Ray Lewis, DeMarcus Ware and the NFL's Top 5 Linebackers

For years, Ray Lewis was the NFL's gold standard at the line backer position in Baltimore, then DeMarcus Ware reared his head and heart in Dallas. Whether either is currently the best remains to be seen.

One thing is certain—the area five yards in front of the line of scrimmage is reserved for players with the best combination of size, speed, and hitting power.

The NFL linebacker is a special breed. The league is loaded with talent at the position with players who can make every open-field tackle like London Fletcher and sack machines like Shawne Merriman. 

The following players are the best of the best.  

5. Clay Matthews

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: Clay Matthews #52 of the Green Bay Packers chases down a Buffalo Bills runner at Lambeau Field on September 19, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bills 34-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Clay Matthews is one of the most talented young players in the game today, at linebacker or any position. Through three games this season, Matthews has already rung up 6.0 sacks.

The 10.0 sacks he accumulated as a rookie were a sign of things to come; his ability to get to the quarterback is nearly unparalleled.

It's not simply the sacks that make him the fifth-best linebacker in the NFL today, it's the toughness that he brings to the field.

The Green Bay Packer defense looks a heck of a lot scarier with big No. 52 patrolling the edge. 

Toughness aside, his physical tools assure him a spot on the Pro-Bowl team for years to come.

His combination of speed and size allow him to chase down quarterbacks and ride them into the ground.

When he makes a sack, it just looks violent. Kevin Kolb felt the wrath of Matthews in Week 1, and it essentially ended his season.

Matthews is here to stay as one of the top 'backers in the NFL.  

4. Ray Lewis

Larry French/Getty Images

BALTIMORE - SEPTEMBER 26: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens is introduced before the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Browns 24-17. (Photo by Larry French/Get

Any list of top linebackers would be incomplete without Ray Lewis. While he's no longer the young player who helped the Baltimore Ravens capture Super Bowl XXXV, he is still a force with which to be reckoned. 

Physically, he must have lost a step after 14 NFL seasons, but in this, his 15th year, it would be almost impossible to notice. He still strikes the same fear in the hearts of offensive players everywhere.

Aside from his extreme physical prowess, he is easily the smartest linebacker in the game today. There isn't an offensive formation that he hasn't seen and there isn't a player he's afraid to take on.

His film study habits and Miami Hurricane toughness are as legendary as his hard-hitting tackles.

With big Haloti Ngata clogging up the middle for him, Ray Lewis is free to continue to roam the middle of the field, feasting on tight ends with their heads turned. Here's looking at you, Dustin Keller.

Despite being easily the oldest member of this list, Ray Lewis can still play with the best of them.

3. James Harrison

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER - AUGUST 29: Linebacker James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers defends against the Denver Broncos during preseason NFL action at INVESCO Field at Mile High on August 29, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 34-17. (P

James Harrison leads the Pittsburgh Steeler defense, one of the best in the NFL, as a quarterback-sacking machine. This three-time Pro-Bowler and two-time Super Bowl Champion has established himself as one of the best sack artists in the league. 

The road to his success wasn't always easy. Harrison came into the league in 2002 as an undrafted free agent out of unheralded Kent State. The Steelers gave him a chance and they are now reaping the benefits.

Harrison combines a unique blend of speed and anticipation in order to chase down quarterbacks with regularity.

Since becoming a starter in 2007, 'Silverback' has racked up 21 forced fumbles and 37.5 sacks as the leader of the most consistent defense in the league. 

The undersized linebacker cut his teeth with the special teams squad, registering three special teams tackles in Pittsburgh's Super Bowl XL victory.

Needless to say, his days covering kicks are over. Until further notice, Harrison belongs near the top of the list when it comes to best linebackers in the NFL. 

2. DeMarcus Ware

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 19: Linebacker DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Dallas Cowboys sacks quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on December 19, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Nobody gets to the quarterback like DeMarcus Ware. While Matthews and Harrison are great pass-rushers in their own rights, Ware is simply in a class all by himself.

The Troy product has amassed an astonishing 68.5 sacks since his rookie year in 2005, the most over that period of time. While no one will mistake him for Champ Bailey, Ware is not on the field to cover passes.

At 6' 4", 262 pounds, Ware was clocked at 4.56 in the 40-yard dash at the 2005 NFL Combine. His physical tools allow him to harass quarterbacks on a constant basis. He is simply the most feared and devastating pass rusher in the NFL today.  

As a first-round draft pick, about the only thing Ware has failed to do is disappoint. The 2008 season saw Ware total 20.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss. The numbers don't lie with Ware; he is flat-out unstoppable.

1. Patrick Willis

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 28: Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after stopping Darren McFadden #20 of the Oakland Raiders for a loss during an NFL preseason game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 28, 2010 in Oakland, Californi

In only his fourth season in the NFL, Patrick Willis has established himself as by far the best linebacker in the game today.

The San Francisco 49ers' first-round pick in 2007 has done nothing but tackle anyone and everyone since he broke into the league.

He hasn't missed a game in his whole career. His career low in tackles for a season is 141.

He has shown himself to be adept at covering receivers, chasing down quarterbacks, and stuffing the run game.

While other linebackers may be better at one skill or another, Willis is the most all-around talented linebacker in the NFL.

He has the speed to chase down receivers and the power to knock Adrian Peterson on his rear end. The amount of intensity with which Willis plays the game is downright scary.

A physical leader on the 49ers defense, No. 52 fills up the tackle column week in and week out.

It's hard to see anyone dethroning Willis as the No. 1 linebacker in the near future. He is simply too good to top and something tells me we will be watching him dominate offenses for many years to come.  



Mike Osterberg is a student at Penn State University and a writing intern at BleacherReport.com. Follow him on twitter @Mike_Osterberg.