2017 Top 10 NFL Linebackers

1. Luke Kuechly

Stats

Tackles: 102, Sacks: 2, TFL: 6

Kuechly had a down year by his standards due to injury. He has been a great linebacker pretty much since he entered the league as the 9th overall pick in 2012. He is a special player and a prototype linebacker for this era. Kuechly is an elite cover linebacker with phenomenal instincts and really good athleticism.  He is also a great run defender. He diagnosis plays quicker than any linebacker in the league and is a textbook tackler. If his career continues at this rate he will go down with the likes of Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher.

2. Bobby Wagner

Stats

Tackles: 167, Sacks: 4.5, TFL: 8

Wagner was the best linebacker in the NFL in 2016 posting yet another fabulous season for the Seahawks. He was the best in the league defending the run earning the highest run defense grade of any linebacker by pro football focus. Wagner was terrific diagnosing plays, properly fitting gaps and he was a sure tackler when he made it to ball carriers. Wagner also does a good job of holding his own against offensive lineman. He is not quite elite in coverage but still very good. Wagner was also the most productive pass rusher among off-line backers racking up nearly five sacks and getting good pressure on a consistent basis when asked to blitz.

3. Sean Lee

Stats

Tackles: 145, Sacks: 0, TFL: 14

Lee was one of the most productive linebackers in the league in 2016 racking up almost 150 tackles and living in the backfield. He was second among off-line backers in tackles for loss. This is in large part due to Lee’s incredible play recognition skills. Lee sniffs out what running play the opposing team is running in a flash and is capable of getting to the right spot before the play can unfold. Lee is also one of the best zone coverage line backers in the game and though he did not have an interception last season he has proven over the years to have good hands for a linebacker and if a QB makes a mistake in his vicinity he makes them pay.

4. Jerrell Freeman

Stats

Tackles: 110, Sacks: 0, TFL: 7

Freeman had the best seasons of his career in 2016 earning the top overall grade among linebackers by pro football focus. It was in large part due to his fantastic coverage ability. He earned the highest coverage grade among linebackers in 2016 and he and his teammate Danny Trevathan make up one of the best coverage linebacking duos in the league. He was also very good vs. the run. He was near the top of the league at his position at getting in the backfield and making disruptive plays behind the line of scrimmage.

5. K.J. Wright

Stats

Tackles: 143, Sacks: 4, TFL: 12

Wright firmly established himself as an elite linebacker in 2015 and kept it going in 2016. Wright is one of the best playmakers in the game on defense. He is terrific sideline to sideline often showing off some of the best pursuit skills in the league. Wright is also terrific in coverage. He has the speed and quickness to match up well with tight ends and backs coming out of the backfield and can hold his own in zone against receivers for short stints.

6. Paul Posluszny

 

Stats

Tackles: 110, Sacks: 0, TFL: 7

Posluzny was the leader and driving force for a young Jags defense that really showed some improvement in 2016. He has been a good player in the NFL for a long time but in 2016 he took it to another level. He is not the greatest athlete but he has elite play recognition skills. Paul diagnoses both run and pass plays in a hurry which is why despite being a average athlete at his position at best he was still one of the best coverage linebackers in the game. He reads route combinations and gets in the right spots at the right time. The same is true in the run game where he primarily relies on his toughness and veteran savvy.

7.  NaVorro Bowman

Stats

Tackles: 35, Sacks: 1, TFL: 4

After bouncing back from a major injury in 2014 and having a great season last year Bowman lost yet another year to injury. At this point it may be time to give him the injury prone label which is why I have him so low on this list. When Bowman is healthy he is second only to Kuechly. He is elite vs both the run and pass and is a prototype 21st century linebacker.

8. Vontaze Burfict

Stats

Tackles: 101, Sacks: 2, TFL: 5

Burfict is a flat out thumper at the linebacker position. He is notorious for his physical play (and at times for taking things to far). Yes he has some discipline issues but there is no denying his talent as a linebacker. He is one of the best pure tacklers in the game. He can pursue with the best of them and when he gets to ball carriers and makes contact they go down. Burfict is also pretty good in coverage flashing good zone instincts and adequate athleticism to cover in space. He was also one of the top ranked pass rushing linebackers in the NFL. His physicality naturally aids his effectiveness when getting after the QB.

9. Dont’a Hightower

Stats

Tackles: 65, Sacks: 2.5, TFL: 2

Hightower could be higher on this list if he was not dealing with some nick knack injury every year. He has missed three or more games now in three consecutive seasons. However, he is the leader of a very good Patriots defense that helped win yet another Super Bowl. Hightower is effective at all three phases of linebacker play and can play every linebacker position in multiple schemes which is what makes him so special. At 6’3, 265 he looks more like a defensive end than a 2017 linebacker but he is highly athletic for a man of his size. The most shocking aspect of Hightower’s game is just how good he is in coverage. The belief in today’s NFL is that linebackers can no longer be 260 pounds because they will be unable to cover. However, Hightower puts such notions to rest as he has been one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL throughout his entire career. Laterally he is not the quickness so he has to do his work defending the run early by diagnosing plays properly and he does just that as he has proven to be one of the smartest linebackers in football. He is also one of the top pass rushing off-line backers. Not only can he blitz from off-line but he has the unique skill set to line up in-line as an edge player and hold his own as well.

10. Jordan Hicks

Stats

Tackles: 86, Sacks: 1, TFL: 6

Jordan Hicks had a breakout year in his second NFL season for the Eagles. Two years ago he proved to be one of the most explosive athletes at his position during the combine and that athleticism was on full display in his sophomore season as Hicks was one of the most disruptive players in the game. The most impressive aspect of his game at this juncture is definitely his coverage ability. We have reached a point in the NFL where a linebackers coverage ability is slightly more important than their ability to defend the run and this gives Hicks a big boost. He had five interceptions and 11 pass deflections and matched up well in coverage with almost anyone he was asked to cover. Hicks has to improve as a run defender however. He is light at only 236 and will need to improve his technique to compensate as he may never become great at shedding blocks. He can be a little to reliant on his speed and over pursue things at times or simply not fit runs correctly. I believe he will improve in time at this phase of the game and when he does he could easily be top three at his position.