NFL free agent rankings: Linebackers

January 16, 2025

Off-ball linebackers are very rarely selected high in the NFL Draft, and 2025 will be no exception, with no players expected to be selected in the first round. If you're looking for a pass-rushing outside linebacker, know that we've got you covered here.

We surveyed a group of writers across SB Nation to gather consensus rankings on players.

Players who re-sign with their current team will be removed from the list until free agency begins in March.

Other people to vote for: Jack Gibbens (RFA)

10. Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs

Bolton, a second-round pick who became a free agent for the first time, missed six months in 2023 before returning to form in 2024. Last season he had 3 sacks, 106 tackles, 11 TFLs, 7 QB hits, 6 passes defended, and 3 turnovers. He's a good linebacker and could start for most teams in the league.

9. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Davis is 35 years old and only played for the Buccaneers during his 13-year career. He finished 2024 with 122 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and one interception. He played last season on a one-year contract worth $8.75 million, which will be worth $4.5 million in 2023.

8. Bobby Wagner, Washington Commander

Wagner earned $6.5 million to be a veteran presence in Washington's linebacker room, but he turns 35 in June. Still, he only missed one game in the past nine years and was named second-team All-Pro. this year. He is good at tackling, and his 132 tackles in 2024 were his lowest in a season since 2015. He had 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks and forced a fumble. He's not as great as he once was, but he's still pretty good if he wants to keep playing.

7. Eric Kendricks, Dallas Cowboys

Kendricks, who will be 33 by the time free agency begins in March, will look for a one-year deal in Dallas before joining the Chargers after eight seasons in Minnesota and his fourth in four seasons with another team. It turns out. Dude is a tackling machine who has racked up 100 tackles in nine consecutive seasons since entering the starting lineup. He finished 2024 with 138 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He played in 2024 for $3 million.

6. Elandon Roberts, Pittsburgh Steelers

He will turn 31 this offseason, but the Steelers will use him as a rotation player in 2024 rather than a true starter. He played just over 50% of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps in five games, posting some of the lowest statistical numbers of his career. 46 tackles, 1 sack. He made $3.5 million in each of the past two seasons.

5. Robert Spillane, Las Vegas Raiders

Spillane just turned 29 and is coming off his second straight season starting every game for the Raiders after four years as a spot starter with the Steelers. Since joining the starting lineup, his numbers are impressive, averaging 153 tackles, 2.75 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 passes defensed, and 2.5 interceptions per season. He made a total of $8 million over his two seasons in Las Vegas and will likely get a raise in 2025.

4. Ernest Jones, Seattle Seahawks

Jones started his career as a third-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, but was traded to the Titans for virtually nothing before the 2024 season. The Titans sent him to Seattle in October ahead of the trade deadline, meaning he has been with three teams in the past 12 months or so. He received one first place vote in our poll and has some good stats on the board. In 2023, he recorded 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks with 14 TFL. In 2024, he played on two teams and recorded 138 tackles.

3. Tyrell Dodson, Miami Dolphins

Dodson is a very interesting case. He was an injury replacement starter in Buffalo and was signed to a one-year, $4.26 million contract last offseason as a starter as the Seahawks revamped their defense under a new coach. They ended up benching him and then releasing him in November, and the Dolphins kept him for the rest of the season. I think the Seahawks had a problem, rather than him not being talented enough to start, so the amount is probably correct. In 2024, he had 107 tackles, two sacks, six passes defended including three interceptions, and one forced fumble.

2. Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers

The six-year veteran finished in the top three of all voters despite missing most of the 2024 season with an injury. He returned from an Achilles injury suffered in the Super Bowl, but suffered a calf injury in December. He should be fully healthy heading into free agency, and after coming off a two-year, $16.4 million deal, he'll likely get a similar amount on a new deal.

1. Zach Baun, Philadelphia Eagles

Baun, our clear top candidate, became a Pro Bowler in 2024 in his first season with the Eagles. Previously a spot starter for the Saints, he started 16 games for Philadelphia this season, recording 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and one interception. Not a bad year for a career! He made $4 million in 2024, but could easily fall into the $10 million per season range now.