficult year, he hopes to regain his form and be the rock that his team expects of him in 2020.
6. Darius Leonard
Darius Shaquille Leonard is a professional outside linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts.
Leonard, also known as the “maniac,” was a collegiate football player for the South Carolina State Bulldogs. During his high school years, he attended and played for Lake View High School.
Meanwhile, Jones made his NFL regular-season debut for the Colts in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.
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Darius has not received a bad PFF grade in any aspect of play since his arrival. In addition, he is genuinely consistent in a position that is frequently exploited by modern offenses.
Furthermore, Leonard has ten forced fumbles, the most of any linebacker since his debut in the league.
5. Demario Davis
Demario Davis, who ranks fifth, is an American linebacker who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
Davis attended Arkansas State University during his collegiate career. Demario, on the other hand, was a wide receiver for Brandon High School during his school days.
Davis, on the other hand, made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills with the New York Jets.
While the 33-year-old had a down year in 2020, he had a strong year the year before.
Davis had an outstanding 2019, earning him a higher-than-average PFF grade in every aspect of his game. Furthermore, in the last two years, he has missed only 16 tackles out of 263 attempts.
4. Lavonte David
Lavonte David is a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. For the past nine years, David has been one of the best linebackers in the league.
Lavonte began his collegiate career at Ford Scott Community College. He later transferred to Nebraska and played for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Meanwhile, after signing a four-year, $3.47 million contract, the Miami-born athlete made his NFL debut in 2012. In addition, he made his first career start against the Carolina Panthers in the season opener.
The 32-year-old is determined not to be held back by his age. Instead, David hopes to rediscover his form for the 2022 season and demonstrate why he is still regarded as one of the best linebackers in the game.
3. Eric Kendricks
Moving up to number three, Eric-Nathan M. Kendricks, or Eric Kendricks is a middle linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings.
Kendricks attended and played for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in his collegiate career before breaking into the NFL. Eric also received All-American honors and the Butkus Award as the nation’s top collegiate linebacker.
Kendricks, a prodigy from the start, has been a thorn in the side of opposing attackers. While he played a more traditional role in college, he has emerged as a standout coverage linebacker in recent years.
2. Fred Warner
Federico Anthony Warner is a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He is a serious contender for the Wagner Award, which is given to the best linebacker in the game.
Warner attended and played for Brigham Young University before joining the NFL (BYU). During his time at BYU, he played a hybrid role as an overhang and slot/linebacker.
Warner made his professional debut against the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 season opener. He hasn’t looked back since.
Over the last two seasons, the 25-year-old has averaged a PFF overage grade of 90.0 or higher.
1. Bobby Wagner
Bobby Joseph Wagner, an American linebacker who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks, is at the top of our list.
Wagner attended Utah State University from 2008 to 2011, where he played 2008 to 2011. Wagner was the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
In the linebacker position, the 32-year-old is in a league of his own. Furthermore, after Luke Kuechly retired, Wagner took over the starting spot for the Seahawks.
He has, on the other hand, been asked to play a larger role in the Seahawks’ pass-rush strategy. Wagner lived up to his billing, recording 23 quarterback pressures.
Furthermore, he has been flying in terms of PFF grades. In 2020, he had an 80.0-plus PFF pass-rushing grade on the blitz for the fifth straight season.
Conclusion
The linebacker position is arguably the most difficult to play. Furthermore, defensive solidity is based on the linebackers’ ability to perform their assigned task.
Despite the difficulties and challenges, the players mentioned above have consistently been among the league’s best.
With that, we conclude our look at the Top 12 NFL Linebackers for 2022.
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