Best Off-Ball Linebackers in the NFL Since 2020

The best off-ball linebackers in the NFL since 2020 are grouped into seven tiers, led by Fred Warner and Bobby Wagner. Warner has defined the modern coverage standard, while Wagner has paired exceptional tackling volume with rare consistency and command.

This is a tier list, not a strict ranking from No. 1 through No. 31. Players within the same tier share a similar overall case for the 2020 through 2025 seasons, although their strengths, peaks and sample sizes differ. The original graphics, tier placements and player order are preserved.

For a longer historical view, see the best NFL linebackers of all time, best defensive players in NFL history and best edge rushers of all time.

How We Ranked the Best Off-Ball Linebackers Since 2020

The evaluation begins with the 2020 regular season and runs through the 2025 season and its playoffs. Only performance inside that six-season window counts toward placement. Earlier accomplishments can explain a player’s reputation, but they do not raise his tier.

The largest factors are coverage range, processing speed, run fits, tackling reliability, communication, blitz value, takeaways, durability, peak seasons, consistency and playoff impact. Raw tackle totals matter, but they need context. A linebacker can pile up tackles behind a struggling front without consistently creating high-value stops, while an elite coverage player can erase throws that never appear in a basic box score.

This list is limited to off-ball linebackers. Edge defenders whose primary responsibility is rushing the passer are excluded, even if an official roster labels them as linebackers.

Key Facts and Eligibility

• Evaluation period: 2020 through the end of the 2025 NFL season, including the playoffs.
• Format: 31 players divided into seven tiers.
• Order: Players are not strictly ranked within each tier.
• Stat scope: Player stat lines use regular-season production unless the text identifies a playoff accomplishment.
• Eligibility: Inside, middle and weak-side linebackers whose primary work came off the line of scrimmage.
• Important context: Peak value, multi-season consistency, availability and shorter late-window samples are weighed differently.

Last reviewed: August 6, 2026

Tier 7: Productive Starters and Rising Linebackers

Tier 7 features Frankie Luvu, Patrick Queen, Ernest Jones, Kaden Elliss, Azeez Al-Shaair, Zaire Franklin and Blake Cashman.

Tier 7 includes productive starters whose best seasons clearly belong in the discussion. Their complete six-season cases are less consistent or less decorated than those above them, but each has supplied meaningful run defense, pressure, coverage or tackling value.

Frankie Luvu

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 448 tackles and 27 sacks; at least 5.5 sacks in three straight seasons from 2022 through 2024; a career-high 8 sacks and Second-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2024.

Luvu brings more pass-rush value than a typical off-ball linebacker. His closing burst and physical play let a defense use him as a blitzer, an edge changeup or a pursuit defender without hiding his role before the snap.

Patrick Queen

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 655 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 4 interceptions and 8 forced fumbles; a Pro Bowl and Second-Team AP All-Pro selection in 2023.

Queen turned early inconsistency into dependable three-down production. His speed remains the foundation of his game, but improved recognition and finishing made his 2023 breakout more than a traits-based projection.

Ernest Jones

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): A Rams-record 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2023; 126 tackles, 5 interceptions and Second-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025; Super Bowl LVI and LX champion.

Jones has developed into a forceful middle linebacker and defensive communicator. His 2025 surge in coverage added a new dimension to a profile already built on downhill tackling and interior run fits.

Kaden Elliss

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 438 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 2 interceptions; 351 tackles and 12.5 sacks from 2023 through 2025.

Elliss is a useful hybrid because he can play stacked, walk toward the line or attack a protection as a blitzer. That flexibility has produced genuine pressure without removing him from a full-time linebacker workload.

Azeez Al-Shaair

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 476 tackles, 6 sacks and 4 interceptions; a career-high 141 tackles in 2023; 2 interceptions and 9 passes defended in 2025.

Al-Shaair grew from a rotational defender into a high-volume starter. He plays with urgency and contact strength, and his later seasons show a broader coverage contribution than his reputation as a run-first linebacker suggests.

Zaire Franklin

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 631 tackles, 10 sacks and 11 forced fumbles; three straight seasons with at least 147 tackles from 2022 through 2024; Second-Team AP All-Pro in 2024.

Franklin’s case is built on availability, communication and enormous tackle volume once he became a full-time starter. His 2022 through 2024 run established him as one of the busiest second-level defenders in football.

Blake Cashman

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 360 tackles and 11.5 sacks; 334 tackles from 2023 through 2025; a career-high 143 tackles in only 13 games in 2025.

Cashman’s early career was interrupted by injuries, but his recent production changed the shape of his résumé. His range and acceleration work particularly well in space, while his blitz timing provides an extra source of pressure.

Tier 6: Athletic Starters and Role Leaders

Tier 6 features Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Okereke, Devin Lloyd, Tremaine Edmunds and Devin White.

Tier 6 combines athletic coverage defenders, high-volume tacklers and linebackers with major peak seasons. Some have stronger full-window production, while others reached a higher level for a shorter stretch.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 271 tackles, 8 sacks and 3 interceptions in 49 games; 87 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6 passes defended and a Pro Bowl selection in 2023.

Owusu-Koramoah has defensive-back movement skills in a linebacker role. His ability to close on screens, match routes and attack from unusual angles creates impact beyond his tackle total, although availability shortened his overall sample.

Jordyn Brooks

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 767 tackles and 13 sacks; 158 tackles in 2021; a career-high 180 tackles and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025.

Brooks has been one of the period’s most productive pursuit linebackers. His speed helps him recover against perimeter runs and underneath throws, while his 2025 output showed that his tackle volume could rise even further.

Bobby Okereke

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 680 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 7 interceptions and 9 forced fumbles; 141 tackles, 10 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions in 2023.

Okereke offers a steady three-down profile with reliable availability and useful ball production. His best seasons combine clean tackling with enough coverage range to keep him on the field in passing situations.

Devin Lloyd

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 403 tackles, 9 interceptions and 26 passes defended in four seasons; 5 interceptions, a 99-yard touchdown return and Second-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025.

Lloyd’s length and movement skills give him clear coverage upside. His five-interception 2025 season supplied the splash plays that were missing from parts of his early career and strengthened his place among the younger names.

Tremaine Edmunds

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 604 tackles, 5 sacks and 11 interceptions; a Pro Bowl selection for the 2020 season; 8 interceptions across 2023 and 2025.

Edmunds remains unusual because of the ground he can cover at his size. His impact has varied by season, but the combination of tackle volume, passing-lane length and recent interception production supports his tier.

Devin White

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 623 tackles and 23 sacks; 133 tackles and 9 sacks during his 2020 Second-Team AP All-Pro season; Super Bowl LV champion.

White’s best football came when his acceleration was turned loose downhill. The consistency did not match the explosive peak, but his 2020 regular season and dominant championship run remain among the period’s most memorable linebacker stretches.

Tier 5: Strong Starters and Young Core Pieces

Tier 5 features Dre Greenlaw, T.J. Edwards, Logan Wilson, Jack Campbell and Nick Bolton.

Tier 5 is filled with important starters who have either sustained a strong multi-year level or already delivered defining playoff and All-Pro moments early in their careers.

Dre Greenlaw

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 366 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 3 interceptions; 214 tackles across 2022 and 2023; a starter on San Francisco’s Super Bowl LVIII defense.

Greenlaw plays with speed and striking power, giving San Francisco a forceful complement to Warner. Injuries reduced his total sample, but his best seasons show clear value in pursuit, coverage and high-leverage playoff football.

T.J. Edwards

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 653 tackles, 12 sacks and 7 interceptions; at least 119 tackles in four straight seasons from 2021 through 2024.

Edwards wins with anticipation, disciplined positioning and dependable tackling. He is not the most explosive athlete in the tier, but his processing lets him arrive early and avoid turning routine gains into larger ones.

Logan Wilson

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 520 tackles, 11 interceptions and 8 forced fumbles; 4 interceptions in both 2021 and 2023; a starter in Cincinnati’s run to Super Bowl LVI.

Wilson separates himself with route recognition and ball skills. His turnover production gives him a stronger passing-game profile than many tackle-first linebackers, and he has handled a large communication role when healthy.

Jack Campbell

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 369 tackles and 8.5 sacks in three seasons; 168 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, a Pro Bowl and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025.

Campbell’s 2025 leap gave him the strongest recent season in this tier. He pairs classic middle-linebacker size with enough movement ability to stay on the field, and his early-career production points toward a much higher long-term ceiling.

Nick Bolton

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 568 tackles, 6 sacks and 5 interceptions in five seasons; 171 tackles in 2022; Super Bowl LVII and LVIII champion.

Bolton has been central to Kansas City’s championship defenses as a physical tackler and communicator. His fumble-return touchdown in Super Bowl LVII is the signature play, but his larger value comes from consistently organizing and finishing in the middle.

Tier 4: Proven Veteran Impact

Tier 4 features Eric Kendricks, De’Vondre Campbell, Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley.

Tier 4 is built around veteran intelligence, high-volume production and genuine All-Pro peaks. Each player supplied at least one season that belongs near the top of the position during the evaluation window.

Eric Kendricks

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 585 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 7 interceptions; 5 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2021; 128 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles in 2024.

Kendricks’ diagnostic skill and zone awareness kept him productive after his athletic peak. He consistently found the ball, communicated across multiple schemes and supplied more splash production than a simple veteran-leadership label would suggest.

De’Vondre Campbell

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 146 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles during his 2021 First-Team AP All-Pro season; 99 tackles and 2 sacks in 2020.

Campbell’s 2021 season was the clear peak of his since-2020 case. He gave Green Bay range, physical tackling and coverage production from the middle, reaching a level that few linebackers in the period matched for a full season.

Quincy Williams

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 511 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles; 122 tackles, 10 passes defended and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2023.

Williams plays at a pace that immediately stands out. His downhill burst creates violent stops, but the 2023 All-Pro season also showed better discipline and coverage production, turning athletic flashes into complete impact.

C.J. Mosley

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 495 tackles from 2021 through 2024 after opting out in 2020; 168 tackles in 2021, 158 in his 2022 Pro Bowl season and 152 in 2023.

Mosley returned from his 2020 opt-out and immediately resumed a massive workload in the middle of the Jets defense. Injuries limited him to four games in 2024 before his 2025 retirement, but his three healthy seasons in the window were highly productive.

Tier 3: High-End Off-Ball Linebackers

Tier 3 features Shaquille Leonard, Matt Milano, Zack Baun and Foyesade Oluokun.

Tier 3 contains elite peaks, premium coverage ability and some of the heaviest tackle production of the era. Injuries, shorter samples or a narrower prime keep these four below the longer-running Tier 2 résumés.

Shaquille Leonard

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 319 tackles, 5 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles from 2020 through 2023; First-Team AP All-Pro in both 2020 and 2021.

Leonard’s healthy peak was built on rare takeaway instincts. He forced eight fumbles and intercepted four passes in 2021 alone, creating game-changing possessions at a rate that separates his best work from ordinary high-volume tackling.

Matt Milano

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 305 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 6 interceptions; 85 tackles, 11 passes defended, 3 interceptions and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2022.

Milano has been one of the period’s best linebackers in coverage. His route awareness and closing speed let Buffalo ask him to handle space that exposes less fluid players, although injuries reduced his volume in several seasons.

Zack Baun

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 336 tackles, 9 sacks, 4 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles; 140 tackles, 5 forced fumbles and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2024; Super Bowl LIX champion.

Baun’s move into a full-time off-ball role transformed his career. His 2024 breakout was not a one-season fluke: he followed it with 122 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2025, adding staying power to an exceptional championship peak.

Foyesade Oluokun

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 843 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 8 interceptions; an NFL-high 178 tackles in 2021; at least 101 tackles in every season of the window.

Oluokun owns one of the heaviest tackle workloads on this list. The volume is supported by durability, pursuit range and improving ball production, including a career-high 11 passes defended in 2025.

Tier 2: Elite Linebackers Since 2020

Tier 2 features Roquan Smith, Demario Davis and Lavonte David.

Tier 2 contains three complete linebackers with sustained, multi-season impact. All three can handle the run, contribute in coverage, pressure the quarterback and serve as the organizing voice of a defense.

Roquan Smith

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 860 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 8 interceptions; at least 128 tackles in every season; 150 tackles and 4.5 sacks across Chicago and Baltimore in 2022.

Smith processes quickly and closes with force, allowing him to affect plays from sideline to sideline. His arrival in Baltimore strengthened an already physical defense, and his uninterrupted production gives him one of the cleanest full-window cases.

Demario Davis

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 703 tackles and 22.5 sacks; at least 96 tackles in all six seasons; 6.5 sacks in both 2022 and 2023.

Davis has aged remarkably well because his impact is rooted in preparation, leverage and decisive movement. He remains a productive blitzer while carrying the communication and run-fit responsibilities of a veteran defensive centerpiece.

Lavonte David

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 659 tackles, 20 sacks, 3 interceptions and 12 forced fumbles; 117 tackles and 17 tackles for loss in 2023; Super Bowl LV champion.

David’s instincts make difficult assignments look routine. He can recognize screens, carry routes, scrape cleanly to the ball and finish in space, giving Tampa Bay complete linebacker play throughout the window.

Tier 1: The Standard Since 2020

Tier 1 features Fred Warner and Bobby Wagner, the standard for off-ball linebacker play since 2020.

Tier 1 belongs to two different models of elite linebacker play. Warner is the coverage and versatility prototype for the modern position, while Wagner combines historic tackle production with command, anticipation and durability.

Fred Warner

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 653 tackles, 9 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles; First-Team AP All-Pro in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Warner changes what San Francisco can call because he covers ground like a defensive back without giving up physicality against the run. He can carry routes, close passing windows, communicate checks and attack downhill from the same alignment.

His 2025 season ended after six games, but the larger six-season résumé remains the best blend of coverage value, takeaways, range and peak recognition at the position.

Bobby Wagner

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 860 tackles, 20 sacks and 5 interceptions; at least 123 tackles in every season; a window-high 164 tackles in 2023 and 158 in 2025.

Wagner’s instincts and preparation have allowed him to remain highly productive deep into his career. He diagnoses quickly, takes efficient paths to the ball and provides the pre-snap command expected from a defensive quarterback.

His Tier 1 case is not based only on longevity. Twenty sacks in the window show that he still created negative plays, while six straight seasons above 120 tackles demonstrate extraordinary dependability.

Complete Tier List Table

The table preserves all 31 players and their assigned tiers from the seven original graphics. The evidence column replaces the draft’s generic résumé summaries with verified production and honors from the 2020 through 2025 seasons.

Biggest Takeaways

Fred Warner is the modern prototype

Warner’s four First-Team All-Pro selections in five seasons from 2020 through 2024 support what the film shows. He is the best combination of coverage range, communication, takeaways and complete three-down value in the ranking.

Bobby Wagner’s production has defied age

Wagner recorded 860 tackles and 20 sacks across the six-season window without falling below 123 tackles in a season. That blend of durability, command and negative-play production keeps him beside Warner in Tier 1.

Coverage and takeaways separate similar résumés

Leonard’s forced fumbles, Milano’s route coverage, Wilson’s interceptions and Lloyd’s five-pick 2025 season demonstrate why tackle totals cannot settle the ranking by themselves.

Late breakouts can create strong cases

Baun, Jack Campbell, Ernest Jones and Cashman did not all enter the window as stars. Their recent All-Pro seasons or major production spikes deserve weight, even though longer consistency could move them higher in future versions.

Availability changes the shape of a résumé

Milano, Greenlaw, Owusu-Koramoah and Leonard reached high levels when healthy, but missed time limits their aggregate production. Oluokun, Wagner, Smith and Davis gain ground by sustaining heavy workloads across most or all of the period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL since 2020?

Fred Warner and Bobby Wagner form Tier 1. Warner is the period’s coverage and versatility standard, while Wagner has combined 860 tackles, 20 sacks and elite defensive command across the six seasons.

Is this a strict No. 1 through No. 31 ranking?

No. This is a seven-tier ranking. Players within the same tier are grouped at a similar overall level, and their order inside that tier should not be read as a precise head-to-head ranking.

What seasons are included?

The evaluation covers the 2020 through 2025 NFL seasons, including the playoffs. The displayed tackle, sack, interception and forced-fumble totals are regular-season figures unless a playoff accomplishment is specifically identified.

Why are retired players such as C.J. Mosley and Shaquille Leonard included?

Both produced meaningful football after the 2020 cutoff. A player does not need to have appeared in every season or remain active in 2026; his placement reflects only the value he supplied inside the evaluation period.

What is an off-ball linebacker?

An off-ball linebacker usually aligns behind the defensive line instead of primarily rushing from the edge. The role emphasizes run fits, tackling, coverage, communication and selective blitzing.

Conclusion

The best off-ball linebackers in the NFL since 2020 begin with Fred Warner and Bobby Wagner. Warner has supplied the best modern coverage profile and four First-Team All-Pro selections, while Wagner has remained a remarkably productive tackler, blitzer and defensive organizer.

Roquan Smith, Demario Davis and Lavonte David form a complete second tier. Leonard, Milano, Baun and Oluokun follow with very different paths to Tier 3, from takeaway-heavy peaks to historic tackle volume. Across all seven tiers, the evidence points to the same conclusion: elite off-ball linebacker play is not defined by tackles alone. Coverage, communication, range, negative plays and week-to-week dependability determine who truly controls the middle of a defense.

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• Best San Francisco 49ers Defensive Players of All Time
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• Best Edge Rushers of All Time
• Best Pass Rushers in NFL History

This tier list is part of a larger SOG Sports NFL rankings series covering current performance, historical standing, peak value and era context. Follow SOG Football on Instagram for more rankings and debates.