Who is best linebacker ever

But that season was simply one stage in a Hall of Fame career. Singletary totaled 1, tackles along with his 12 fumble recoveries and seven interceptions. Considering his attitude toward ball-carriers, that's no surprise. It was like the good guy against the bad guy. Ray Lewis would squirrel-dance into the stadium and quickly ruin the opposing offense's game plan. But that one On the field, the high-energy linebacker served as the centerpiece of the Baltimore Ravens defense for 17 years.

During his second season, Lewis amassed tackles. He won Defensive Player of the Year in and repeated the feat in Until J. Watt came around, Lawrence Taylor was the only player to ever secure three Defensive Player of the Year honors. Taylor racked up a career-best Overall, L. Although off-field troubles have dimmed the shine on his NFL days, Taylor finished his career as the most dominant linebacker ever. Enjoy our content? When you think of Singletary, the first thing that comes to mind is intense focus.

The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of "Samurai Mike" on the field. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous '85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field — Pittsburgh's famed "Steel Curtain.

Lambert's signature toothless snarl struck fear into the hearts of the opposition and lends credence to his legendary status as one of the toughest players all-time. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus.

He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. Butkus' nasty disposition and ability to blow up anyone standing in his path, made him one of the most feared players in the history of the game.

A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis' intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit.

Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all-time. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, he's one of the game's greatest players period. He is the only linebacker to ever take the honor. Top photo courtesy of NFL. Home NFL. Recommended Articles. College Football. By Tom Bowles. By Jon Kinne. By Juan Jose Rodriguez. Smith is a tremendous blitzer, a good tackler, and has enough speed to track pass catchers downfield and sideline to sideline.

If he puts it all together, he'll be one of the best linebackers in football. I think he'll do exactly that in after two good, but not great seasons to begin his career.

After a stellar rookie season in , Vander Esch already emerged as a definitive top linebacker. But he took a step back a season ago in terms of his production before he lost his season to injury. And then there's the injury itself, which is the real reason Vander Esch is ranked this low on the list. He missed seven games last year. This offseason, he underwent neck surgery. While the team remains optimistic that the injury won't linger into the season , it's worth noting that he dealt with serious neck issues during his college career at Boise State.

At the very least, it's a mild concern. But the fact remains that Vander Esch still possesses all of the attributes needed to return to his form and perhaps even improve as he gets more comfortable with the speed and nuances of the NFL.

That's why he made it onto this list. We saw in just how good he can be: combined tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended. If he's fully healthy, he should reclaim his status as a top linebacker in Fred Warner ranked 10th in tackles among linebackers since The player immediately in front of him? That would be Lavonte David, who is still going strong through his age season.

Now 30, David has yet to demonstrate any clear signs that he's on the verge of declining. He's still the great linebacker he's been ever since the Buccaneers took him in the second round of the draft. He's durable. In eight seasons, he's missed only seven games. He's incredibly productive. He's averaging combined tackles, Since he entered the NFL, he ranks third in tackles among all linebackers -- only Wagner and Kuechly have more. He's still going strong. He's coming off a season that saw him make combined tackles.

He played a substantial role in the Buccaneers' unbelievably quick turnaround under Todd Bowles; they went from the league's worst defense to the league's fifth-best defense by DVOA in only one season. At this point, I'm more willing to bet on David continuing to do what he almost always does rather than a sudden and sharp decline. If this list was based on production in , Mosley wouldn't be on it. His first season in New York after signing a mega-deal with the Jets in free agency didn't go as planned.

Due to injury, he played in only two games. Yet in only one game, he showed why the Jets gave him all that money. Immediate impact. A model of consistency, Nitschke was a vital part of the Vince Lombardi-led Packer dynasty during the s.

He was a First-Team All-Pro selection multiple times, and in addition to being excellent against the run, he also shined in pass coverage. Despite playing in an era that relied on heavily on rushing, Nitschke retired with 25 interceptions. Bednarik is my nod to a bygone era where players would not leave the field.

He once got to Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg seven times in one game during the campaign, which ended with Thomas having recorded a career-high 20 sacks.

He got the call from Canton in