Joe Soriano
O.J. Lewis2/2011 Linebacker Rankings
February 23rd 2011 15:59
1. Patrick Willis- A surefire tackler that is steadily becoming a force in coverage.
2. James Harrison- The man that is truly the best on Pittsburgh, and it might as well be a tie between him an Willis for first. There are so many good linebackers in the league. Harrison is an incredible pass rusher that is an underrated player against the run.
3. Terrell Suggs- Suggs is an insane pass rusher that is strong against the run. As good as Ray Lewis still is, Suggs is now the best linebacker in Baltimore.
4. David Harris- He does everything. Harris is called the Jets' defensive QB for good reason. He excels at making line calls, and his leadership qualities are invaluable to any team. Harris tackles and makes plays in coverage too.
5. Jon Beason- Beason is a steady tackler and leader.
6. LaMarr Woodley- Everybody knows how great of a pass rusher Woodley is.
7. Lawrence Timmons- He is a strong all around player that was the best defensive player in the league in 2011. It's just that nobody could look over his three stalwart teammates. Timmons is a keeper.
8. DeMarcus Ware- He is a hybrid DE/LB so it's very tough to place him. He led the league in sacks and was a monster as a pass rusher, but that's all he does. I value linebackers for all around play, but Ware is a beast and one of my favorites. He can definitely jump into the top 5, but I wish he refined other parts to his game. Again, he is a hybrid player so it's tough to rank him.
9. DeMeco Ryans- A force when healthy.
10. Jerod Mayo- He is a great pure tackler.
11. Clay Matthews- There is no denying his ability as a pass rusher.
12. Ray Lewis- The name and intensity says it all, even at this age.
13. Curtis Lofton- Don't forget him when talking about great tacklers and LBs against the rush.
14. Chad Greenway- Definitely deserved to have the tag slapped on him. He tackles at such a high rate that it isn't even cool.
15. London Fletcher- See Lewis, Ray. Fletcher has been underrated for too long in his career. He does so much for his team. I would vote Fletch into the HOF, no question.
16. Elvis Dumervil- I can't wait to see another full season out of the Haitian.
17. DJ Williams- He is such a great tackler, but he too gets forgotten.
18. Karlos Dansby
19. Tamba Hali
20. Anthony Spencer
21. Barrett Ruud
22. Bart Scott
23. Cameron Wake
24. James Anderson
25. Desmond Bishop
26. Keith Rivers
27. Lance Briggs
28. Jonathan Vilma
29. AJ Hawk
30. Stephen Tulloch
31. Dhani Jones
32. Brian Urlacher
33. Derrick Johnson
34. Rey Maualaga
35. James Laurinitis
36. Paul Posluszny
37. Lofa Tatupu
38. Brian Orakpo
39. Shaun Phillips
40. Brian Cushing
41. EJ Henderson
42. Nick Barnett
43. Kirk Morrison
44. Kevin Burnett
45. Daryl Smith
46. Bradie James
47. Rocky McIntosh
48. David Hawthorne
49. Clint Session
50. Shawn Bradley
2. James Harrison- The man that is truly the best on Pittsburgh, and it might as well be a tie between him an Willis for first. There are so many good linebackers in the league. Harrison is an incredible pass rusher that is an underrated player against the run.
3. Terrell Suggs- Suggs is an insane pass rusher that is strong against the run. As good as Ray Lewis still is, Suggs is now the best linebacker in Baltimore.
4. David Harris- He does everything. Harris is called the Jets' defensive QB for good reason. He excels at making line calls, and his leadership qualities are invaluable to any team. Harris tackles and makes plays in coverage too.
5. Jon Beason- Beason is a steady tackler and leader.
6. LaMarr Woodley- Everybody knows how great of a pass rusher Woodley is.
7. Lawrence Timmons- He is a strong all around player that was the best defensive player in the league in 2011. It's just that nobody could look over his three stalwart teammates. Timmons is a keeper.
8. DeMarcus Ware- He is a hybrid DE/LB so it's very tough to place him. He led the league in sacks and was a monster as a pass rusher, but that's all he does. I value linebackers for all around play, but Ware is a beast and one of my favorites. He can definitely jump into the top 5, but I wish he refined other parts to his game. Again, he is a hybrid player so it's tough to rank him.
9. DeMeco Ryans- A force when healthy.
10. Jerod Mayo- He is a great pure tackler.
11. Clay Matthews- There is no denying his ability as a pass rusher.
12. Ray Lewis- The name and intensity says it all, even at this age.
13. Curtis Lofton- Don't forget him when talking about great tacklers and LBs against the rush.
15. London Fletcher- See Lewis, Ray. Fletcher has been underrated for too long in his career. He does so much for his team. I would vote Fletch into the HOF, no question.
16. Elvis Dumervil- I can't wait to see another full season out of the Haitian.
17. DJ Williams- He is such a great tackler, but he too gets forgotten.
18. Karlos Dansby
19. Tamba Hali
20. Anthony Spencer
21. Barrett Ruud
22. Bart Scott
23. Cameron Wake
24. James Anderson
25. Desmond Bishop
26. Keith Rivers
27. Lance Briggs
28. Jonathan Vilma
29. AJ Hawk
30. Stephen Tulloch
31. Dhani Jones
32. Brian Urlacher
33. Derrick Johnson
34. Rey Maualaga
35. James Laurinitis
36. Paul Posluszny
37. Lofa Tatupu
38. Brian Orakpo
39. Shaun Phillips
40. Brian Cushing
41. EJ Henderson
42. Nick Barnett
43. Kirk Morrison
44. Kevin Burnett
45. Daryl Smith
46. Bradie James
47. Rocky McIntosh
48. David Hawthorne
49. Clint Session
50. Shawn Bradley
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