We continue our offseason rankings series with a look at the NFL’s top 10 inside linebackers, a list which includes 4-3 defensive ends. In other words, no pass rushers allowed. They already got their love.
1. Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers — That’s back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods for the 2013 defensive player of the year. The tackle machine is a stud both at stopping the run and in coverage, which is why Pro Football Focus gave him the top grade among all inside linebackers.
2. Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks — The first-team All-Pro had 83 tackles in just 11 games. And when you look at how Seattle’s 2014 season broke on defense, you see that Wagner might have made the difference.
3. NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers — Honorable mention to C.J. Mosley of the Ravens, who would have made this list as a run-stopping stud inside if we were only looking at 2014. But you can’t punish Bowman — who was a first-team All-Pro in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was PFF’s top-rated inside linebacker in two years ago — for being hurt last season.
4. Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders — The No. 5 overall pick had a monster rookie season, earning the second-highest PFF grade in all of football (behind only J.J. Watt). He makes everyone around him look better than they are.
5. DeAndre Levy, Detroit Lions — The underrated 28-year-old led the league with 121 tackles. And among non-rushing 4-3 outside linebackers, he graded out second to only Mack at PFF. Sadly, that was enough only to become a huge Pro Bowl snub.
6. Rolando McClain, Dallas Cowboys — So much for being a bust. After failing in Oakland, the former top-10 pick deserved a Pro Bowl nod for his phenomenal performance during his first season with the Cowboys. McClain led all inside linebackers by a wide margin with a PFF run-stop rate of 15.2.
7. Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots — This spot could have just as easily gone to teammate Jamie Collins, who isn’t quite as versatile, or the injury-prone Jerod Mayo. That whole linebacking corps deserves a ton of credit. But Hightower’s PFF grade was nearly as high as Kuechly’s on 165 fewer snaps.
8. Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh Steelers — The veteran had a career year in 2014 with the third-highest PFF run-stop rate at the position.
9. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — David gets on the list for being a tackle machine, but he also misses too many and doesn’t do a whole lot else. PFF graded him as the second-best 4-3 outside linebacker in the game in 2013.
10. Bruce Irvin, Seattle Seahawks — The steady Irvin’s a jack of all trades, which is why he doesn’t get a lot of attention from Pro Bowl voters. Don’t let that fool you.
