Madden NFL 16 Player Ratings: Top 5 OLB Revealed

Outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme has become one of the most en vogue positions in the NFL, while the outside linebacker position in the 4-3 is also being redefined by some of the most versatile players in the game.

That was reflected in Madden 16's outside linebacker top-five rankings.

Rank	Player	Team	Overall Rating	Key Stat Ratings
1	Von Miller	Denver Broncos	97	93 Block Shedding, 99 Finesse Moves, 89 Power Moves, 94 Tackle, 98 Pursuit
2	Justin Houston	Kansas City Chiefs	97	97 Pursuit, 92 Tackle, 88 Play Recognition, 93 Block Shedding, 98 Power Moves, 89 Finesse Moves
3	Terrell Suggs	Baltimore Ravens	93	91 Strength, 97 Power Move, 92 Tackle, 95 Pursuit
4	Dont'a Hightower	New England Patriots	93	86 Zone Coverage, 95 Tackle, 90 Hit Power, 92 Pursuit
5	DeAndre Levy	Detroit Lions	93	95 Play Recognition,96 Tackle, 96 Pursuit

There aren't too many surprises on this list.

Justin Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks last year and added four forced fumbles, and he now has an incredible 43 sacks in his past three seasons. Von Miller was excellent for the Denver Broncos, posting 59 tackles and 14 sacks. Terrell Suggs is showing no signs of slowing down, even at the age of 32, as he notched 12 sacks last year and now has posted double-digit sacks in four of the past five seasons.

Dont'a Hightower cracked the list after notching 89 tackles and six sacks, while DeAndre Levy was a tackle machine last year, posting 151.

The one player who might feel he was a bit snubbed is Tampa Bay's Lavonte David. In just his third year in the league, David did a little bit of everything for the Bucs, accumulating 146 tackles and forcing four fumbles. One of the reasons he may have been excluded from the top five, however, was that he went from posting seven sacks in 2013 to just one last year.

All in all, it's a strong list, highlighted by pass-rushing dynamos Houston and Miller. If you are building a defense around your linebackers in a fantasy draft, these are the five guys to start with.