2022 IDP Rookie Review: Off-Ball Linebackers

After giving the 2022 rookie linebacker class a good lookover, I’m not sure I really like what I see. Yes, rookies have a tendency to look shaky. And the best thing about rookies is, they are only rookies once. We’re certainly not at a point of giving up on any of these guys. What we do have are lots of question marks, even at the top.

Quay Walker is pretty obvious at number one, as he essentially came in and did what we thought he’d do. But the other guys I’ve slotted in a pretty generous tier two have plenty of question marks, as you’ll read about below. Who’s really all that confident that Devin Lloyd is going to return that first-round investment Jacksonville made? We’ve barely seen Nakobe Dean play professional-level defense. Troy Andersen and Christian Harris were downright awful at times. Jack Sanborn? Undrafted. Malcolm Rodriguez? Physically limited.

It’s getting depressing so I’ll stop, but you know where I’m coming from. Let’s just hope for a lot of off-season improvement from this group.

If you missed the first two articles in this series, part one focused on the edge rushers. and part two took a look at the interior defensive linemen. The next and final article will hit on the safeties. We enjoyed a great rookie cornerback class in 2022, but corners simply don’t carry dynasty value from year-to-year, so I don’t pay them much mind when looking through a dynasty lens.

Before getting into the rankings and brief reviews, here’s where credit goes for the statistics:

quarterback hits, tackles for loss, missed tackles and passing completion data are courtesy Pro Football Reference (PFR) – which uses Sportradar data.

pressures are from Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Tier One: Elite Assets

I’ve got Roquan Smith, Nick Bolton, Foye Oluokun, Devin White, Pete Werner, Dre Greenlaw, and Logan Wilson in the elite tier right now, and that may be stretching it. What I’m looking for in this tier are linebackers who I think I can count on for production that eclipses your average LB2 by several points on a weekly basis; or I can potentially move for a first-round pick or a decent offensive player in the right leagues. We have a couple of 2022 rookies who could ascend to this tier as early as next season, but I’m not yet ready to go there.

Tier Two: Current or Future Fantasy Starters

The linebackers in this tier are already considered weekly starters in “start three” or “start four” setups, or have weekly starting fantasy upside as early as 2023. Depending on your depth they may be matchup-based starts, but they certainly have value as dynasty IDP assets.

1. Quay Walker, GB

Drafted: first round, No. 22 overall pick (Georgia)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 9

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 846 defensive snaps (81.9 percent)

75 solo tackles, 46 assists; five tackles for loss; six missed tackles (4.7 percent missed tackle rate)

24 completions on 45 targets (53.3 percent completion percentage); seven passes defensed; zero interceptions

52 blitzes; 12 pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; four quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.06

three forced fumbles; one fumble recovery

There wasn’t a lot not to like about Walker’s rookie season, other than those two ejections (one for shoving one of Buffalo’s practice squad players on the sideline, and another for pushing a trainer to the ground in Green Bay’s season finale).

So he’s a little excitable.

Walker was the top rookie linebacker in the league, leading all classmates in solo and combined tackles, and trailing only Devin Lloyd in snaps played. And even with De’Vondre Campbell contractually safe for at least two more seasons, there’s no real fear of a reduction in snaps for Walker given his already-solid coverage skills and pass rush prowess (he blitzed 52 times – fifth-most among NFL linebackers).

And while playing alongside a very good linebacker such as Campbell may hurt his upside a bit, I love that he’ll be learning the nuances of the game from a respected veteran. Walker could easily ascend to my elite tier during 2023.

2. Troy Andersen, ATL

Drafted: second round, No. 58 overall pick (Montana State)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 19

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 481 defensive snaps (42.9 percent)

40 solo tackles, 29 assists; three tackles for loss; three missed tackles (4.2 percent missed tackle rate)

21 completions on 23 targets (91.3 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions

12 blitzes; ten pressures; zero sacks; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.25

one forced fumble; zero fumble recoveries

If you feel the need – the need for speed, that is – in your fantasy linebacker room, Andersen is your guy. And that downhill closing speed he displayed as a rookie is getting everyone excited about year two. Part of the enthusiasm is in part due to new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who brings from his time as defensive line coach in New Orleans a reputation of getting sack production. That just happens to be something Atlanta is desperate for.

Could Andersen be part of the solution to Atlanta’s lack of pass-rush production? Again, while Nielsen didn’t coordinate the Saints defense, New Orleans was fairly blitz-happy with its linebackers in recent years. With his speed and quick downhill burst, Andersen boasts loads of upside as a blitzer. And while he didn’t blitz a ton as a rookie, Andersen was effective, generating three quarterback hits on 12 blitzes. He also finished the season with ten pressures, per PFF. Being used in a larger role as a pass rusher would take advantage of Andersen’s best trait – his speed – while he adjusts to NFL coverage responsibilities.

As far as snaps go, I’d expect Andersen to get every chance to maintain a starting role. Rashaan Evans is a free agent, and seems questionable to return to Atlanta. Mykal Walker already lost his job once to Andersen, who supplanted Walker as a starter following the Falcons’ week 14 bye.

3. Devin Lloyd, JAC

Drafted: first round, No. 27 overall pick (Utah)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24 (turns 25 on September 30)

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 21

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 926 defensive snaps (79.6 percent)

59 solo tackles, 56 assists; zero tackles for loss; 14 missed tackles (10.9 percent missed tackle rate)

61 completions on 79 targets (77.2 percent completion percentage); eight passes defensed; three interceptions

38 blitzes; 12 pressures; zero sacks; two quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 0.22 (lowest of any “front seven” defensive player with more than 500 snaps played)

zero forced fumbles; two fumble recoveries

It’s never a surprise when a rookie hits the proverbial rookie wall. It is a surprise when the wall comes after four weeks. That’s what happened with Lloyd, the first-round pick who won Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in September. Something happened in week five, when Lloyd started missing tackles: PFF listed him with five against Houston; PFR had him with three. Then in week six against Matt Ryan and the Colts, Lloyd surrendered 13 receptions on 13 targets, per PFF (11 receptions on 12 targets, said PFR). By week ten he was losing snaps to fellow rookie Chad Muma; following a week 11 bye, Muma outsnapped Lloyd for two consecutive weeks.

It was quite the fall from grace, and quite a few IDP managers ran for cover. Now the question becomes, can he recover? I have no doubt in my mind he can, considering the traits that made him such a highly coveted prospect. From a production standpoint, a couple of sacks would help. Lloyd was lauded for his effectiveness as a blitzer at Utah, and he tied for 14th among linebackers in total blitzes, yet it yielded just two hits on the quarterback and no sacks.

There’s work to do for Lloyd, and there’s no way the Jaguars are going to give up on him easily. My guess is the IDP world wouldn’t be so worried about him should Muma not be looking up at him on the depth chart. I’ll be cautiously buying Lloyd from jittery leaguemates during fantasy drafts.

4. Nakobe Dean, PHI

Drafted: third round, No. 83 overall pick (Georgia)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 34 defensive snaps (3.1 percent)

nine solo tackles, four assists; one tackle for loss; zero missed tackles

three completions on three targets; zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

zero blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 2.94

Anyone and everyone patiently awaiting Dean’s arrival as a fantasy-relevant linebacker had better get their wish or there’s going to be hell to pay amongst the IDP mainstream. Dean, of course, endured a draft slide due to a pectoral injury suffered in March. He then barely saw the field as a rookie as the Eagles relied heavily on TJ Edwards and Kyzir White, both of whom are entering free agency.

In addition to a massive Jalen Hurts extension, Philadelphia has contracts to consider for safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, corner James Bradberry, defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox, and on and on, so the thinking is Edwards and White will be allowed to walk. If so, Dean has 1,000-snap upside. And even if it’s not a full-time role, assuming White’s 75 percent snap share is likely enough to put Dean in fantasy lineups.

5. Jack Sanborn, CHI

Undrafted (Wisconsin)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 32

Stats to know:

played in 14 games; 331 defensive snaps (30.4 percent)

50 solo tackles, 14 assists; five tackles for loss; three missed tackles (4.5 percent missed tackle rate)

13 completions on 17 targets (76.5 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

13 blitzes; six pressures; two sacks; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 2.42

zero forced fumbles; one fumble recovery

Sanborn was the biggest rookie linebacker surprise of the season, taking over a full-time role in week nine following Roquan Smith’s Halloween day trade to Baltimore. Until week 15, when an ankle injury prematurely ended his season, Sanborn turned in high-end LB1 production – quite the turn of events considering he played all of one snap over the season’s first seven weeks.

The question is of course whether or not Sanborn has staying power. I think the answer is pretty clearly yes, at least for 2023. By trading away Smith, Chicago sent a clear signal that it doesn’t value off-ball linebacker enough to pay the going rate for one of the best linebackers in the game. I suspect the Bears will bring in a veteran or two – and one of those moves could possibly involve bringing back Nicholas Morrow – but Sanborn proved to be worthy of a much longer look.

6. Malcolm Rodriguez, DET

Drafted: sixth round, No. 188 overall pick (Oklahoma State)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 39

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 614 defensive snaps (54 percent)

62 solo tackles, 25 assists; eight tackles for loss; five missed tackles (5.4 percent missed tackle rate)

30 completions on 44 targets (68.2 percent completion percentage); two passes defensed; zero interceptions

24 blitzes; four pressures; one sack; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.79

one forced fumble; one fumble recovery

“Rodrigo” had a quick rise to fame on Hard Knocks. The Detroit coaching staff’s love for the sixth-round pick was evident on the HBO series, and his play demeanor fit that “bite a kneecap off” culture. There was a lot to like about Rodriguez’s rookie season, too – he played his gaps well, and was a decent tackler despite having short arms. The physical limitations are really the only thing not to like. Any 5-foot-11 linebacker with 30-and-one-eighth-inch arms is at a disadvantage in the passing game, where six inches in length makes throwing windows easier for NFL-level quarterbacks, and can make it difficult to wrap up tackle targets.

Rodriguez has shown he belongs on the field though, and that’s more than a lot of rookie linebackers can say. We’ll see what happens in the Lions linebacker corps this off-season – Alex Anzalone is a free agent – but Rodrigo should again slide in as the No. 2 ’backer and give us enough snaps to warrant LB4 consideration.

7. Christian Harris, HOU

Drafted: third round, No. 75 overall pick (Alabama)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 46

Stats to know:

played in 12 games; 712 defensive snaps (60.8 percent)

46 solo tackles, 28 assists; six tackles for loss; ten missed tackles (11.9 percent missed tackle rate)

33 completions on 46 targets (71.7 percent completion percentage); five passes defensed; one interception

nine blitzes; four pressures; one sack; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.26

one forced fumble; zero fumble recoveries

If there is one truth about rookie linebackers in 2022, it’s that PFF hated Harris. I’m not sure I’ve seen such poor grades for a rookie linebacker taken on day one or day two. I don’t think he was that bad but I also wasn’t forced to watch as much Texans football as PFF staff, and maybe I’d be a Negative Nelly too if that was my job.

Harris certainly has room for improvement, especially with his tackle rate, and perhaps the man to help right Harris’ development is a former Texans linebacker hired as Houston’s new head coach. With the 49ers, DeMeco Ryans helped to develop Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Can he do the same for Harris? I’m optimistic Harris will at least remain on the starting linebacker radar while we figure out if he’s on an upward trajectory or a path to IDP insignificance.

Tier Three: Worthy of a Roster Spot

There are enough reasons to like each of these linebackers that I’d deem them worthy of a roster spot in all-but-shallow league formats. And given the appetite for linebackers in typical IDP leagues, I’m casting a pretty wide net in this tier right now. Ideally I’d like to see how they improve with a full NFL off-season, or where they stand on their respective linebacker depth charts, before making a dynasty determination. So once we get to free agency and the draft, a few of these linebackers are going to fall into the watch list tier.

8. Chad Muma, JAC

Drafted: third round, No. 70 overall pick (Wyoming)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 49

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 286 defensive snaps (24.6 percent)

28 solo tackles, 19 assists; three tackles for loss; two missed tackles (4.1 percent missed tackle rate)

13 completions on 19 targets (68.4 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions

four blitzes; four pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 2.1

zero forced fumbles; zero fumble recoveries

Bummer. One word essentially summed up my feelings on Muma after Friday night of the 2022 NFL Draft, which saw Muma land in Jacksonville and a crowded linebacker room. Disappointment turned to wonder about halfway through the season when Muma began to steal snaps from a flailing Lloyd, but the feeling was short-lived when the two rookies simply started sucking any fantasy relevance from the other.

Where we go from here is in all likelihood out of Muma’s hands, for now. Foye Oluokun is established, and has contract stability for the next two seasons following a recent restructure. Whether Lloyd sinks or swims will likely determine Muma’s path to meaningful snaps. If Lloyd keeps his head above water and he and Oluokun remain healthy, we’re likely going to have to wait for a post-Oluokun Duval in 2025 before Muma gets a real shot to make fantasy noise. In the meantime, he makes for good peace of mind for your Oluokun or Lloyd shares.

9. Brian Asamoah, MIN

Drafted: third round, No. 66 overall pick (Oklahoma)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 50

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 119 defensive snaps (10.2 percent)

11 solo tackles, six assists; zero tackles for loss; three missed tackles (15 percent missed tackle rate)

three completions on four targets (75 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

six blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

one forced fumble; one fumble recovery

It seems as though Asamoah is everyone’s favorite breakout linebacker for 2023. There’s decent logic to it, as the third-rounder didn’t look lost from weeks 15-17 when he collected 14 total tackles over 74 defensive snaps. One if not both starting ’backers from 2022 – Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks – are sure to be cut as a cap-saving measure.

I still have reservations, as we really didn’t see much of Asamoah over the course of the regular season, and he only saw special teams snaps in the Vikings’ playoff loss to the Giants before exiting with a concussion. In addition, new defensive coordinator Brian Flores isn’t known for schemes that provide big tackle numbers for linebackers. While this is Flores’ first coordinator gig, his three years as the Dolphins’ head man produced nothing more valuable than the wildly inconsistent Jerome Baker. Asamoah is no doubt worthy of a roster spot, but until we get through free agency and the draft, I can’t count on him as a 2023 starter based on what he’s shown so far.

10. Damone Clark, DAL

Drafted: fifth round, No. 176 overall pick (LSU)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 51

Stats to know:

played in ten games; 398 defensive snaps (34.7 percent)

29 solo tackles, 18 assists; one tackle for loss; zero missed tackles

13 completions on 15 targets (86.7 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

eight blitzes; three pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 0.25

two forced fumbles; zero fumble recoveries

Clark wasn’t even supposed to play as a rookie after undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April. A projected day two pick, the surgery and general medical concern knocked him down the draft until the fifth round, where the Cowboys scooped up the talented LSU product. He wasn’t much of a playmaker, as evidenced by his lack of passes defensed and plays in the backfield, but he was solid enough to lead us to believe he should be a top-two off-ball linebacker for Dallas in 2023. Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr are both free agents, and whether Vander Esch returns or the Cowboys bring in a notable free agent, Clark looks likely to get enough snaps to merit occasional starting consideration in “start four” setups.

11. Channing Tindall, MIA

Drafted: third round, No. 102 overall pick (Georgia)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Current personal IDP ranking among off-ball linebackers: 53

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; nine defensive snaps (0.8 percent)

one solo tackle, two assists; one tackle for loss; zero missed tackles

one completion on one target

one pressure

Tindall looked like a rookie draft bargain in 2022, typically going in the fourth round and as the sixth linebacker off the board. I’d never have expected him to play in 16 games and see just nine defensive snaps though. Frankly, given his acceleration and closing speed, I thought he’d be allowed to see the field early and often as a see-ball, chase-ball defender. His lack of usage is certainly a red flag, but hopefully getting a set of fresh eyes in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will provide a career spark.

12. Darrian Beavers, NYG

Drafted: sixth round, No. 182 overall pick (Cincinnati)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Given the state of the Big Blue linebacker corps in 2022 it was a real shame Beavers tore an ACL during week two of the preseason. He showed in his debut against New England that he knows what he’s looking at:

Few good plays for Giants LB Darrian Beavers pic.twitter.com/N8vhQU6S7N

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 12, 2022

Given his size (6-foot-3, high-230s), skill set and versatility I think he’s still got a shot to make an impact as early as mid- to late-2023 as he works his way back from the ACL. Beavers will have eclipsed the one-year mark from the injury by the time the season begins, but he has minuscule experience and a torn ACL is still a significant injury. He’s a low-cost “buy” in my book.

13. Leo Chenal, KC

Drafted: third round, No. 103 overall pick (Wisconsin)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 261 defensive snaps (22.7 percent)

19 solo tackles, 16 assists; three tackles for loss; five missed tackles (12.5 percent missed tackle rate)

five completions on eight targets (62.5 percent completion percentage)

13 blitzes; three pressures; one sack; three quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 2.3

Nick Bolton and Willie Gay established themselves as a top pairing at linebacker, and both are under contract for 2023. That leaves Chenal and restricted free agent Darius Harris to battle it out for rotational snaps behind them in the short term. It gets interesting for Chenal, who certainly looked capable if not good as a rookie, should Gay leave as a free agent next off-season. If you can spare the roster spot, Chenal is certainly worth hanging on to.

14. Mark Robinson, PIT

Drafted: seventh round, No. 225 overall pick (Ole Miss)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in four games; 44 defensive snaps (4.1 percent)

three solo tackles, six assists; zero tackles for loss; zero missed tackles

two completions on two targets

one blitz; one pressure

For a seventh-round pick with 44 professional defensive snaps under his belt, Robinson has an unjustifiable amount of hype. I get it, I’ve got him rostered in several leagues and I’m just as guilty as anyone of building him up in my mind. A big part of his appeal is his play style:

https://mobile.twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1609957291054211072

We also have what currently looks to be a parting of the Red Sea for Robinson to carve out a significant – not full-time – role in 2023, with Devin Bush and Robert Spillane entering free agency, and Myles Jack a possible (likely?) cap casualty.

Pittsburgh, of course, is not going to enter 2023 with Robinson atop its off-ball linebacker depth chart. I personally don’t think it would be wise for him to be No. 2 either, and I’m betting the Steelers brass feels the same way. Still, if he’s No. 3, I think that’s a win considering his lack of professional experience. I like him as a taxi squad stash or a minor trade chip for leaguemates who enjoy the hype.

15. Terrel Bernard, BUF

Drafted: third round, No. 89 overall pick (Baylor)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 110 defensive snaps (10.5 percent)

11 solo tackles, 11 assists; zero tackles for loss; zero missed tackles

four completions on five targets (80 percent completion percentage)

three blitzes; zero pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

Bernard’s rookie season can only be termed a disappointment. He failed to beat out special teamer Tyrel Dodson for playing time when starter Tremaine Edmunds missed time with injury, and as a result failed to establish himself as a potential replacement for Edmunds, a free agent. Bernard will surely get another opportunity to prove himself, but should Buffalo bring back Edmunds on a long-term deal, Bernard will have to wait for injury to see substantive snaps. Matt Milano is coming off his best season as a pro and is under contract through 2024, so should Edmunds return, or should Buffalo bring in a starting-level free agent, Bernard is simply a linebacker handcuff or a stash-and-hope asset.

Tier Four: Watch List

If you’re in a 14- or 16-team league, or a league with a lot of roster spots and/or oversized taxi squads, you could consider rostering linebackers in this tier based on draft capital or brief flashes in their rookie seasons.

16. Brandon Smith, CAR

Drafted: fourth round, No. 120 overall pick (Penn State)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in 12 games; 53 defensive snaps (4.6 percent). Ended the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

six solo tackles, two assists; zero tackles for loss; one missed tackle (11.1 percent missed tackle rate)

four completions on five targets (80 percent completion percentage)

Smith has an athletic profile that gets people excited, and length that could translate well as a pass-game defender. Unfortunately Smith also looks like an athlete that doesn’t totally understand what the offense is throwing at him – i.e., the “read and react” part of football needs a lot of work – and his technique in a lot of phases was lacking as a prospect.

I’ve seen a few Panthers fans calling for Smith as a starting middle linebacker in 2023, and I’m not seeing it, even if Shaq Thompson becomes a cap casualty and Frankie Luvu spends more time as a 3-4 outside linebacker under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Let’s be realistic: Smith was a project to begin with and barely played as a rookie. The Matt Rhule-led regime that drafted him on day three is no longer in town. If you’re rostering him now, there’s a good chance you’re going to be tempted to let him go to free up a roster spot for one of your 2023 draft picks.

This graph is entirely speculative, however it is the reason I’m at least moderately interested in Smith this off-season. Evero is considered one of the bright young defensive coordinators in the NFL, and I’m wondering if he can’t put Smith on a Baron Browning-like transition to edge where his frame and athletic traits might best be used. One of Smith’s strengths as a prospect was as a blitzer, and I’d like to see what would happen during training camp if Smith were to be asked to line up wide and try to beat a tackle. There is no indication Carolina has a position switch in mind for Smith, so take this with a grain of salt, but with long arms and a frame that looks like it could carry additional pounds, I’d like to see it.

17. Jake Hansen, HOU

Undrafted (Illinois)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 25

Stats to know:

played in 11 games; 205 defensive snaps (17.5 percent)

15 solo tackles, ten assists; two tackles for loss; one missed tackles (3.8 percent missed tackle rate)

seven completions on seven targets

nine blitzes; five pressures; one sack; two quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.95

one forced fumble; one fumble recovery

The Texans, who will trot any warm body out to play linebacker, actually got some quality play from Hansen late in the season. And even though this preseason interception is more on Brock Purdy, Hansen does a nice job of reading the quarterback’s intentions and making a play on the ball:

Former #ILLINI NFL rookie Jake Hansen with the interception for the Houston Texans.

pic.twitter.com/dmssplvvkF

— Illinois Football Focus (@IlliniFB) August 26, 2022

Despite the coaching turnover in Houston, I’m intrigued enough by Hansen to keep an eye on him.

18. Luke Masterson, LV

Undrafted (Wake Forest)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 25

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 344 defensive snaps (30.5 percent)

30 solo tackles, 29 assists; four tackles for loss; two missed tackles (3.3 percent missed tackle rate)

14 completions on 15 targets (93.3 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

three blitzes; three pressures; zero sacks; one quarterback hit

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.45

All in all, Masterson was a pleasant surprise as an undrafted free agent. That it took injuries to Denzel Perryman, Divine Deablo and Jayon Brown, plus a retirement from Blake Martinez, was not so pleasant. The oft-injured Deablo will return, likely as a top-two starter. Perryman is a free agent, though a candidate to return. Regardless, Las Vegas would be foolish to count on Masterson as a top two linebacker, and I don’t expect them to be foolish. Masterson looks like a rosterable linebacker at the NFL level, but I can’t see carrying him in fantasy over the off-season.

19. Micah McFadden, NYG

Drafted: fifth round, No. 146 overall pick (Indiana)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 435 defensive snaps (38.5 percent)

36 solo tackles, 23 assists; six tackles for loss; three missed tackles (4.8 percent missed tackle rate)

20 completions on 23 targets (87 percent completion percentage)

24 blitzes; six pressures; two sacks; two quarterback hits

“plays in the backfield“ score: 1.84

one forced fumble; zero fumble recoveries

I feel like I should be more excited about McFadden than I am. But even considering the barren wasteland that is New York’s off-ball linebacker depth chart – Beavers, McFadden, and the lightly used duo of Carter Coughlin and Cam Brown – I didn’t come away from McFadden’s rookie season thinking he was anything more than a No. 3 or backup-level player. He played a lot of snaps out of necessity, really, and had a decent impact off of blitz packages. If you have shares, they’re hard to jettison given the current depth. We know that will change though, and I’d be surprised if Beavers doesn’t garner more snaps moving forward.

20. Jack Gibbens, TEN

Undrafted (Minnesota)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in five games; 215 defensive snaps (18.4 percent)

12 solo tackles, 12 assists; zero tackles for loss; one missed tackle (3.4 percent missed tackle rate)

nine completions on 12 targets (75 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; one interception

six blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

There are some rough-looking linebacker units out there right now, and Tennessee is among the worst offenders. With David Long Jr. and Dylan Cole entering free agency and Zach Cunningham getting his walking papers, the Titans are looking at a big need with nothing but Monty Rice, Gibbens and Chance Campbell on the roster.

Kudos to Gibbens for making a name for himself late in the season, when he wore the green dot at times as the defensive signal caller. I think enough of Gibbens to keep an eye on him, but the Titans are going to either bring back Long or sign another veteran free agent, plus likely draft some depth chart competition.

Tier Five: Not Worth Watching

There’s nothing to see here but I took a look just to be sure.

21. Chance Campbell, TEN

Drafted: sixth round, No. 219 overall pick (Ole Miss)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Campbell was a prolific tackler in his one season at Ole Miss, and a solid player overall. It’s hard at the NFL level to overcome arm length deficiency though, and of linebackers with similar body types, it takes outliers to be able to avoid or shed blocks consistently enough to survive. Campbell was placed on injured reserve with some sort of knee injury prior to kickoff of the regular season and never made it onto the field, so we only have three preseason games’ worth of unproductive tape to go on.

On the positive side, there’s an opportunity to be had right now at the linebacker spot in Tennessee. That doesn’t mean he’ll have any level of fantasy relevance though, and Campbell is in all likelihood ticketed for special teams work and backup-level snaps should he survive roster cuts.

22. Baylon Spector, BUF

Drafted: seventh round, No. 231 overall pick (Clemson)

Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in six games; 12 defensive snaps (1.1 percent)

six solo tackles, one missed tackle (14.3 percent missed tackle rate)

four completions on five targets (80 percent completion percentage)

On the plus side, Spector has NFL athleticism and collegiate production. Debbie Downer reminds us that he has size limitations and was immediately and successfully picked on in the passing game in his limited action. He looks to be nothing more than a backup and career special teamer.