As stated in the article, Galina only included true off-ball . Okereke is now coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 100 tackles and 50 defensive stops. What a find he was for the Packers last year. Perryman was looking for a new contract heading into 2022 but ultimately played out the year, earning a strong 80.5 run-defense grade. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports. This ranking may be a surprise after the Seahawks lost future Hall of Famer. The Jaguars replaced Jack with Oluokun, who also has outstanding physical traits. Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings. Offensive Line | Quarterback | Backfield | Pass-Catcher | Secondary | Linebackers | Special Teams) 2022 NFL Defensive Line Rankings Below is every team ranked 1-32 by how their defensive line shapes up for 2022. A pair of Seahawks came in at No. heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. Ranking NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022: New No. 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. Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million ($8.5M per year, $16.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 65 There are a lot of unknowns in this group due to inexperience. That flexibility is tremendously valuable to the Dallas defense, but Parsons could take his game to another level if he shows development off the ball in Year 2. The Seahawks selected Cody Barton out of Utah with the No. Denver let Alexander Johnson walk in free agency, which depleted this unit. 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. 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. Campbells 90.4 tackling grade is his fifth straight such mark above 75.0, and that sure tackling goes a long way in Green Bay. Alex Anzalone and Chris Board are two depth players who start for the Lions. All Rights Reserved. Maybe the most volatile position in football, linebackers have seen their worth in the NFL fluctuate over the years. A defender who can blow up screen plays and make takedowns in the open field. . The 1B tier has just as much going for them, with zone-heavy defenses, expected positive tackle efficiency and an every-down roles. His past two years against the run have been horrid, with him posting 39.8 and 30.0 run-defense grades. 2022 NFL linebacker unit rankings: Giants come in at 24 (PFF . Age: 28. All of this culminates with the 2022 NFL Draft from Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28th. 8 in total pressures. 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 . 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. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. He has top-notch natural coverage skills for a linebacker his size, but everything else is a work in progress. Projected contract: Two years, $14.5 million ($7.25M per year), $8.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 99 The ACC consisted of 14 members in two divisions. There's no way he was going to get better, right? Projected contract: Two years, $15 million ($7.5M per year, $10M total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 86 That could be a problem for folks expecting the same numbers. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades. Vander Esch earned a 90.0-plus grade in three starts in 2021, including two such outings over the final five weeks. Smith has recorded at least 101 combined tackles in each of his four NFL seasons, and his last two campaigns have been impressive. Dean's range at the linebacker position is unparalleled in this draft class. 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. One of the five highest-graded linebackers last season in his first year with Carolina, Luvu is another Demario Davis trajectory candidate. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers, Lavonte David is likely another surprise player based on where he tends to go in drafts, but dont let the age fool you. Bobby Wagner may surprise some based on his age. 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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. The folks over at PFF are going through the process of creating rankings and tiers for every position ahead of the 2022 NFL season. They also signed linebacker Myles Jack and D-lineman Larry Ogunjobi. He was everything for the Green Bay defense, and while he might be the next linebacker to rejuvenate his career with a new team ( la Demario Davis), he very well could also be a one-hit wonder. 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. Seven 49ers listed on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 ranking By Site Staff follow Feb 23, 2023 at 12:56 PM -- shares Seven San Francisco 49ers landed on Pro Football Focus' Top 101 Players. 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. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports. Though he's 32 years old, David hasn't taken a major step backwards just yet. Projected contract: Four years, $40 million ($10M per year, $22.5 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 63 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. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 9 linebacker in coverage with a 73.9. Hes a high-upside player now playing with a future Hall of Famer. He has yet to post a sub-70.0 grade, with three out of his four years coming in above 78.0. You don't do what he did in his rookie season if you aren't a star. Vander Esch has had an up and down first four years in the NFL, but the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2018 still flashes on occasion and will certainly draw attention. The 2022 season was Longs first as a full-time starter at middle linebacker, but hes made the most of opportunities in the past. Research past fantasy performance with sortable player stats including PFF-exclusives like aDOT and fantasy points per opportunity. Meanwhile, TJ Watt led the league in sacks (22.5) and was the Defensive Player of the Year. Kendricks is another well-rounded linebacker that can cover, as his 73.8 PFF coverage grade ranked No. But in a vacuum, Much of this unit's potential lies with third-round rookie. However, Georgia wide receiver Kearis Jackson is not ranked in Pro Football Focus' NFL draft big board rankings. ECR VS. ADP. Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. He has not graded above 70.0 since. The criteria for making the top tier of IDP linebackers is relatively simple: be an every-down linebacker and play in a linebacker-friendly defense that breeds above-average tackle efficiency for the position. Philadelphia brought Edwards back in 2022 on a one-year, $2.15 million deal at a position they have all but refused to invest in with top draft capital or free-agent dollars in many years, but Edwards may put the Eagles positional value to the test this offseason if they want to keep him around. Losing Kyle Van Noy, the highest-graded coverage linebacker in 2021, will hurt. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. Within 2021 and 2022's class, Detroit made use of the later rounds to nab names such as wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and edge James Houston. 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. After sitting out in 2020, C.J. Pro Football Focus has finalized the regular season grades for the 2022 NFL season. After ranking the best individual linebackers heading into 2022, here's how each team's linebacking corps stacks up. He can chase down the fastest of running backs. 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. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. Projected contract: Two years, $14 million ($7M per year, $9 million total guaranteed), PFF Free Agency Rank: 61 Walker is one of the best run-and-hit linebackers in the class. Perhaps no player better sums up the volatility of linebacker play than the newly minted All-Pro, De'Vondre Campbell. Zach Cunningham, if nothing else, stops the run. That's because he's both a speedy 240 pounds and one of the best tacklers in the class, having missed only seven times on 138 career attempts. Projected contract: Two years,$12.5 million ($6.25M per year), $8 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 139 Although Wagner might be on the downswing of a great career, this unit could push for a top-five spot by the season's end if he rebounds after a poor 2021. 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. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is a solid all-around off-ball linebacker who has three straight seasons logging at least 750 snaps, and he took a major leap in 2022 with the Denver Broncos. Projected contract: Two years, $10 million ($5M per year), $5.5 million total guaranteed, PFF Free Agency Rank: 163 If the Cardinals had spent those picks elsewhere and held on to Jordan Hicks in free agency, they would be in a much better spot. Divine Deablo had some interesting moments as a rookie in 2021 and is worth keeping an eye on. Mosley, Foye Oluokun. Los Angeles' overall defense is so good, at least on paper, that it might not matter who plays linebacker. 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. The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from Patrick Queen after two subpar seasons. at Here's what PFF wrote about Wagner's season. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Davis is a player people keep expecting to regress, but he just hasn't. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. 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. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Overall, Georgia has 11 players in PFF's big board including six players ranked in the top 80 NFL draft prospects. He recorded 122 combined tackles, four interceptions and a whopping eight forced fumbles, which led the league. 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. 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. Murray surrendered a near-perfect passer rating into his coverage in 2021, allowing 14 catches on 15 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. His struggles come in coverage, where he's allowed nearly 1,000 yards over the past two seasons. Like the Chiefs, the Bengals also went into last season with a lot of unknowns surrounding the linebacker position but found a really good pair in, A position of weakness for the Eagles in 2021 might turn into a position of strength in 2022 with the additions of rookie, The Ravens are still looking for that breakout year from. However, he will have to get better in coverage. the star of the Colts' defense has been rock solid since exploding onto the scene as a rookie. He packs a punch as a downhill player, as he can light up offensive linemen with ease. The former undrafted free agent is in for a big pay raise this offseason after making the absolute most of his one-year deal. 2021 PFF grade: 43.7 (71st of 89). Pro Football Focus supported claims of San Francisco's top-end roster by putting seven of their players in the top 101 of the 2022 season. Its hard to overstate Fred Warners effect on the 49ers' defense in their run to the NFC championship in 2021. I laid out some of my thoughts on their situations, rambling on longer for some more than others. And Davis has been outstanding in all areas since moving to the New Orleans defense. Linebackers with the most INT's in both man and zone coverage last season Man: Bobby Okereke (2) Zone: Darius Leonard (4) pic.twitter.com/RJ4JbjcbYx 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. 7 ranking in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 25 safeties of the 2022 . The Georgia product was named second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021, and recorded a career-high 163 combined tackles last year -- which ranked fifth among all linebackers. Tremaine Edmunds has not quite lived up to expectations, but hes still young and can grow into a good player. Adam Holt. 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. The linebacker position in the game of football is one of the most important. 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. His processing skills took massive steps forward in 2021, causing his grade to jump from 57.1 to 76.3. While Parsons proved to be a stud pass-rusher, some had questions about his coverage ability coming into the league. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Its a rebuilt Jaguars linebacking corps after losing. Jewell is actually more of an all-around linebacker, but run defense has been his best area in the NFL. One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner playing very good football well into their 30s on recently signed contracts of their own. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Bentley improved considerably in his second season as a full-time player, as his 68.1 overall grade was almost 15 points better than his 2020 overall grade. The Falcons defense has fallen apart around him, and he no longer has a free run to the football as often as he did when he was playing his best football. "He posted a 1.5 percent drop rate in 2022, which . Vander Eschs 70.8 grade is his best since his rookie season in 2018, and he also set career highs in missed tackle rate (6.5%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.49). 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). Diggs had a high EPA and was an all pro who bad habits come from gambling. Parsons was the No. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. The main contributors to a linebackers IDP success are the volume of defensive snaps combined with playing in zone-heavy defenses, which rack up tackles more efficiently. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. Milano was a fifth-round draft pick back in 2017 but has dramatically outperformed his first-round teammate, Tremaine Edmunds, within the Buffalo defense. You must be logged in and create a league profile to apply custom fantasy scoring to the stats, projections and rankings pages. In 10 seasons, he has been named an All-Pro eight times, made the Pro Bowl eight times and led the NFL in tackles twice. 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! 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. 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. Here are the top free agents at linebacker, taken from PFF's free agency rankings. No linebacker corps gets its collective noses dirtier than the Patriots' unit. Asamoah is undersized at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, but he possesses sideline-to-sideline range. 1 on our list. 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. Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and Lee Smith (don't hate on the importance of the old school tight end) will no longer be suiting up for the team in 2022. Pro Football Focus's top linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft only kind of, sort of plays linebacker. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. He rarely leaves the field, having never played less than 90% of defensive snaps when healthy in a season, and is a lock for triple-digit tackles as a result. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia . Jewell missed almost all of 2021 due to injury but is a run-stuffing force when on the field. He's a Hall of Famer, no doubt, but the reason he's so high on this list is because he's not done just yet. Campbells ranking could justifiably be at the very top of this list or somewhere in the 30s, based on his career so far. There are also linebackers who are at their best in coverage, which is useful for todays NFL. 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. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) stares into the backfield during pre-game at Nissan Stadium. Hightower will be 32 years old in Week 1 of 2022, but there's an argument that taking the 2020 season off has his body refreshed and revitalized. Linebacker Rankings: 2022 Regular Season, Updated: 9/1/2022 Want Custom Fantasy Scoring? Alabama linebacker Christian Harris is the last player in PFF's top 100, with a plus 60 overall, pass rush, and run defense grade but just above 50 for his coverage grade. Yes, Davis was a late-bloomer, but not many players can make the impact he does in stopping the run, tackling, rushing the passer and working in coverage. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Give him the freedom to play fast, and he'll excel. Recently, Seth Galina from PFF ranked all 32 linebacker units in the league. Edmunds is just 24 years old and entering his fifth NFL season. The league may be trending ever more toward the passing game, but there is still a place in the NFL for linebackers who are excellent run defenders first and foremost. 3) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints. Mosley endured the worst-graded season of his NFL career. Anzalone has always shown promise but is probably better coming off the bench, especially after finishing with a bottom-10 overall grade among 94 qualifying linebackers in 2021. His elite run-stopping ability was on display against the Packers in the divisional round, too. 2 in the NFL, only trailing Fred Warner and the San Francisco 49ers. There's no telling what he could be with more reps at the position. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks ranked No. Over the past three seasons, his 19.8% pass-rush win rate and 23.8% pressure rate are both the second-best marks among off-ball linebackers with at least 100 pass-rush snaps over the span. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers struck gold when they drafted Warner in the third round in 2018. Below, we will rank the NFL's top 10 linebackers entering 2022. 2021 PFF grade: 80.1 (3rd of 89). Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. 2021 PFF grade: 64.2 (24th of 89). Unfortunately, he took a bit of a step back from his All-Pro and Pro Bowls ways. 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. Still, in a league that continues to throw more and more, Bentley remains best-suited as an early-down run defender who can generate the occasional quarterback pressure. Barr is a bit of a unique player, generally deployed as a Sam linebacker in a 4-3 scheme who occasionally gets his hand in the dirt. They're both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. 4. Even Micah Parsons a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as a rookie put up middling run-defense and tackling grades in his first year in Dallas. With that in mind, some of these units have fewer members than others. 2021 Snaps: 323 Despite what PFF says, I don't think there are that many more linebackers who are better in coverage than Kendricks. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings Okereke is a solid stand-in next to Leonard. The first week of March will see the NFL Combine which will be followed by College Pro Days. David also just put forth his worst season since 2016, posting a 72.3 grade. 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. With that said, an elite linebacker does make a defense better there just arent that many of them in the league at this moment. 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. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports. 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. March 2, 2023 3:21 pm ET. Oluokun is coming off a PFF run-defense grade of 44.0 and a coverage grade of 54.4. Rounding out the top-tier of linebackers. He even hit 107 combined tackles in 2020 despite playing in just 11 games! NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players in an effort to defeat them during the year and perhaps sign them in the offseason. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | He, perhaps critically, chose to stay in the defense that helped produce that phenomenal season, but we are all too aware of the folly of using just one season of play to determine everything we know about a player. White was a reliable presence at linebacker following the loss of 2020 first-rounderKenneth Murrayduring Weeks 4-9 and when Murray was battling injuries over Weeks 11-15. Galina ranked the Colts at No. Plenty of well-known 'backers had coverage grades in the 30s this past season. 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. JaWhaun Bentley is a hard-nosed player like his counterpart Mack Wilson. The 12th. Bolton, then a rookie, produced one of the highest individual grades for a linebacker. This was the last season that the conference used divisions in its football scheduling. After looking like one of the worst linebackers in the NFL for a few years in Green Bay. 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. This past offseason,San Francisco 49erslinebackerFred Warnerand subsequentlyIndianapolis ColtslinebackerDarius Leonardreset the market at the position just under $20 million per year after years of stagnation. Those tools caused Edwards to go undrafted despite an excellent college career, and he had to fight his way into a starting job by excelling in the preseason and on special teams. Here are the top off-ball linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2022. Hes not only straight-line fast, but he also processes and reacts with elite quickness. He ended up making the Pro Bowl by logging a career-high 863 snaps and racking up 121 tackles and 61 defensive stops. 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. This is a case of one elite linebacker pulling along another whose narrative hasnt really matched his production. He put forth a monster rookie season in 2019 but hasnt quite attained the same highs in subsequent seasons. Luckily for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was still available in the third round. 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. 10. Jordyn Brooks is an ascending star who will get more snaps this year. 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: 82 He didn't end the 2021 campaign in the best fashion, but did rebound to record 13 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, four QB hits and two passes defensed in Tampa Bay's two postseason games. He at least improved upon his 29.7 grade as a rookie with a 43.5 mark in Year 2. Wilson showed in the playoffs that he could finally have answered a real problem area for the Cincinnati Bengals, showing up with multiple excellent PFF game grades and making plays in coverage. However, Dean played his role at an elite level, ranking 10th among all corners graded by PFF. On Tuesday, PFF's Seth Galina released his linebacker rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL. 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. 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. This is a precarious spot for the Packers to be in, even with 2021 All-Pro DeVondre Campbell back for another season in the same defense he broke out with. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Still, its an interesting group because of Ernest Jones, especially after his very good Super Bowl performance as he came back from an injury-plagued season. This group could rank much higher by the end of next season. With Oluokun one of the few young players available, a market could develop for him that exceeds expectations. 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. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The first-ever unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year has quickly become the standard for linebacker play in the NFL.