Player Profiling: NFL Inside Linebacker Rankings

(Photo by Greg Trott/Getty Images)

Ranking the league's overall best inside linebackers entering the 09' season

1. Patrick Willis (SF)

Willis has every characteristic of a great football player. He has a big build to his body with the perfect amount of speed. His awareness and overall knowledge developed quickly along with his leadership skills. Willis explodes into holes faster than any other linebacker and rarely misses tackles. His power and strength combined with his athletic skills make him one of the toughest backers to block. Willis led the league in tackles his rookie season and finished second last year. He is a young talent who has already proven his dominance and reliability as a top player in the league today.

2. Ray Lewis (BAL)

Lewis is still one of the most feared linebackers in the game today. His aggression and emotion should go unquestioned, and his all around talent is close to perfect. Lewis is one of the best pursuit tacklers and can sniff out any play. His leadership in the Raven clubhouse separates himself from many other linebackers today with equal talent. He makes everyone around him better and brings confidence to any teammate sharing the field with him. He reacts to plays better than most backers and will never give up on a play. This is a hard working, proven player that brings confidence and emotion to his game. Combine all of that with his pure ability and you'll find that Lewis is still one of the best overall players in the game.

3. DeMeco Ryans (HOU)

I always thought Ryans was a steal when Houston drafted him in the second round. Ryans is a tough player who brings a bruiser attitude on the field. His tackling skills are amazing along with ability to hit holes hard. Ryans can take on most fullbacks and does a good job of exploding through blocks. He is a player who can change the entire direction of an offense's running play and has the ability to create many turnovers (through picks or fumbles). Another young, athletic talent who has proven his dominance in a short time period.

4. Brain Urlacher (CHI)

Urlacher is still one of the smartest and most complete backers today. Urlacher's toughness has not faded, nor his capability of taking over an entire defense. His ability to read plays is one of the best and has the strength to run over most ball carriers. His toughness and leadership makes him one of the best, but his coverage skills could still improve. Overall, Urlacher is another solid player who you can trust to make the big play for your defense. Now that Cutler is in Chicago, the whole Bear team might have a different attitude throughout the season. Chicago's defense was already one of the best, and I think it is up to Urlacher to elevate them to a higher standard this season.

5. D'Qwell Jackson (CLE)

He is another young talent with a bright future. His hitting skills are some of the best which has been proven by recording the most tackles last year. His intensity is ridiculous along with his awareness and play recognition. His speed, both physically and mentally, combine to make him a dangerous player from any part of the field. His athletic talent should go unquestioned along with his reliability and big play capability. Jackson's success shouldn't be viewed as a fluke because of his pure athletic talent and consistent mature play.

6. London Fletcher (WAS)

Fletcher is an underrated backer who has some of the best fundamental skills at that position. Fletcher does a good job of filling holes and makes the little plays that help defenses. His tackling skills are impressive and his ability to quickly shift the momentum of an offense is rare to find. Fletcher is a deceiving player with a lot of talent and knowledge. He has playoff experience in his career and can help lead any defense with talent (let alone Washington's) deep into a NFL season. A hard working player with tons of talent, knowledge and maturity makes Fletcher a threat to many teams who like to run inside.

7. Antonio Pierce (NYG)

Another reliable veteran with some of the best leadership qualities. Pierce is another fundamental player who brings a hard hitting style to his game. He fills holes nicely and  hardly lets ball carriers break into the secondary. His pursuit skills are not as strong as some other backers, but his awareness and mechanics still make him a dangerous talent. Pierce's strength is underrated as well as his athletic talent. Pierce is a sound player with tons of fire power and leadership that brings a high level of confidence to his game (along with the best defensive line in the league).

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