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- Nathan Rush
- Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens (1996-2012) 2000 Defensive Player of the Year. 2003 Defensive Player of the Year. 7-time first-team All-Pro. 13-time Pro Bowler.
- Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-84) Hall of Fame, Class of 1990. 1976 Defensive Player of the Year. 1974 Defensive Rookie of the Year. 6-time first-team All-Pro.
- Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears (1965-73) Hall of Fame, Class of 1979. 1969 Defensive Player of the Year. 1970 Defensive Player of the Year. 5-time first-team All-Pro.
- Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears (1981-92) Hall of Fame, Class of 1998. 1985 Defensive Player of the Year. 1988 Defensive Player of the Year. 7-time first-team All-Pro.
May 15, 2024 · A three-time All-Pro and the leader of one of the league’s best defenses, Fred Warner is the best linebacker in the NFL heading into 2024. Warner was a Day 1 starter for the 49ers after entering the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s the perfect modern linebacker thanks to his ability to cover any type of receiver ...
- Sam Huff
- Bobby Wagner
- Nick Buoniconti
- Brian Urlacher
- Ray Nitschke
- Luke Kuechly
- Mike Singletary
- Jack Lambert
- Dick Butkus
- Ray Lewis
Sam Huff played 13 seasons in the NFL, eight with the New York Giants and five with the Washington Redskins. He won an NFL Championship with the Giants in 1956, a season in which he finished third in voting for United Press International’s Rookie of the Year Award. He was also a first-team All-Pro selection twice, in 1958 and 1959. Sam Huff Career ...
Bobby Wagner has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL for almost a decade at this point, winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. He’s been nothing but consistent since those days of Seahawks dominance in the league. He led the league in combined tackles in 2016 and 2019, and in solo tackles in 2017. He’s a four-time first-tea...
Nick Buoniconti played 14 seasons in the NFL, seven with the Boston Patriots and seven with the Miami Dolphins. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins, in 1972 and 1973. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection, including in four consecutive seasons between 1964 and 1967 during his Patriots tenure. Nick Buoniconti Career Stats: 1. Intercep...
Brian Urlacher played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He won both the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, in 2000 and 2005 respectively. The four-time first-team All-Pro led the NFL in solo tackles in 2002 with 117 and yards recovered from fumbles in 2001 with 101. Brian Urlacher C...
Ray Nitschke played 15 seasons in the NFL, all with the Green Bay Packers. In that time, his teams won five league championships, including the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. The two-time first-team All-Pro selection was one of the staples of the great Packers teams of the NFL Championship/early Super Bowl eras of the league. Ray Nitschke ...
Luke Kuechly played just eight seasons in the NFL, all with the Caroline Panthers, retiring while still in his athletic prime. He won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013. He also twice led the league in combined tackles in 2012 and 2014. Luke Kuechly Career...
Mike Singletary played 12 seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He was a seven-time first-team All-Pro selection, and the leader of the 1985 Bears defense, commonly remembered as one of the top defenses in the history of the league. He won AP Defensive Player of the Year that season, an award he won again in 1988. Mike Singletary Career S...
Jack Lambert played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his tenure, the Steelers won four Super Bowls and were the defining franchise of the 1970s. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection and a winner of the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Jack Lambert Career Stats: 1...
Dick Butkus played nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He was such a great player that he overshadowed the struggles of the team throughout his tenure. No playoff appearances and no Defensive Player of the Year accolades doesn’t dampen the career of this all-time great player. Dick Butkus Career Stats: 1. Interceptions: 22 2. Fumbl...
Ray Lewis, alongside Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor, is arguably the scariest linebacker in the history of the NFL. His 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens are the stuff of legend. Not only did he forever define that franchise, he also won two Super Bowls and was a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Award winner and leading the league in co...
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- Sam Monson
- Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks. Seattle's defense may have deteriorated around him, but Bobby Wagner remains the class of the linebacker position, especially since Luke Kuechly‘s retirement.
- Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers. Fred Warner is the latest contender for Wagner’s crown as the best linebacker in the game, and he represents the new pathway for the position.
- Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings. Showing there is more than one way to get it done, Eric Kendricks played a more conventional college position than Warner but has been the other superstar linebacker in coverage over the past couple of years.
- Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. David is now 31 years old, but you only need to turn on the Super Bowl to see that he can still hang with the best linebackers in the league.
- Micah Parsons. DAL • LB • #11. Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, recording 84 combined tackles and a Dallas Cowboys rookie record 13 sacks.
- Bobby Wagner. SEA • MLB • #54. 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.
- Darius Leonard. PHI • OLB. According to Stathead's AV tool, Leonard was tied in having the second-best season of any linebacker last year.
- Fred Warner. SF • MLB • #54. After Warner's monster 2020 campaign, we thought he could be the No. 1 linebacker on this list entering 2022.
PFF's exclusive metrics provide Linebacker (LB) position rankings, grades, and snap counts.
Oct 6, 2023 · Dick Butkus (1965 - 1973) The original middle linebacker, Dick Butkus, was the gold standard. The legendary Chicago Bear struck fear into his opponents and led his defense with a remorseless intensity. Butkus tallied 1,020 tackles in his career, was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and earned All-Pro honors five times.
