Highest-graded linebackers from the 2025 NFL season: Fred Warner, Jack Campbell lead the way

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With the 2025 NFL season wrapped up, we're taking stock of the performances at every position.

As the centerpiece of the defense, linebackers have one of the most difficult roles in the modern NFL. Tough enough to battle in the box. Quick enough to chase down ball carriers. Smart enough to diagnose plays through disguise. With a foot in all three major facets of defensive football, the best of the best at the position truly excel in them all. 

Here are the 20 highest-graded linebackers from the 2025 NFL season. 

1. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers (93.2)

Even amid an already acclaimed career, Warner continues to build upon his monolithic profile. Before suffering a dislocated ankle in Week 6, the 49ers captain was playing well above even his own elite standard.

His 93.2 PFF overall grade to start 2025 was the highest of his career through the first six games. Although the small sample plays a part, Warner was on pace to lead the NFL in both PFF run-defense grade (91.3) and PFF coverage grade (91.5), standing as the only player to eclipse the 90.0 threshold in each.

2. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions (90.2)

Campbell has continually raised the standard of his game each season, rising from a 53.2 PFF overall grade as a rookie to a massive 90.2 mark this past year. The 25-year-old linebacker earned the highest PFF run-defense grade (93.0) by a linebacker in the PFF era (since 2006).

3. Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars (88.4)

Playing on an expiring contract, Lloyd earned second-team All-Pro honors, rising to the occasion to prove he stands as one of the NFL’s premier linebackers. The 27-year-old is an every-down weapon at the position, capable of making plays in each facet of the defensive game. He finished the regular season as the only linebacker with an 80.0-plus PFF grade in run defense (83.2), coverage (81.1) and pass rushing (82.2).

4. Devin Bush, Cleveland Browns (87.6)

Bush revitalized his career in Cleveland in 2024 and took another step forward with an increased role in 2025. He responded by posting the highest PFF overall grade of his career (87.6). Bush’s calling card has been his consistency as a run defender, where he has posted an 86.0-plus PFF grade in each of the past two seasons. But the key to his climb into the top five comes from his improvements in coverage, where his 80.8 PFF coverage grade in the box ranked in the 98th percentile. 

Devin Bush Box Coverage Metrics

5. Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles (80.9)

As both a blitzer (80.6) and a coverage defender (81.6), Baun embodies the standard of what it takes to stop modern passing games in their tracks. Among linebackers with at least 200 snaps in coverage, no player surpassed Baun’s 81.6 PFF coverage grade, with his 89.7 mark in single coverage ranking in the 92nd percentile.

6. Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints (80.3)

At 36 years old, Davis pushed his game to new heights in 2025. The seasoned and savvy veteran diagnosed and fit the run at an exceedingly high level, with his 88.9 PFF run-defense grade marking a career best. His 15 tackles for loss or no gain against the run ranked third in the NFL. 

7. Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders (79.3)

Even at 35 years old, Wagner continues to add to what may be the most decorated career for a linebacker in PFF history. In 2025, Wagner posted his fourth consecutive 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grade (90.3) in a season — and his eighth overall. It was also his sixth season of earning a PFF tackling grade above 90.0. He was one of two players to record more than 150 total tackles while missing fewer than 10.

8. Cedric Gray, Tennessee Titans (79.0)

In just his second NFL season, and first as a starter, Gray took a monumental leap. The 23-year-old linebacker was a force in the run game, earning the second-highest PFF run-defense grade (92.7) at the position this past season — a mark that stands in the top five in the PFF era. He also recorded the second-most defensive stops (64) in the NFL.

Defensive Stops Leaders

9. Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs (78.9)

After the Chiefs awarded him a lucrative extension last offseason, Bolton responded by churning out the best season of his young career. Although he started slow, Bolton rose to the upper echelon of NFL defenders in the back half of the year, with his 91.1 PFF overall grade from Week 9 through the end of the season standing as the highest mark by any linebacker. 

10. Tyrice Knight, Seattle Seahawks (78.6)

Knight played a limited role as a spot starter in the Seahawks' championship-level defense, but he performed exceedingly well in multiple facets of the game. While his limited sample plays a role in his lofty standing on this list, he provided numerous impact plays during his time on the field. Most notably, he recorded a pair of strip sacks, each resulting in a defensive touchdown, against the Cardinals in Week 10.

11. Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins (77.8)

Brooks established himself as the centerpiece of the Dolphins' defense after posting the highest-graded season of his career in 2025. He is a tackling machine and a villain to opposing run games, having recorded an NFL-leading 183 total tackles this past season, on his way to charting as one of two linebackers with 90.0-plus PFF run-defense (92.0) and tackling (90.4) grades.  

12. Divine Deablo, Atlanta Falcons (77.7)

Deablo made his first season in Atlanta his best yet. He earned the fourth-highest PFF overall grade (89.2) among linebackers through the first six games before fracturing his forearm. Upon his return, Deablo couldn’t quite reach that same level, while likely still dealing with the injury. However, his early-season returns when healthy point to a promising outlook.

13. D'Marco Jackson, Chicago Bears (76.4)

After playing in a reserve role to start the year, Jackson was tapped to make the first start of his career in Week 12, and he proved he can excel in coverage over the middle of the field. He finished the year having earned the second-highest PFF coverage grade (81.7) among qualifying linebackers while allowing the lowest passer rating into his coverage (68.9) at the position.  

14. Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (76.2)

The 31st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft burst onto the scene and established himself as not only a top rookie, but a top player overall. The first-year linebacker opened the season as a starter, in place of Nakobe Dean as he recovered from a knee injury. Over the first eight games, Campbell posted the sixth-highest PFF overall grade (83.1) among linebackers, before giving way to Dean.

14. Drue Tranquill, Kansas City Chiefs (76.2)

Tranquill has been a steady and stable presence at the heart of the Chiefs' defense for the past three seasons. 2025 marked a career year for Tranquill, who posted new high marks as a run defender, with his 89.4 PFF grade ranking sixth among qualifying linebackers. He also recorded the lowest missed tackle percentage (3.6%) among linebackers with at least 100 tackle attempts.

Missed Tackle Rate Leaders

16. Dre Greenlaw, Denver Broncos (76.1)

Although Greenlaw was limited to just 10 games in his first season as a Bronco, he proved to be a pivotal piece of Denver’s vaunted defense. His prowess fitting the run earned him a career-best 86.9 PFF run-defense grade, a mark that placed him in the 92nd percentile among qualifying linebackers.

17. Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers (75.8)

After making waves as a rookie, Cooper followed up with a strong performance in 2025. The biggest hurdle for young linebackers is the ability to split focus between fitting the run and dropping into coverage, yet Cooper earned 70.0-plus PFF grades in each this past season. He continues to set himself apart in coverage, where he ranks above the 85th percentile in PFF coverage grade in the box (70.1) and in the slot (76.1).

17. Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans (75.8)

Al-Shaair maintained a strong season at the head of one of the NFL’s elite defenses. But, without a doubt, what vaulted him onto this list was his performance in the playoffs, where he captured a postseason-leading 88.1 PFF overall grade among qualifying linebackers. 

Highest-Graded Postseason Defenders

19. Leo Chenal, Kansas City Chiefs (75.1)

At just 25 years old, Chenal has exceeded all expectations in a limited role in the Chiefs' defense. As a run defender, he earned his fourth consecutive 70.0-plus PFF grade in a season. He made his biggest strides in coverage, where he notched a career-best 72.6 PFF coverage grade, placing him in the top 12 at the position. 

20. Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens (74.7)

Despite missing time early in the year due to a hamstring injury, Smith flashed the high-level play that has earned him a reputation as one of the NFL’s premier linebackers. His athleticism and playmaking ability allow him to play sideline to sideline in all facets of the game. As a result, he finished the year as one of just two linebackers to post 74.0-plus PFF grades in run defense (77.2), coverage (74.5) and tackling (75.3).