Pro Football Network ranked the Top 100 players ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
Micah Parsons, Danielle Hunter, T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, and Josh Hines-Allen were considered EDGE rushers for the rankings, even though linebacker was their official Pro Bowl-designated position last season.
Let’s take a look at the linebackers that made PFN’s NFL Top 100.
Linebackers in PFN’s NFL Top 100
1) Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers (18th overall)
Fred Warner can do it all. He’s the perfect modern linebacker thanks to his ability to cover any type of receiver, take on blockers against the run, and blitz from the second level.
Warner allowed just an 81.7 passer rating as the nearest defender in coverage, the best mark among linebackers with at least 300 coverage snaps in 2023. He’s missed just one game through six seasons in San Francisco.
2) Roquan Smith, LB, Baltimore Ravens (29th overall)
Roquan Smith’s arrival in October 2022 redefined the Baltimore Ravens’ defense over the past year-plus, allowing the group to become one of the most dominant units in the NFL. He’s physical in the run game and can shed blockers as well as any linebacker.
Thanks to his outstanding football intelligence, Smith is also a savant at reading route combinations and disrupting passing lanes
3) Demario Davis, LB, New Orleans Saints (45th overall)
A late bloomer in the NFL, Demario Davis has become a genuine force since signing with the New Orleans Saints in 2018.
While he’s entering his age-35 campaign, Davis is still among the most productive linebackers in the league. He’s received a first- or second-team All-Pro nod in five consecutive seasons and has been named a Pro Bowler the last two. His 6.5 sacks in 2023 ranked second among off-ball linebackers.
4) Quincy Williams, LB, New York Jets (65th overall)
Quincy Williams has transformed into a Pro Bowl linebacker since joining the Jets as a 2021 waiver claim.
In 2023, Williams led the NFL with 80 defensive stops, but he wasn’t a pure run-stopping linebacker. He also finished second among linebackers in pass breakups (10) and played the third-most LB snaps from the slot.
5) Matt Milano, LB, Buffalo Bills (73rd overall)
The NFL’s poster child for safety-to-linebacker converts, Matt Milano has always been a solid coverage defender because of his defensive back history. The Bills LB earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2022 after posting 99 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 pass breakups.
Milano should be ready to return in Week 1 after suffering a season-ending leg fracture last October.