When you’re thinking of the most important positions in any defense, you’ll probably list edge-rushers and cornerbacks right off the bat. The increase in quick game at all levels of football has made interior disruptors more impactful and important, because it’s easier to get to the quarterback in a relatively straight line if you’re of a mind to. And in today’s NFL, where safety switches are all the rage, and the division between free and strong has disappeared, the rangy safety is a necessity.
What you wouldn’t say right off the top is “linebacker.” And that’s obviously a sea change from even one era ago. Today’s linebackers, for the most part, are not given the praise allotted to Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, and Ray Lewis in their primes. NFL defenses have gone so far away from the base formations (think more obvious 3-4 and 4-3 sets) that defined the game for so long, and linebackers have had to adjust.
Now, if you can’t play half a field, you’re in big trouble, because that’s what you’re asked to do, more often than not, when the league is trending up to 70% nickel from season to season, and playing more dime than base. So, if you’re comfortable as the only ‘backer on the field, that certainly helps.
The math has changed for linebackers, and with that, the need for versatility has also exceeded anything imaginable from even a decade ago. Now, a linebacker will be tasked with serious snaps on the defensive line, in the slot, and even sometimes at the cornerback position.
As the game becomes more defined to cede to the pass, linebackers must adjust, or find themselves in less than optimal circumstances.
The 2023 NFL draft class of linebackers is a full buffet of different body types and skill sets, which fits the current paradigm of need. Here are our eight best in the upcoming class.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).