B/R NFL 1000: Ranking the Top Linebackers for the 2026 Season
This is the NFL 1000. The 1,000 best players in the league today, ranked by our NFL Scouting Department based on their on-field play and positional value.
Up next in the series: linebackers.
Tackles. Sacks. Forced fumbles. Interceptions. They do it all. Who is the best of the best entering this season?
To sort it all out, our team of scouts conducted an exhaustive film review and graded every non-rookie on a 100-point scale built from position-specific traits.
Linebackers are graded on five categories: run defense (30 points), tackling, coverage (25 apiece), pass rush and versatility (10 apiece). Trait scores add up to the grade, and when multiple players received the same score, their ranking was determined by a majority vote among the group.
Scroll down and see where your favorite team's players land.
Player grades and write-ups were done by Bleacher Report NFL scouts Damian Parson (QB/WR/RB/FB), Brandon Thorn (OL), Matt Holder (EDGE, LB, DL), Dan Harms (TE, CB, Safety) and Brent Sobleski (Kickers/Punters).
Click here for a rundown of every NFL 1000 article published to date as well as a complete series schedule.
Tap a player to reveal their full card, traits and scouting summary.
Demetrius Knight almost faces a make-or-break year already. Improvement across the board is needed or he could be phased out.
Simon, on the other hand, ended the year a starter and could be on the rise.
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Demarvion Overshown stands out as he hopes to enter a season fully healthy, and he could make a big jump if he stays healthy.
Payton Wilson, on the other hand, needs to make the most of his opportunities in what could be a make-or-break year to stick in Pittsburgh.
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Edmunds gets a fresh start in a new defense and should have high expectations. So should Chenal in his switch over to Washington from Kansas City. Both players could jump up with strong starts on their new teams.
Patrick Queen, however, appears to be facing a make-or-break year with the Steelers.
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Landman and Dean made strong impressions in 2025 and nearly cracked the top 20. Both could see a rise this coming season.
Jones seems to have found the right home with the reigning champion Seahawks and could push for a top 10 spot for years to come.
No. 10, Carson Schwesinger, is one of the highest-graded rookies of this entire exercise. He should be pushing toward the top of these rankings quickly.
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Even at 36 years old, Bobby Wagner still rates as one of the top linebackers in football. If he returns for 2026, he can still be a key cog for a defense.
Moving from Jacksonville to Carolina isn't a guaranteed boost, but Lloyd has the potential to chip away at the top of this list sooner rather than later.
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Smith and Campbell are two of the very best, just not the best, at least not yet. It's hard to separate these two 'backers given what they mean to their respective defensive units. Either could vault into the top spot in a year.
But right now, the top linebacker in the NFL is in a league of his own.
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