NFL training camp is in full swing, and that means the 2026-27 regular season is just around the corner. Every fanbase loves to compare its favorite players to the rest of the league this time of year, and we at Pro Football Network will give you exactly what you want.
The PFN LB Impact Scoring model puts a numerical value on the performance of every linebacker around the NFL. The best part? It’s completely free!
Pro Football Network has these scoring models for every individual position, and we’ll be breaking each of the top performers down before the regular season starts.
There’s been a lot of parity near the top of the league at the linebacker position. Based on our scoring, there’s been a first-time leader in PFN LB Impact Scoring every single year since 2018. That trend continued in 2025, but which player came out on top? These are the 10 best linebackers in the NFL based on last year’s PFN LB Impact Scores.
10) Kaden Elliss, New Orleans Saints
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 82.6
Amidst flashy offensive additions like Travis Etienne and Jordyn Tyson, it can be easy to forget that the New Orleans Saints also poached Kaden Elliss away from Atlanta this offseason. It should be a big loss for the Saints’ division rival, but it should be an even bigger gain for New Orleans.
Best known for his elite blitzing ability, Elliss’ 18 pressures led all off-ball linebackers in the NFL in 2025. His 88.0 pass-rushing score placed second at the position, too. He also proved himself as a well-rounded contributor, as he finished in the top 25 in both run-defense scoring and coverage scoring.
9) Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 84.4
The Miami Dolphins didn’t have much to be thankful for in the 2025-26 NFL season, but Jordyn Brooks was one of the lone bright spots in a disappointing season. He led the NFL with 183 total tackles, and his 99 solo tackles also marked the highest total of any player in the league. He earned first-team All-Pro recognition for his efforts.
Though he got snubbed for a Pro Bowl selection, Brooks’ All-Pro nod shows he’s widely viewed as one of the best linebackers in the game. That reputation is warranted; even though his 64.0 coverage score in 2025 wasn’t much to write home about, his 94.0 run-defense score was the best in the league at his position.
8) Bobby Wagner, free agent
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 84.4
The consensus opinion on modern-day Bobby Wagner fluctuates pretty wildly, depending on the person you ask. Though he’s certainly a step slower in coverage than he used to be, there’s no denying he’s still an impact performer in the run game. The analytics back that up; his 85.0 run-defense score tied for sixth among NFL linebackers in 2025.
Wagner was also a capable blitzing defender for the Washington Commanders, notching 4.5 sacks and finishing 2025 with an 83.0 pass-rushing score that ranked fourth at his position. He’s still a free agent as of this writing, and though he’s 36 years old, he’s proven that he can still contribute at a high level in certain aspects of the game.
7) Ernest Jones, Seattle Seahawks
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 84.6
With a 94.4 PFN Defense Impact Score, the Seattle Seahawks had the best defensive analytical profile of any team in the NFL last year. Though people might mention Devon Witherspoon, Leonard Williams, or even Nick Emmanwori as the stars of the show in Seattle, Ernest Jones is an unsung hero who deserves to be in the conversation.
Jones finished 2025 with five interceptions, which tied with Devin Lloyd for the most interceptions a linebacker had last season. His 91.0 coverage score tied for the third-best in the NFL at his position, and he was an above-average performer in run support, too. Two years ago, Jones was traded to Tennessee by the Los Angeles Rams in a Day 3 pick swap. Now, he’s an All-Pro linebacker for the Rams’ biggest competition in the NFC West.
6) Nate Landman, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 84.7
It’s not like the Rams are hurting at the linebacker position without Jones, though. Nate Landman took a huge leap in 2025, signing a one-year deal with Los Angeles after three seasons contributing for the Falcons. His 84.7 PFN LB Impact Score marked a career high and was a major upgrade over the 65.5 score he had in Atlanta in 2024.
With an 85.0 run-defense score, Landman tied Wagner for the sixth-best score in the NFL. He was a well-rounded performer for the Rams last year, tallying 132 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, six pass deflections, and four forced fumbles. Still just 27 years old and fresh off a contract extension, Landman should be a key piece of Los Angeles’ defense for years to come.
5) Devin White, Detroit Lions
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 86.5
Devin White might be the most divisive linebacker in the NFL today. He’s certainly good at picking up a lot of tackles; his 174 total tackles with the Las Vegas Raiders last year ranked third in the entire league. Whether or not that’s a result of opposing offenses running right at him can certainly be up for debate, but he’s certainly made his fair share of big plays.
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Now with the Detroit Lions, White has the chance to start for their defense after redeeming himself in Las Vegas. His 88.0 run-defense score tied for the third-best among NFL linebackers in 2025, and his 11.0 tackles for loss tied for third, too. With more consistency in coverage, he could bounce back to his former self from his Tampa Bay glory days.
4) Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 86.6
The Philadelphia Eagles have fully unlocked Zack Baun, as his PFN LB Impact Scores would indicate. After placing second among all NFL linebackers in the metric in 2024, he placed fourth at the position in 2025. He’s been a Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons and was a first-team All-Pro in 2024.
Though Baun has plenty of experience rushing off the edge, it’s his coverage value that served as a differentiator last year. He had two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a 92.0 coverage score that placed second among all linebackers in 2025. He continued to fare well rushing the passer with 3.5 sacks and a respectable 79.0 pass-rushing score.
3) Eric Wilson, Minnesota Vikings
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 87.6
Eric Wilson’s NFL journey has been an interesting one. After placing fifth in the league in PFN LB Impact Scoring with the Minnesota Vikings in 2020, he bounced around as a backup for a few years and didn’t emerge as a starter again until 2024, when he started 12 games for Green Bay with mixed results. Upon returning to Minnesota last year, he bounced back and put together a career-high 87.6 score.
Surprisingly enough, Wilson was the only linebacker in the NFL with a top-ten score in run defense, pass rushing, and coverage. He placed fifth, third, and tied for tenth in those categories, respectively. His 6.5 sacks led all off-ball defenders in 2025, and he also finished the season with 115 tackles, four forced fumbles, and 17.0 tackles for loss.
2) Devin Bush, Chicago Bears
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 88.3
Originally a first-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin Bush has had his ups and downs since entering the NFL. 2025 certainly qualified as one of those “ups”, though, as he tallied a career-high 88.3 PFN LB Impact Score with the Cleveland Browns. His performance earned him a three-year, $30 million deal with the Chicago Bears in free agency this offseason.
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Bush used his elite athleticism to fly all over the field to the tune of 125 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He tied for seventh with an 80.0 pass-rushing score and placed in the top 15 in run support with an 81.0 score. It was his coverage value that set him apart from the competition, though. He had eight pass deflections and three interceptions, two of which having been returned back for touchdowns.
1) Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions
2025 PFN LB Impact Score: 88.3
Fresh off a massive contract extension and a 2025 season which saw him named a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro, Jack Campbell has to be sitting pretty going into 2026. His accolades are well deserved, as he came away narrowly beating Bush for the top PFN LB Impact Score in the entire NFL last season.
In addition to his 89.0 run-defense score that ranked second among all linebackers, Campbell tied for sixth with his 80.0 pass-rushing score, which was helped by the 12 pressures he generated. His disruption in 2025 was out of this world, as he finished the year with 176 total tackles and 5.0 sacks. Campbell established himself as one of the NFL’s elite last year and will look to repeat atop these rankings this coming season.
