{"id":55,"date":"2023-03-09T13:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T17:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/?p=55"},"modified":"2025-12-15T13:36:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T17:36:37","slug":"top-10-linebackers-in-the-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2023\/03\/top-10-linebackers-in-the-nfl\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Linebackers in the NFL (2022)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 2022<\/a> National Football League season has recently come to a close, allowing us to reflect on the season that passed. <\/strong>Who was the best? The NFL’s top linebackers this past year will be looked at in this post using their 2022 statistics. We will look at four segments of the game that an LB can be measured with and the top performers in each using the vast resources of Stathead<\/a> and Pro-Football-Reference<\/a>. Our pool of players will be all backers: inside, outside, strong, weak, edges, the mikes, and the wills. Only the regular season stats will be used in this study to keep things on a level playing field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Top Tackling Linebackers of 2022<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\n\n
\"Photo\n<\/div>
\n\t

\n\t\tFoyesade Oluokun<\/a><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\n\n\n\n \n

\n \n Foyesade Oluokun\n \n <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tPosition<\/strong>: LB\n\t\n<\/p>\n\n

6-2<\/span>, 215lb<\/span> (188cm, 97kg) <\/p>\n

Team<\/strong>: Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\n Born:<\/strong> \n \n\t\tAugust 2<\/a>, 1995\n \n \n in St. Louis, MO<\/a><\/span>\n \n<\/span\"> (Age: 27-219d)<\/nobr><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

College<\/strong>: \n \n\t\tYale<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Weighted Career AV (100-95-…)<\/a>:<\/strong> 26 (4383rd overall since 1960)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High School<\/strong>: \n \n\t\tJohn Burroughs<\/a> (MO<\/a>)\n\t\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft<\/strong>: Atlanta Falcons<\/a> in the 6th round (200th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

<\/p>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t

\n\t\n <\/rect> <\/rect> 54<\/text> <\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\t\n <\/rect> <\/rect> 23<\/text> <\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\t\n <\/rect> <\/rect> 54<\/text> <\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\t
+2<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n
\nSUMMARY<\/strong><\/span>\n

2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

Career<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n
\nG<\/strong><\/span>

17<\/p>\n

81<\/p><\/div>\n\n

\nAV<\/strong><\/span>

8<\/p>\n

28<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

\n
\nSk<\/strong><\/span>

2.0<\/p>\n

7.0<\/p><\/div>\n\n

\nSolo<\/strong><\/span>

128<\/p>\n

400<\/p><\/div>\n\n

\nFF<\/strong><\/span>

2<\/p>\n

9<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

This Jacksonville Jaguars inside backer had a breakout year in his first season with the Jags after four solid seasons in Atlanta. 2022 was the second year in a row that Oluokun led the league in total combined tackles. His eye-popping 184 this past year, including a dozen that created a loss of yardage for his opponents, is a testament to Foyesade\u2019s nose for the ball carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\n\n
\"Photo\n<\/div>
\n\t

\n\t\tNick Bolton<\/a><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\n\n\n\n \n

\n \n Nicholas Bolton\n \n <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tPosition<\/strong>: LB\n\t\n<\/p>\n\n

6-0<\/span>, 237lb<\/span> (183cm, 107kg) <\/p>\n

Team<\/strong>: Kansas City Chiefs<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\n Born:<\/strong> \n \n\t\tMarch 10<\/a>, 2000\n \n \n in Frisco, TX<\/a><\/span>\n \n<\/span\"> (Age: 22-364d)<\/nobr><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

College<\/strong>: \n \n\t\tMissouri<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t (College Stats<\/a>)\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Weighted Career AV (100-95-…)<\/a>:<\/strong> 13 (7238th overall since 1960)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High School<\/strong>: \n \n\t\tLone Star<\/a> (TX<\/a>)\n\t\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft<\/strong>: Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> in the 2nd round (58th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

<\/p>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n