NFL training camps are underway as we hurtle toward the 2025 season. It's not exactly a surprise that the individuals capturing many headlines are quarterbacks or players amid contract talks. But today, I want to zero in on some of the less-heralded guys: the linebackers, who are the quarterbacks of the defense.
A lot of people think the hardest position on defense is defensive back, and that could be true from a physical standpoint. Now, I know I may be somewhat biased here, having played LB for eight years in the NFL, but to me, linebacker is the most difficult to play overall, considering the physical and mental aspects. It's the only position on that side of the ball that must know the entire picture. Linebackers don't have the luxury of putting all of their focus on locking down a receiver on the perimeter or beating a player one-on-one at the line of scrimmage. It's a three-layer process, as 'backers have to know their own jobs, the jobs of the other 10 defensive players and what the offense is trying to accomplish. It's essential for LBs to understand every factor and every situation on every play.
So, who are the best linebackers in today's game? After reviewing rosters across the league, here are my top 10 players at the position entering the 2025 NFL season.
Drafted one year before me, Wagner is a player I watched and whose game I tried to emulate. He is one of the most cerebral players at the linebacker position, which is why the 10-time Pro Bowler has been able to play at such a high level throughout his career. He's great at dissecting plays and alerting the defense pre-snap, and his post-snap reactions are precise, as he rarely takes a false step. Naturally, the 35-year-old has slowed some, recording three of his lowest Pro Football Focus coverage grades in the last four seasons, but his ability to move efficiently has allowed him to stay near the top of the league in tackling, blitzing and run-stuffing.
Warner, who recently signed a three-year extension with the 49ers, is a freak athlete who routinely finds ways to impact the game. His experience playing a hybrid linebacker/safety role in college helped him become a skilled player in coverage, but he can also lower the boom in the backfield and turn the ball over. The unquestioned leader of San Francisco's defense has compiled at least 125 tackles in five of his seven seasons, earning first-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors four times. Warner shows no signs of slowing down in Year 8 and should continue his playmaking ways with Robert Saleh back as his defensive coordinator.
Greenlaw is an old-school linebacker whose play style and enthusiasm call to mind San Francisco great NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. Injuries sidelined the veteran for all but two games in his final year with the 49ers, though he just made a healthy camp debut with the Broncos. I expect big things from the 28-year-old in his first season in Denver, as he'll often have a clear runway to the ball-carrier, thanks to the Broncos' vaunted D-line occupying blockers at the line of scrimmage.
David has been one of my favorite players at the position dating back to his days at Nebraska. His sideline-to-sideline ability allows him to stay with tight ends, and his dedication to film study helps him to regularly sniff out trick plays. It's like what Ray Lewis said in the Madden NFL 13 intro:
"I'm older. Of course I'm older. That's the beauty of it. ... Different level of wisdom, different level of understanding."
With David entering his 14th NFL season with the Bucs after signing a one-year deal in March, there's not much he hasn't seen or experienced on the field, especially playing in a division where he had to face the likes of Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton twice per season. He has played 198 games and recorded 1,602 tackles, 39 sacks, 31 forced fumbles and 13 interceptions over his career. He didn't have his best performance in 2024, but there's no denying his passion for the game as the heart and soul of Todd Bowles' defense.
I spent the final season of my career playing alongside Smith (then a third-year pro) in Chicago. Watching him operate at a level of excellence on and off the field, I marveled at his ability to lead verbally and with his work ethic. Smith is a hybrid linebacker, a combination of old school and new, as a rugged, physical defender who boasts the finesse to be an every-down player in today's NFL. The sideline-to-sideline menace is a tackling machine in the middle of Baltimore's defense, having earned three consecutive first-team All-Pro nods. He'll continue to produce for Zach Orr's unit this fall.
Anzalone, whom I was teammates with in New Orleans for three seasons (2017-19), is one of the most athletic linebackers I've ever seen play. His ability to move laterally in coverage across the field is nearly unmatched, and the veteran has learned to master the "linebacker dance," knowing when to be aggressive and when to be patient. One of the most underrated players at the position, Anzalone has provided some of his best ball under Dan Campbell in Detroit, averaging 106 tackles over the last three seasons -- despite the fact that he missed seven games in 2024 due to injury -- while also totaling 17 passes defensed, 21 tackles for loss and 24 QB hits.
Baun displayed an ultimate belief in himself in 2024, signing a one-year deal with the Eagles and changing positions, from outside rush 'backer to inside stack 'backer. The result: a first-team All-Pro campaign that saw him stuff the stat sheet with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, one interception and four passes defensed. Oh, and he earned a Super Bowl ring. There are a lot of big personalities and playmakers on Philadelphia's defense, and it speaks volumes about Baun's leadership and buy-in to Vic Fangio's plan that he was able to become a star in his first season there. His ability to produce at an elite level illustrates his trust in his teammates and knowledge of the split-safety system. Now having a full year under Fangio's direction, Baun has a real chance to build on his breakout campaign, fresh off signing a three-year extension this offseason.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo requires a lot of his linebackers, especially in man coverage, and Bolton has embraced the role since he was drafted in 2021, quickly emerging as the backbone of the unit. He's prolific as a sideline-to-sideline defender and also makes offenses regret running up the middle. According to NFL Research, Bolton is one of five players with 550-plus tackles and 35-plus TFLs over their first four seasons (including playoffs) since 2000, joining Luke Kuechly, Lavonte David, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. He's not just making the routine plays, either, as he's able to move the needle as a game-changer in the biggest moments. You could make an argument that his 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown in Super Bowl LVII was one of the key reasons the Chiefs won that game. Bolton earned every bit of the new contract he signed this offseason.
My Chargers teammate for two seasons (2015 and '16), Perryman has an uncanny ability to sit while the ball is snapped, then shoot out of a cannon and meet the ball in the backfield. I don't think it's a coincidence that Ray Lewis played the same way; both enjoyed decorated college careers at Miami. Perryman is entering his 11th NFL season and has been an underrated player for much of his career, partially due to a lengthy injury history. In his healthiest season in 2021, he logged 154 tackles and made the Pro Bowl with the Raiders. When his body's right, Perryman is a reliable, hard-nosed, hard-hitting defender.
After a slow start to his career, Luvu has established himself as a force over the last three seasons (two in Carolina, one with Washington). He just enjoyed his best campaign in his first year under Dan Quinn, registering career highs in sacks (8), QB hits (14) and passes defensed (7) while playing next to Bobby Wagner. A second-team All-Pro selection last season, Luvu plays with immense energy and aggressiveness, often on display in blitz packages. Luvu causes a lot of chaos in the backfield and plays with no fear. His production speaks for itself, but his ability to lead is equally worth mentioning. The eighth-year pro is the often the player rallying his teammates on the sideline and the one leading the pregame huddle. It truly underscores his worth that he's the one guys go to, considering Wagner -- a future Hall of Famer -- is also in the mix.
HONORABLE MENTION: Henry To’oTo’o, Houston Texans; Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions; Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints.
